Voor een verre prinses
En voordat ik ging slapen
was er op de radio
wat stemmige muziek
een beetje weemoed voor de vaak
een beetje heimwee in de maak
een beetje treurigheid en zo.
Toen is mevrouw Herinnering
met mij op stap gegaan
helemaal naar jou
en ik dacht wat was het fijn
en ik dacht waar zou ze zijn
een heel eind hiervandaan
een speelse jonge hond was jij
een mooie gekke meid
we waren nog zo jong en dachten er niet aan
met elkaar naar bed te gaan
en dat spijt me nog altijd.
Opeens toen was het uit
en ben ik dood gegaan
dat wist je zeker niet
nu ik die late platen hoor
komt het verleden onzuiver door
'k heb medelij met mezelf.
Ach, wat heb ik in het voorjaar
veel van je gehouden
't lijkt weer zo dicht bij
en daar doen we het maar mee
want nu volgt het A.N.P.
het Wilhelmus van Nassaue.
For a Far Away Princess
Just before I went to sleep, love
(before I went to sleep, love)
I heard on the radio
Some moody music play
A bit of melancholy, such
Nostalgia, just a touch
Of sadness packed to go
Mrs. Memory then took us
Off to a rocky start
All… the way to you
Whom I was happiest to see
And I thought ‘where could she be?’
Two Different worlds apart
A beautiful crazy girl you were
Your mind already set
And both of us so young
The spell just never cast
To want to get undressed
My one lingering regret
Suddenly we broke up
and I died then and there
It’d surprise me if you knew
Hearing those moody tracks at night
The past leaves me nowhere to hide
I’m feeling sorry for myself
God knows how much I loved you
that early sunny spring
It feels so God damn close
I guess that's all there’s left to say
as latest news pushes away
and National Anthems… tend to do
Translation Benne van der Velde
Willem Wilmink (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈʋɪləɱ ˈʋɪlmɪŋk]; 25 October 1936 – 2 August 2003) was a Dutch poet and writer. He was best known for the large number of songs he wrote for popular children programs and his accessible, straightforward poetry.
Wilmink was born in Enschede and studied Dutch and history at the University of Amsterdam. From 1960 to 1978, he taught modern literature at the same university. He wrote many songs for musicals and wrote a number of novels for young adults. At first he mainly wrote for adults, but later mainly for children.
His first publication was in 1966: Brief van een Verkademeisje (Eng: "letter from a Verkade girl"). His poem "Ben Ali Libi," inspired by Dutch Jewish magician Michel Velleman, who was murdered at the Sobibor extermination camp, has become one of his most famous poems.[1]
From 1970, he formed a writers' collective, together with Karel Eijkman, Hans Dorrestijn, Ries Moonen, Fetze Pijlman and Jan Riem. They contributed a lot to television programs such as De Stratemakeropzeeshow, Het Klokhuis, De Film van Ome Willem, Sesamstraat and Kinderen voor Kinderen.
He received numerous prizes for his work, including the Louis Davids Prijs in the 1970s, the Zilveren Griffel in 1983 and 1994, the Nienke van Hichtum-prijs in 1985, the Gouden Griffel in 1986, and the Theo Thijssen-prijs in 1988.
Wilmink played accordion, and performed regularly with his group in the nineties.
Many Dutch artists have performed Wilminks poetry,[2] including Herman van Veen, Wieteke van Dort, Joost Prinsen and the cabaret group Don Quishocking. Many of his texts have been put to music by Harry Bannink and Frank Deiman.
In later life, his health declined due to a number of strokes.
Source: Wikipedia
Herman van Veen sings ‘Voor een verre prinses’