Roter Sand – Bilingual Lyrics German/English

• By: Emilio
• Album: BLESSINGS

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the heartfelt narrative of Emilio's "Roter Sand" to enrich your German language learning. This pop song is special for its deeply personal story—a tribute to his mother's arduous journey—offering not just rich vocabulary and authentic expressions but also a profound emotional connection that makes learning both engaging and memorable. Discover how music can tell powerful stories and help you grasp the nuances of German culture and emotion.

[English]

So far gone and so far come

So much fear and only one chance

Three thousand kilometers through red sand

Your shoes felt like they were made of concrete

But you wanted to dance to loud songs

The freedom you long for

Was in a foreign land

Mama, Mama, you were so young, but your soul was old

Mama, Mama, your journey took an eternity

Three thousand kilometers through red sand

Mama, Mama, you were so young, but your soul was old

You don't know anyone here, you're all alone

You get nothing for free, but you love to share

Three thousand kilometers through red sand

Maybe you haven't arrived yet

But don't forget how far you've already come

Three thousand kilometers through red sand

Mama, Mama, you were so young, but your soul was old

Mama, Mama, your journey took an eternity

Three thousand kilometers through red sand

Mama, Mama, you were so young, but your soul was old

Yallah, yallah, yallah, let's go

Yallah, yallah, yallah, let's go

Yallah, yallah, yallah, let's go

Yallah, yallah, yallah, let's go

Mama, Mama, you were so young, but your soul was old

Mama, Mama, your journey took an eternity

Three thousand kilometers through red sand

Mama, Mama, you were so young, but your soul was old

Yallah, yallah, yallah, let's go

Yallah, yallah, yallah, let's go

Yallah, yallah, yallah, let's go

Yallah, yallah, yallah, let's go

...

[German]

So weit gegangen und so weit gekommen

So viel Angst und nur eine Chance

Dreitausend Kilometer durch roten Sand

Deine Schuhe waren wie aus Beton

Doch du wolltest tanzen zu lauten Songs

Die Freiheit, die du ersehnst

Lag in 'nem fremden Land

Mama, Mama, warst so jung, doch deine Seele alt

Mama, Mama, deine Reise ging 'ne Ewigkeit

Dreitausend Kilometer durch roten Sand

Mama, Mama, warst so jung, doch deine Seele alt

Kennst kein'n Mensch hier, bist ganz allein

Kriegst nichts geschenkt, doch liebst es zu teil'n

Dreitausend Kilometer durch roten Sand

Vielleicht bist du noch nicht angekomm'n

Doch vergiss nicht, wie weit du schon gegang'n bist

Dreitausend Kilometer durch roten Sand

Mama, Mama, warst so jung, doch deine Seele alt

Mama, Mama, deine Reise ging 'ne Ewigkeit

Dreitausend Kilometer durch roten Sand

Mama, Mama, warst so jung, doch deine Seele alt

Yallah, yallah, yallah sarbi daghya

Yallah, yallah, yallah sarbi daghya

Yallah, yallah, yallah sarbi daghya

Yallah, yallah, yallah sarbi daghya

Mama, Mama, warst so jung, doch deine Seele alt

Mama, Mama, deine Reise ging 'ne Ewigkeit

Dreitausend Kilometer durch roten Sand

Mama, Mama, warst so jung, doch deine Seele alt

Yallah, yallah, yallah sarbi daghya

Yallah, yallah, yallah sarbi daghya

Yallah, yallah, yallah sarbi daghya

Yallah, yallah, yallah sarbi daghya

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
Angst /aŋst/ B1	noun - fear, anxiety
Chance /ˈʃɑːnsə/ A2	noun - opportunity
rot /ʁoːt/ A1	adjective - red
Sand /zant/ A1	noun - sand
Schuhe /ˈʃuːə/ A1	noun - shoes
Beton /beˈtoːn/ A2	noun - concrete
tanzen /ˈtant͡sn̩/ A1	verb - to dance
laut /laʊ̯t/ A2	adjective - loud
Song /zɔŋ/ A1	noun - song
Freiheit /ˈfʁaɪ̯haɪ̯t/ B1	noun - freedom, liberty
Land /lant/ A1	noun - country, land
jung /jʊŋ/ A1	adjective - young
Seele /ˈzeːlə/ B1	noun - soul
alt /alt/ A1	adjective - old
Reise /ˈʁaɪ̯zə/ A2	noun - journey, trip

Key Grammar Structures

• So weit gegangen und so weit gekommen

  ➔ Past participle used with 'sein' (to be) to form the present perfect tense.

  ➔ This phrase uses the **past participle** 'gegangen' (gone) with **'sein'** to form the **present perfect** tense, indicating an action completed in the past with relevance to the present.

• Dreitausend Kilometer durch roten Sand

  ➔ Use of preposition 'durch' to indicate movement through a place; also, the cardinal number 'dreitausend' to specify distance.

  ➔ The preposition **'durch'** expresses movement **through** or **across** a space, and **'dreitausend'** is a cardinal number indicating **three thousand** kilometers, emphasizing the extent of travel.

• Mama, Mama, warst so jung, doch deine Seele alt

  ➔ Use of past tense 'warst' (you were); conjunction 'doch' (but) to contrast clauses; possessive 'deine' (your).

  ➔ The **past tense** '**warst**' indicates a completed state in the past; '**doch**' is a coordinating conjunction meaning 'but', used here to contrast youth and age; '**deine**' is a **possessive pronoun** indicating ownership of 'soul'.

• Yallah, yallah, yallah sarbi daghya

  ➔ Imperative form with repetition for emphasis; use of Arabic dialect phrases 'Yallah' (let's go / hurry).

  ➔ The phrase **'Yallah'** is an **imperative** in Arabic meaning **'let's go'** or **'hurry'**, repeated here for emphasis, creating urgency or encouragement.