Found an antique W. German stein in my house. Need help translating.

Hey guys,

As it states, I have a stein made in West Germany. Online translating programs don't seem to be too great, it probably doesn't help that there are so many different dialects in that region. I'm not sure how it's supposed to be read, so I've attached this picture! Please let me know if you have a clue

This drink is clear?

The drunkeness is clear

Your love is rare

Blackgaurd_Brewing said:

The drunkeness is clear

Your love is rare

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That's about as close as I got using a translation program. Just seems like a very odd saying.

If I were to translate it, this is what I get.

"May the drink be clear and the Love be rare."

I learned conversation German and some technical German during a three year period living in the north of Bavaria, near Wurzburg. Things don't translate exactly, word for word. I gave you my best shot, given that I haven't really used my German a lot in the last 5 years.

Well, "dein" is informal "you," and "sei" is some participle of "sein" or "to be," so I think Rubberband is pretty close. The drink made clear your love was rare, maybe?

The dialect is actually northern Bavarian. It reads:

"My parents went to Northern Bavaria and all I got was this lousy stein"

German was my major in college. mmonacel has it spot on. I kid I kid. It's "may your drink be clear and your love be rare."

Thanks so far guys. I think Rubberband's sounds like something that makes a bit more sense. Of course though, mmonacel's translation does sound dead-on... hahaha.

moosetav said:

German was my major in college. mmonacel has it spot on. I kid I kid. It's "may your drink be clear and your love be rare."

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Oh! just saw this after I posted, thanks for confirming!!

I lived in Heidelberg (Southwest of Frankfurt) For 2 years, My conversational german isnt great, but I get by, especially when it comes to food

This is an old German beer drinking saying:

Trink was klar ist,
Sprich was wahr ist,
Der Trunk sei klar,
Dein Lieb sei rar."

Drink that which is clear,
Speak of the truth,
This drink is clear,
and your Love is precious.

The others have it translated verbatim, but languages don't work as easy as recipes. I think you can see what it means now in full context.

German poetry is so much fun...

Der Trunk sei klar, Dein Lieb sei rar.

would be:

The drink be clear, your love be rare.

But I'm more inclined to believe the writer means "The drunk (is clear) knows your love is rare."

"Der" indicates the next word is masculine , ergo, "the drunk" versus "der trink" which I think is incorrect.

"Be" is "sein", "sei" being a variation in poetry...

"war" (was) is the past of "sein", so "be" works here...

"true" would be "treu" not "rar"...



Is there more on the mug?

Mateo, that does seem to make the most sense

Homebrewer99, that was all. Wrapped around to the other side is a scene of some people in classical German attire drinking some pints.

thisisxxmyIPA said:

Wrapped around to the other side is a scene of some people in classical German attire drinking some pints.

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Haven't seen too many pints over here.

suprchunk said:

Haven't seen too many pints over here.

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Hahaha, pints, steins, something delicious in a mug!

I think suprchuck's joke was that they use the Metric System. A Pint is part of the Imperial System.

Probably on the bottom of the stein is has something like 0,5L meaning a half liter.

m.

whoa whoa whoa you guys are way off gimme a sec, the context of the second line throws the whole thing off. It's in old german, and although the words are still mostly used today, the poetry of the thing gives it a second meaning. It's a bit like interpreting shakespeare literally, you'll be close, but you'll miss the original intention.

"May you remain clear headed when drunk, and thereby choose your love wisely"

That's pretty good advice

Indeed Sage advice

I know this an old post, but I had to register and add to this because I have an old Stein and it has this phrase on it, and I researched what it meant.

First of all, you guys are putting a space in the word "dertrunk". It is all one word not "der trunk". "dertrunk" appears to relate to the word "Schluck" which means to swallow or gulp. I believe the word in english for "dertrunk" is "alcohol"....since there doesn't seem to be a direct translation to english of the word "dertrunk" it must be a word that was used to describe something, probably the contents or a general word categorizing all drinks that make a person drunk. Beer is an alcoholic beverage, but not all alcoholic beverages are beer.

So the translation to English (to get the correct meaning) is: "Alcohol, it is clear your love is rare."

It refers to how alcohol makes you feel. It is good going down and it makes you feel good (like a friend), but in the morning you feel terrible, hung over (it fights with you- as in it has a tiff with you)....therefore, it's love is rare.