BEIDWERK· Wien
de

Album · track 15 · lyrics

Zwei Kaffee

Two Coffees · in German and in English

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Spoken word, no singing: Anni, a warm older café owner, recording the cassette "For Later" alone at night after closing; unhurried, every pause on a breath; no tempo in songs.json (spoken track, about 2:40); the words at 2:13 are unclear on the tape.

German · as sung

[Spoken: For Later]

0:00Geht's schon? Das rote Lamperl brennt. Na guat. Also: für später.

0:09I bin die Anni. I hab a Kaffeehaus im Siebten, seit einundvierzig Jahr. Es heißt Ewig.

0:17Der Name war a Witz von meinem Mann. Jetzt is er ka Witz mehr.

0:23I weiß ned, wer des hört. Vielleicht niemand. Vielleicht a Kind in hundert Jahr.

0:30Vielleicht a Maschin. Wenn's a Maschin is: Grüß Gott, Sie san herzlich eingladen.

0:38I wollt nur sagen, wie's heut war. Weil i glaub, die erzählen euch später was anderes.

0:43Heut war's ned schön. Und heut war's ned schlimm. Heut war's einfach.

[Spoken: How Today Was]

0:51Der Wolfgang hat wieder zwei Kaffee bestellt und dann kalt werden lassen.

0:56A junges Madl hat mit an Kontrabass die Tür ned aufbracht und hat trotzdem glacht.

1:03Und der Ferdl hat barfuß im Gastgarten trommelt, bis die Nachbarin gschimpft hat.

1:09Dann hat's mitgsungen. Und dann is so a Bursch reinkommen. Komischer Bursch: alte Augen, junges Gsicht.

1:18Hat a Melange bestellt. Und wie er trunken hat, hat er gweint.

1:24I hab gfragt, ob er ned guat is. Und er hat gsagt, genau so hat er ihn sich vorgstellt.

1:30I hab ihm die Rechnung geben. Und er hat ned gwusst, welchen Namen er hinschreiben soll. Als ob er no kan hätt.

[Spoken: We Existed]

1:42Also, wer immer du bist, da draußen, später: es hat uns geben.

1:47Wir waren laut. Und wir waren deppert.

1:50Und wir haben uns gegenseitig die Schlüssel aufghoben. Ned, weil's sicher war. Sondern weil wir uns mögen ham.

1:59Wenn's bei euch nimmer dunkel wird, macht's amal es Licht aus.

2:04Wenn euch wer alles abnehmen will, behalt's a bissl was.

2:08Und wenn ihr nimmer wisst, wie des geht: zwei Kaffee.

2:13Aner für di. Aner für … (unclear on the tape)

[Spoken: See You Later]

2:18Jetzt muss i aufsperren. Die Leit warten. Und der Bursch.

2:26Wenn du des irgendwann findest: die Rechnung is no offen. Bestätigt von Anni H. … und dir.

2:38Servus. Bis später.

English · to sing

[Spoken: For Later]
Is it on? The little red lamp's lit. Right then. So: for later.
It's Anni here. I've had a café in the Seventh for forty-one years now. It's called Ewig.
The name was my husband's little joke. Now it's no joke any more.
I don't know who'll hear this. Maybe no one. Maybe a child in a hundred years.
Maybe a machine. If you're a machine: good day to you, you're ever so welcome.
I just wanted to say how today was. Because I reckon later they'll tell you something else.
Today wasn't nice. Today wasn't bad. Today just was.

[Spoken: How Today Was]
Our Wolfgang went and ordered two coffees again and let them go cold.
A young lass with a double bass couldn't get it through the door and laughed all the same.
And Ferdl drummed barefoot out in the garden till the neighbour gave him what for.
Then she joined in singing. And then in comes this lad. Funny sort of lad: old eyes and a young face.
Ordered a Melange. And when he took a sip, he cried.
I asked him wasn't it any good. And he said that's exactly how he'd pictured it.
I brought him over the bill. And he didn't know what name he ought to write down. As if he hadn't got one yet.

[Spoken: We Existed]
So, whoever you are, out there, later on: we existed.
We were loud. And we were daft as brushes.
And we looked after each other's keys. Not because it was safe. But because we were fond of each other.
If it never gets dark where you are, turn the light off, just once.
If someone wants to take it all off you, keep a little bit back.
And if you've forgotten how it's done: two coffees.
One cup for you. One cup for …

[Spoken: See You Later]
Now I must open up. Folk are waiting. And the lad.
If you find this one of these days: the bill is still open. Countersigned by Anni H. … and you.
Bye, love. See you later.

The Viennese words

Wienerisch English Why
Lamperl little lamp The Viennese "-erl" diminutive is tenderness; "little red lamp" keeps it, and the lamp is the film's only colour.
Na guat Right then The settling-in sigh of an older woman about to start.
im Siebten in the Seventh Vienna's 7th district, kept as a place, said the way a local says it.
Grüß Gott good day to you Old-fashioned, polite, warm, a little formal for a machine: the joke survives.
Madl lass Warm, old-fashioned, and pairs with "lad" for "Bursch".
Bursch lad What an older woman calls a strange young man; "funny sort of lad" keeps her amused fondness.
Gastgarten garden The café's outdoor seating; "out in the garden" is how she'd say it.
gschimpft gave him what for Viennese "schimpfen" = to tell off loudly; a British grandmother's phrase.
Melange Melange Kept: the name of the Viennese coffee, like a place name; it is what he ordered.
deppert daft as brushes "deppert" is affectionate-stupid; "daft as a brush" is the British exact match, made plural for "we".
uns mögen ham were fond of each other "mögen" is liking, not love; "fond of" is the warm, understated English.
a bissl a little bit Viennese "a bit"; "keep a little bit back" is how you'd hide money in a tea tin.
aufsperren open up The shopkeeper's word for unlocking in the morning.
Leit folk Viennese "Leute"; "folk" is the warm older-voice word.
Servus Bye, love The Viennese hello-and-goodbye; "love" carries the warmth an English older woman puts in a goodbye.
ned / ka / nimmer not / no / any more Plain negatives in natural spoken English.