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Willy Derby - White roses
Dutch songs with English translation, translated in English
Willy Derby - White roses
Lyrics: Henk Paauwe / Music: L. Tummers
(1935)
Willy Derby - Witte rozen
Tekst: Henk Paauwe / Muziek: L. Tummers
(1935)
© copyright translation
Dutch song Willy Derby - Witte rozen
with lyrics, music, video and English translation songtext
Jantje was a little toddler
Only child, so dearly spoiled
And some day his mother told him:
"Listen to me, my sweet boy
If you're well-behaved, you will get
A newborn sibling very soon"
Well, that was big news for Jantje
And the little chap said pleased:
"If it will be a sister, mum
Then I will give her something nice"
Jantje was een kleine kleuter
Eenigst kindje, teer verwend
En op zeek're dag zei moeder:
"Hoor eens even, lieve vent
Als je zoet bent, komt er spoedig
Een zusje of een broertje bij"
Nou, dat was wat voor ons Jantje
En het ventje zei toen blij:
"Wanneer er een klein zusje kwam
Kreeg zij van mij wat moois, zeg mam"
"I'll use all of my savings
And buy that darling girl
A bouquet of fine white roses
The flowers mummy loves"
"Dan gaat mijn spaarpot open
Dan krijgt die schattebout
Een boeketje witte rozen
Waar mam ook zo van houdt"
When the stork would bring the sibling
Our Jantje had to stay with aunt
He just had to stay one night there
He was such a happy guest
Jantje's piggy bank was opened
And they counted ten more times
Then they ordered at the florist
A bouquet, so beautiful
At night in bed, he was asleep
He still was saying in his dream:
Toen de ooievaar verwacht werd
Moest kleine Jan met tante mee
En hij was daar voor een nachtje
Nu de vroolijke logé
Voor het geld uit Jantjes spaarpot
Al wel tien keer nageteld
Was er in een bloemenwinkel
Gauw een lief boeket besteld
En 's nacht in bed, nog in zijn slaap
Zei in zijn droom die lieve knaap:
"I'll use all of my savings
And buy that darling girl
A bouquet of fine white roses
The flowers mummy loves"
"Dan gaat mijn spaarpot open
Dan krijgt die schattebout
Een boeketje witte rozen
Waar mam ook zo van houdt"
When he came home the other morning
Our little Jan said: "Look, how strange
Do you see, aunt, our curtains
Are still closed during the day"
Then his father sobbed: "My Jantje
You no longer have a mum
Last night she and your little sister
Went to heaven, to our Lord"
And Jan laid down his white bouquet
At the foot end of his mother's bed
De and're morgen bij zijn thuiskomst
Zei kleine Jan: "Wat vreemd vandaag
Kijk eens tante, de gordijnen
Zijn nog helemaal omlaag"
Snikkend sprak zijn vader: "Jantje
Nou heb je geen moesje meer
Zij ging vannacht met kleine zusje
Weg naar onze Lieve Heer"
En zachtjes legde Jan 't boeket
Aan het voeteneind op moeders bed
And Jantje cried: "I brought these
Fine white roses for her birth
My dear mum and my sweet sister
Now I give them to you both"
En wenend zei toen Jantje:
"Ik bracht witte rozen mee
Lieve mam, hier lief klein zusje
Die zijn nu voor jullie twee"
© copyright translation
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Willy Derby (1886-1944), stage name of Willem Dieben, was probably the most beloved and successful Dutch singer in the years between the two World Wars (the 'interbellum' in the 1920's and 1930's). He sold roughly ten million records. He started his career as singing bar waiter in Antwerp and New York and on the ferryboat from Holland to Harwich, England.
His wife Adelaïde encouraged him to find work in the theatres. First he sang with his brother Lou Bandy (as The Bandy Brothers), but their personalities clashed too much. From 1915 onward he had his own singing career and owned several record shops in The Hague. The financial success was very convenient, because he not only had his wife, but also provided for his mistress, Teddy.
Early in the 1930's Willy Derby lost all his money, because of the economic crisis. Although he had had a heart attack in 1933, he kept working fanaticly. Every year he released several albums. He had to record them in a studio in Berlin, Germany.
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Some of his most well-known songs (beside above song) are: 'The proud beggar's heart'/'Het fiere schooiershart' (1919); 'Hello Bandung'/'Hallo Bandoeng' (1926); 'Dreamland'/'Droomland' (1934); 'Two lovely blue eyes'/'Twee ogen zo blauw' (1935); and 'On the Grebbeberg'/'Op de Grebbeberg' (1940).
In World War II Willy Derby sang veiled critical songs about the Nazi-occupation, for example 'On the Grebbeberg'/'Op de Grebbeberg' (1940) by Jacques van Tol. Two times he was put in prison. Several times his mistress smuggled his heart medications into prison (saving his life and risking her own), but unfortunately his health worsened nevertheless. A few weeks after Teddy ended their relationship in 1944, Derby died from a heart attack, only 58 years old.
The above song 'White roses'/'Witte rozen' (1935) is a classic example of a 'smartlap': a tear-jerker, a sob song. In Dutch music, this is a 'lifesong' ('levenslied') in which someone dies. The song was covered by many singers over the years, like Willy Alberti & Johnny Jordaan, Manke Nelis, the Zangeres Zonder Naam, André Hazes, De Straatzangers and Jan Smit.
 More translated Dutch songs in the genre 'life song' ('levenslied, smartlap') and more with the theme 'songs about family' or 'songs about passing away'. See also the list of Dutch singers with all their songs on this website.
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© copyright translation
(2017)
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