# Why do the Austrian Von Trapp family's songs rhyme so well in English? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 2, 2005, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-austrian-von-trapp-familys-songs-rhyme-so-well-in-english/333787 "2005-12-02T19:24:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pygmy66667](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/839c29/32.png) [@pygmy66667](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pygmy66667)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-austrian-von-trapp-familys-songs-rhyme-so-well-in-english/333787/1 "2005-12-02T19:24:15Z")
Dear wise and omniscient one, please answer this humble and unworthy one of your teeming millions’ burning question. The movie about the famous Von Trapp family, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, contains many beautiful and memorable songs. But, since the Von Trapps were Austrian, why do all of the songs rhyme so well in English? I suspect that the reason is “Hollywood license” but I know that you know what I want to know. You know what I mean? Your ignorant on this particular subject pupil, pygmy66667 ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-austrian-von-trapp-familys-songs-rhyme-so-well-in-english/333787/2 "2005-12-02T19:28:05Z")
The movie music was written by Rodgers & Hammerstein and has no relationship whatever to any music the real Trapps sang, with the possible exception of Edelweiss. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-austrian-von-trapp-familys-songs-rhyme-so-well-in-english/333787/3 "2005-12-02T19:29:33Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > . . .with the possible exception of Edelweiss. Scratch that, they wrote Edelweiss too. ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-austrian-von-trapp-familys-songs-rhyme-so-well-in-english/333787/4 "2005-12-02T19:38:36Z")
Doe, ein Hirsch, ein weiblicher Hirsch. Strahl, ein Tropfen goldener Sonne. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-austrian-von-trapp-familys-songs-rhyme-so-well-in-english/333787/5 "2005-12-02T19:58:27Z")
My grandmother saw the real Von Trapp Family Singers; she said they were much less attractive than their movie counterparts. Apparently even some Austrians have been fooled into thinking that “Edelweiss” was an authentic folk song. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-austrian-von-trapp-familys-songs-rhyme-so-well-in-english/333787/6 "2005-12-02T20:08:50Z")
Yes, I’m sure the movie would have been a big hit if the had done the entire thing entirely in German to be more “realistic.” And without subtitles, to give the audience the actual experience. That’d be popular. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-austrian-von-trapp-familys-songs-rhyme-so-well-in-english/333787/7 "2005-12-02T20:54:56Z")
Mel Gibson will direct it as his next project. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-austrian-von-trapp-familys-songs-rhyme-so-well-in-english/333787/8 "2005-12-02T21:25:43Z")
> [@Jpeg Jones](#): > > Doe, ein Hirsch, ein weiblicher Hirsch. > Strahl, ein Tropfen goldener Sonne. Mich, ein Name, den ich mich nenne. Weit, ein langer, langer Weg zu rennen. ---
**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:** [December 2, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-austrian-von-trapp-familys-songs-rhyme-so-well-in-english/333787/9 "2005-12-02T22:19:00Z")
The people who take scores from musicals written in one language and translate it in another lanugage so it keeps the music intact and the rhyme scheme and the language nuances and the ideas straight make a ton of money. Well worth it too. ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-austrian-von-trapp-familys-songs-rhyme-so-well-in-english/333787/10 "2005-12-02T23:14:26Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > My grandmother saw the real Von Trapp Family Singers; she said they were much less attractive than their movie counterparts. We lived just a few miles from the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT and I met the family several times. The Baroness Maria von Trapp was well along in years back then (in the 1960s), but there was absolutely no doubt that she was the Boss. Of the family, of visitors, of everybody! 🙂 The “kids” were all grown up then , and while perhaps not as glamourous as movie stars (of course), they were a good looking bunch. Many had left, but several were still living there, recording and singing. There was a tragic fire at the Lodge which destroyed a lot. I met with Maria some months later, and she was totally distraught over the fire, and began to go downhill after that. The Lodge was rebuilt, and on a visit a few years later I was shocked to find out the place had been turned into time shares. Ugh! Even the von Trapps admitted that the movie bore little resemblence to their true story, big surprise. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-austrian-von-trapp-familys-songs-rhyme-so-well-in-english/333787/11 "2005-12-03T00:35:21Z")
> [@KlondikeGeoff](#): > > Even the von Trapps admitted that the movie bore little resemblence to their true story, big surprise. Wasn’t the most famous quote from the baroness, “It’s a very nice story. It’s just not mine.”? ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-austrian-von-trapp-familys-songs-rhyme-so-well-in-english/333787/12 "2005-12-03T01:27:07Z")
Nähen, die Nadel zieht den Faden an Tee, ein Getränk mit Brot und Marmalade (Auf Wiedersehen, Lebewohl, Goodbye to you, Tschüß!) ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-austrian-von-trapp-familys-songs-rhyme-so-well-in-english/333787/13 "2005-12-03T08:53:30Z")
> [@panamajack](#): > > Nähen, die Nadel zieht den Faden an La, eine Note, Nähen zu folgen! > [@](#): > > Tee, ein Getränk mit Brot und Marmalade Das bringt uns zu Do zurü-ü-ück! ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-austrian-von-trapp-familys-songs-rhyme-so-well-in-english/333787/14 "2005-12-03T08:57:35Z")
> [@chaoticbear](#): > > La, eine Note, Nähen zu folgen! > > Das bringt uns zu Do zurü-ü-ück! You are SOOOO gay! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-austrian-von-trapp-familys-songs-rhyme-so-well-in-english/333787/15 "2005-12-03T09:29:06Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > You are SOOOO gay! 😉 Isn’t that a bit like Clay Aiken calling the kettle gay, or something like that? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-austrian-von-trapp-familys-songs-rhyme-so-well-in-english/333787/16 "2005-12-03T15:23:35Z")
[Von Trapp family picture](http://www.trappfamily.com/history.html) There was also an A&E Biography [The Von Trapp Family: Harmony And Discord](http://www.biography.com/cgi-bin/frameit.cgi?p=http%3A//www.biography.com/tv/listings/vontrapps.html) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-austrian-von-trapp-familys-songs-rhyme-so-well-in-english/333787/17 "2005-12-03T16:16:15Z")
> [@chaoticbear](#): > > Isn’t that a bit like Clay Aiken calling the kettle gay, or something like that? Clay Aiken?! You compared me to Clay Aiken?! _runs to scratch Arkansas off the list of places to visit in my massive Snog Tour of the US_ ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-austrian-von-trapp-familys-songs-rhyme-so-well-in-english/333787/18 "2005-12-04T02:32:44Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Clay Aiken?! You compared me to Clay Aiken?! > > _runs to scratch Arkansas off the list of places to visit in my massive Snog Tour of the US_ Umm, you can be the kettle if you really want.