Hi there, I took a glimpse at the page Walter Meyer mentioned.  Seems Saxon
or Thuringen to me, which is the region of Germany north of Czechia.  For
the Bach buffs:  this might be more or less the way Bach spoke at home....

It should be pointed out that the dialect version is not really a literal
translation as is the English.  It's more a folkloristic local version
where the Loreley (which is a mountain next to the Rhine in the center of
Germany) is replaced by the Bastei, a mountain next to the Elbe in Saxony.
I spent my holidays there in 1995, and I can well understand that the
locals there are overwhelmed looking down from the mountain and see the
Elbe meander gracefully (as I was) and think it more beautiful than the
Loreley.

Here's the dialect original and what I made of it (no poetical aspirations
of course).  As a born Dutch, I am not sure of everything, perhaps Robert
Peters can also help.

Ich weess nich, mich isses so gomisch,      I don't know, I feel so strange
Und archendwas macht mich verstimmt.      And something makes me feel uneasy
Ich globe, des is anadomisch,           It must be anatomical
Wie das bei de Menschen so kimmt.      As it so happens with man

De Elbe, de blatschert so friedlich,    The Elbe river streams so peacefully
Und e Fischgahn gommt aus dr Tschechei, And a fishboat comes along from Czechia
Drin sitzt ne Familche gemutlich,       Wherein sits cosily a family
Nu sindse gleich bei dr Bastei.         They're nearly at the Bastei

Und obm uffm Berche, nu gugge,          On the mountain, beware
Da gammt sichn Freilein ihrn Zopp,      A fair girlie is combing her hair
Se striecheltn feste mit Spugge         She's stroking it with a bit of spit
Und glabtn als Gauz aufn Kopp.          And sticks it as??? on her head

Der Papa dort unten ihm Gahne           Daddy down under in the boat
Schaut nuff bei das Freilein entzickt.  Looks up at the girl with delight
Die Mama, die spricht voller Ahne:      But Mum speaks angrily:
"Die macht unsern Papa verrickt!"       "She'll make our daddy loose his head"

Nun fangt die dort obm uffm Berche      And now the one on the mountain
Zu singn noch an een Gublee.            Starts to sing a song
Der Papa im Gahn tut sich walze         Daddy in the boat starts to dance to it
Und jubelt vor Freude juchhee.          And cries out in joy "Juchhee"
(intranslatable)

"Sitzt ruhig!" ruft angstlich           "Sit still" cries little scared Odile
 Ottielche,
Schon gibbelt ganz schregglich der      The boat is already starting to rock
 Gahn -                                  dangerously
Und platzlich versingt de Familche,     And then the whole family drowns
Ach Freilein, was hamse gedan!?         O girlie, what have you done!

"Jos Janssen" <[log in to unmask]>