Talk:O Tannenbaum

Shouldn't this be O Tannenbaum without the h?

Since no one has responded to this question, and a search on Google reveals O Tannenbaum to be the more accurate title, I am moving this. Euphoria 23:57, 4 Dec 2004 (UTC)

What about adding the persiflage of "Oh Tannenbaum" to this article: "Oh Tannenbaum, oh Tannenbaum,/die Oma hängt am Gartenzaun./Der Opa ruft die Feuerwehr,/die Oma ruft: 'Ich kann nicht mehr.'/Oh Tannenbaum, oh Tannenbaum,/die Oma hängt am Gartenzaun."

Modified German version

Even though I thought that the word "treu" (trusting) in "Wie treu sind deine Blätter!" might add some new meaning to the song, I think the original version reads: Wie grün sind deine Blätter! (grün meaning green) I have modified the song accordingly --Ghormax 13:37, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

Um, my German isn't great but, I think treu is not so much "trusting" as "trustworthy" (cognate to "true" in the sense of "loyal, faithful"). I remember some of my Italian friends being amused by the feminine form, treue, which souds almost exactly like the Italian word troia, which (in a sexual context) means just the opposite.

So treu is appropriate; the idea is that the fir's needles do not desert us in Winter, unlike the leaves of deciduous trees. And in any case the first Google hit has treu. So I'm changing it back. --Trovatore 07:29, 3 December 2007 (UTC)

Hmm, I didn't notice you were German -- obviously you knew what treu meant; maybe not so much what "trusting" meant. Anyway here's a source with the treu lyric: http://german.about.com/library/blotannenb.htm . Do you have a source for the grün lyric? --Trovatore 07:34, 3 December 2007 (UTC)

Here is a link explaining (in German) that "treu" is the original version, but "grün" became increasingly popular after the 19th century. —Angr ^{If you've written a quality article...} 16:53, 21 December 2007 (UTC)

Shouldn't we be using the original treu in the main article? It is the original according to the article Angr points to and it also seems to be the most popular on Google: 3950 hits at the time of writing against 1580 for the grün version. Cybaea (talk) 10:11, 21 December 2008 (UTC)

I changed "grün" to "treu" for three reasons: 1) It is the original. The first strophe was a tragical love song by Joachim Zarnack (1819), so he compared his girlfriends faithlessness with this faithful tree. 5 years later Ernst Anschütz added 2 more strophes. Now this song became popular. 2) Ernst Anschütz didnt change the word "treu" to "green". There is a reason for: If you read the last strophe, the tree shall teach us "Hoffnung" (Hope), "Beständigkeit" (Constancy), "Mut" (Spirit) and "Kraft" (Power) at any time. This is not done by a "green" leave, but by faithfulness. 3) The third reason is the rhyme: There would be a repetition if "grün" would be right, because in the next sentence the tree "grünt" again. But this is an aestethical problem. Many Germans are using "grün", because "treu" is not so simple to understand... But nevertheless I think we should do something for the education :-) ! --- Clarence Tinkerbell 23 December 2008 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.62.100.173 (talk) 00:09, 23 December 2008 (UTC)

I'm not sure if 'O Tannenbaum' should be translated as 'O Christmas Tree' I don't think that the song is really a christmas carol/song.. It surely has more to do with the festival of the Sonnenwende and everlasting life, a life that continues through the dark days of winter. I would suggest that 'O Evergreen' is a better translation. --IsarSteve (talk) 02:08, 23 December 2008 (UTC)

Of course there are many connections between Christmas and other kinds of heathen celebrations. The combination was a neccessary part of the Christianization. But I think "Christmas Tree" is not a bad translation, because nobody would sing this song in front of a normal fir tree, but of course in front of a beautiful decorated Christmas tree. --- Clarence Tinkerbell 23 December 2008 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 77.25.168.194 (talk) 19:16, 23 December 2008 (UTC)

a literal translation:: ??

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum O Evergreen, o Evergreen

Wie treu sind deine Blätter With your faithfull foliage

Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit You’re not only green in summer

Nein auch im Winter wenn es schneit But also in winter when it snows

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum O Evergreen, o Evergreen

Wie treu sind deine Blätter With your faithfull foliage

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum O Evergreen, o Evergreen

Dein Kleid will mich was lehren Your cover(foliage) can teach me something

Die Hoffnung und Beständigkeit Hope and Consistency

Gibt Mut und Kraft zu jeder Zeit Give Courage and Fortitude all year round

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum O Evergreen, o Evergreen

Dein Kleid will mich was lehren Your cover(foliage) can teach me something

--IsarSteve (talk) 09:10, 24 December 2008 (UTC)

Very nice ;-)! Here you can see, that "not only green..." is the explanation for the "faithful". It would make no sense to use "green". But anyway: Marry Christmas to all of you! --- Clarence Tinkerbell 24 December 2008 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 77.24.253.77 (talk) 17:37, 24 December 2008 (UTC)

I have read the discussion, i do acknowledge the facts stated, but as a German, I do suggest to at least add a paragraph about the common version, using "grün". Most people sing the "grün"-version, so even though it is not the original, i think one should mention it. i will do so right after writing this comment on the discussion page, i hope it wont get reverted. 84.63.255.71 (talk) 20:38, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Another translation

This is the version I learnt in school: Scott Gall 01:29, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
With faithful leaves unchanging.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
With faithful leaves unchanging.
Not only green in summer's heat
But also winter's snow and sleet,
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
With faithful leaves unchanging.

Yeah, this seems to be the only Christmas carol without a standard English translation. I've seen or heard variant lyrics like "How lovely are your branches", "Thy leaves are so unchanging", "Not only green when summer's here/But also green throughout the year", "...green in summer's glow/...in winter's snow", and almost certainly a few more; I've probably even heard the same set of lyrics in both modern and Old English (different pronouns). B7T (talk) 13:21, 12 December 2007 (UTC)

Cantonese Version?

English isn't the only language this has been translated to. In Cantonese (Hong Kong), the song is Tsung Man Tse, and has some unique lyrics that are somewhat unlike any of the other standard versions - including referring to the plastic needles. I don't have a full translation, as I never learned the full song, but this would be a relevant addition if anybody could find a legitimate source (given Wiki's rules on primary research, eh?). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.226.19.232 (talk) 04:09, 31 December 2007 (UTC)

Lady Gaga song

"Christmas Tree (song)" redirects here, although Lady Gaga has a song of the exact same name. I added a note to the beginning of the page in case someone searching for her song accidentally ends up here. 76.107.137.39 (talk) 05:23, 6 December 2009 (UTC)