Along the mountain track ....
The Happy Wanderer
"The Happy Wanderer" ("Der fröhliche Wanderer" or "Mein Vater war ein Wandersmann") is a popular song. The original text was written by Florenz Friedrich Sigismund (1788-1857). The present tune was composed by Friedrich-Wilhelm Möller shortly after World War II. It is often mistaken for a German folk song, but it is actually an original composition. His sister Edith Möller conducted a small amateur children's and youth choir in Schaumburg County, Northern Germany, internationally named Obernkirchen Children's Choir, in Germany named Schaumburger Märchensänger. She adapted Sigismund's words for her choir.
In 1953 a BBC radio broadcast of the choir's winning performance at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod turned the song into an instant hit. On January 22, 1954, the song entered the UK singles chart and stayed on the chart—only a Top 12 at the time — for 26 non-consecutive weeks, peaking at Number 2 (for five consecutive weeks). With the BBC's strong international influence "The Happy Wanderer" turned up everywhere, e.g., as the winning song of the 1955 calypso road-march season of the Trinidad Carnival.
The amateur choir, many of whose original members were war orphans, turned into an unlikely international phenomenon in the following years. The group performed on many international tours under the name Obernkirchen Children's Choir and recorded several albums. They made two appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show (November 29, 1964, and December 11, 1966).
Die Isarspatzen, Herbert Beckh und das Tanzorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks have also recorded a German version. That version was made in Munich on June 16, 1954. It was released by Electrola Records as catalog number EG 8073.
The song's German lyrics have been translated into several languages, and it has since become a choir classic. The first adaptation into another language was done by a Belgian woman, Andrée Mazy, who came up with versions in Dutch-Flemish and French. Since in Dutch folk songs "valderi-valdera" (pronounced "falderi-faldera") is more common than the German "falleri-fallera", she used the Dutch model in both versions.
When Antonia Ridge was writing the English lyrics, she became acquainted with the French version of the song, with "valderi-valdera", pronounced with a true soft /v/ instead of the voiceless /f/, and borrowed it over into the English version mainly for euphonic reasons (less military sounding).
Milton DeLugg wrote a noted arrangement, and is sometimes incorrectly credited as the composer of the song.
A number of English-language sources credit Edith Möller and Florenz Siegesmund with writing the words, the implication being (apparently) that they were written at the same time as the tune. However, the German sources all credit the original words to either Friedrich Sigismund, F. Sigismund, or Florenz Friedrich Sigismund and give the dates as either 1788-1857 or early 19th century. All German sources agree that the words to the popular version were adapted by Edith Möller.
English Lyrics - The Happy Wanderer
I love to go a-wandering,
Along the mountain track,
And as I go, I love to sing,
My knapsack on my back.
Chorus:
Val-deri,Val-dera,
Val-deri,
Val-dera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha
Val-deri,Val-dera.
My knapsack on my back.
I love to wander by the stream
That dances in the sun,
So joyously it calls to me,
"Come! Join my happy song!"
I wave my hat to all I meet,
And they wave back to me,
And blackbirds call so loud and sweet
From ev'ry green wood tree.
High overhead, the skylarks wing,
They never rest at home
But just like me, they love to sing,
As o'er the world we roam.
Oh, may I go a-wandering
Until the day I die!
Oh, may I always laugh and sing,
Beneath God's clear blue sky!
German Lyrics - Der fröhliche Wanderer"
Mein Vater war ein Wandersmann,
Und mir steckt's auch im Blut;
Drum wandr' ich flott, so lang ich kann,
Und schwenke meinen Hut.
Chorus
Faleri, falera, faleri,
Falera ha ha ha ha ha ha
Faleri, falera,
Und schwenke meinen Hut.
Hei-di, hei-da, hei-di, hei-da!
Und schwenke meinen Hut.
Das Wandern schaffet frische Lust,
Erhält das Herz gesund;
Frei atmet draußen meine Brust,
Froh singet stets mein Mund:
Chorus
Warum singt Dir das Vögelein
So freudevoll sein Lied?
Weil's nimmer hockt, landaus, landein
Durch and're Fluren zieht.
Chorus
Was murmelt's Bächlein dort und rauscht,
So lustig hin durch's Rohr,
Weil's frei sich regt, mit Wonne lauscht
Ihm dein empfänglich Ohr.
Chorus
D'rum trag ich Ränzlein und den Stab
Weit in die Welt hinein,
Und werde bis an's kühle Grab
Ein Wanderbursche sein!
Chorus
The Cache
This cache is placed towards the end of a longish trail with some severe elevation changes. Pleas ensure that you take sufficient water and snacks with you.
Easiest access is from Parking 1 in St Helier Rd. Access is also available from Giba Gorge MTB Park (Parking 2). Sometimes parking is available at Parking 3 at the end of the Giba Gorge Industrial Park.
Note that the gravel track up / down the hill and under the N3 is now closed to vehicular traffic.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Happy_Wanderer
http://www.scoutsongs.com/lyrics/happywanderer.html