Alsatian translation

View of Kaysersberg house and river

Hi -
I am a first generation American on my mother's side. She was French and her grandparents/cousins on her father's side were/are Alsatian. They live in Ammerschwihr and I am still relatively close with them. They speak French and Alsatian, but not a whole lot of English.

I have often heard the word (or words?) "hopla" or "hoplageiss" and would like an English translation. I think it's something that's used in many ways. While I understand the gist, I'm trying to do an English translation of a French song and would like to know the specific meaning in this song. Here it is:

Schnaps Polka
Veux tu, veux tu ma jolie
Hopla Gouter l’eau de vie
Et entre mes bras
Danser le polka?
Ces eaux de vie là
Et cette polka
La mais ne te feront hopla,
Faire de faux pas!

Can you help?

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Translating Alsatian
by: Suzele

Wish I could come up with something more poetic and that might actually work with the song but the only thing that comes to mind is...

get to it
go for it
do it

and other expressions like that...

It's actually a really common expression in Alsatian and other Germanic dialects.

For example the Swiss version is "Hop" and it usually means "go" as in go team!!

Hopla can also mean uh hoh (basically the sound you make when someone makes a mistake).

In the context of the song, it sounds more like the get off your butt and do it meaning.

I never really have thought about what it means...

I learned Alsatian naturally by just listening to it the way children learn a language so I never think of the English or even the French equivalent.

I do sometimes wonder what the Swiss version is because I understand both dialects...

And sometimes I wonder what variations there are in northern Alsace too.

Good luck with the song! : )
Suzele

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Hoplageiss
by: poole

Hoplageiss is an expression that literally means "move (you) goats!"

Some rough English equivalents may be "yah mule" or "get along little doggie"

More often, it is shortened to "hopla" as in "let's go"

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Good
by: Adriene Tarry

That's a very impressive post.

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