Kleiner Fratz [English translation]

Hey, little one1 on the bicycle2

You keep your balance skillfully,

Hey, little one on the bicycle

You're riding in the tour d'elegance3,

With your hair in the wind, the sun on your cheeks

You whizz by like lightening...

whoosh!

Hey, little on on the bicycle-

The pond shows your image,

You overtake a pair of swans

The cob4 just smiles mildly,

The sunlight plays in the whirling spokes

The bike path glimmers black like liquorice

whoosh!

Hey, sweet one of the small bike-

You pedal so proud and so bold

swerving, sparkling bicycle,

A white blur in the green

You ride and ride, and you're getting smaller and smaller

Suddenly your simply gone-

whoosh!

1. "der Fratz", masculine, means "child" in german. The word does not specify gender, so I used a gender-neutral English word that sounded better than "child."2. "Kinderrad" literally means "Children's bike"3. french for "tour of elegance"4. "Schwanrich" is a male swan. "cob" is an English term for a male swan, though it's not commonly used.

• Artist:Herman van Veen