# German translation needed **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 21, 2011, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-needed/597080 "2011-09-21T16:46:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-needed/597080/1 "2011-09-21T16:46:44Z")
I’ve got a sheet of very pleasant music with the title of “O Du Frohliche” (the lower case ‘o’ has two little dots over it). Can any of you dopers translate that - I’d sort of like to know what I’m playing. It would be sort of off-putting if it meant “O I really love Hitler”. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-needed/597080/2 "2011-09-21T16:49:50Z")
I think you’re talking about this Christmas carol: > **[The German, Austrian, and Swiss National Anthems](https://www.thoughtco.com/german-austrian-and-swiss-national-anthems-4064854)** > > The history of Germany's, Austria's, and Switzerland's national anthems, and a translation of the German anthem. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-needed/597080/3 "2011-09-21T16:50:23Z")
The little dots are an umlaut. Babel fish makes it as: O you merry ones ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-needed/597080/4 "2011-09-21T16:51:38Z")
Quick [Google](http://german.about.com/library/blmus_dufroehlich.htm) gives this: > [@](#): > > This very popular German Christmas carol has Italian origins. In 1788 the German philosopher, theologian, and poet Johann Gottfried von Herder (1744-1803) brought the melody to Germany after a trip to Italy. Originally a Sicilian fisherman’s song, the melody was used for the Latin hymn “O Sanctissima.” Around 1816 Johannes Daniel Falk (1768-1826) wrote the German lyrics for what soon became one of the most popular German Weihnachtslieder. The English version is known as “O How Joyfully.” > O du fröhliche > O You Merry (Christmastide) ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-needed/597080/5 "2011-09-21T18:36:51Z")
Thanks a bunch, guys! That was fast - just what I wanted to know. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-needed/597080/6 "2011-09-21T20:27:10Z")
And a cognate of the English “frolic”, btw. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-needed/597080/7 "2011-09-22T11:52:52Z")
> [@SiXSwordS](#): > > Babel fish makes it as: O you merry ones A better translation of fröhlich would be happy. ---
**Author:** ![No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_umlaut_for_U)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-needed/597080/8 "2011-09-22T12:20:57Z")
I’d maybe go with Joyful or Merry…there’s a hint of elation with froehlich. But Happy is good enough. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-needed/597080/9 "2011-09-22T12:37:45Z")
> [@No\_umlaut\_for\_U](#): > > I’d maybe go with Joyful or Merry…there’s a hint of elation with froehlich. But Happy is good enough. But that’s only without the umlaut, right? 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-needed/597080/10 "2011-09-22T13:16:06Z")
> [@SiXSwordS](#): > > But that’s only without the umlaut, right? > > 🆒 Just in case you don’t know, adding an E after a vowel is a common way to indicate a umlauted vowel. oe == ö ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-needed/597080/11 "2011-09-22T13:29:22Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Just in case you don’t know, adding an E after a vowel is a common way to indicate a umlauted vowel. oe == ö I didn’t know, ignorance fought. Nonetheless, no e after a vowel for Ue! One Year! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-needed/597080/12 "2011-09-22T15:56:44Z")
Not only do I now have the translation, but I will never in my life forget what an ö is!