I first really heard of "Es hatt' ein Bauer ein schönes Weib" sung by Wilfried Drygala in the mid 1980's. If I remember correctly, this song was also in the charts in Germany round about the same time and was sung by an Israeli pop-duo (Esther O????? and ????? ?????, perhaps some kind surfer can help this senile old dodderer out?). The version that I sing, however can be found in Die schönsten Liebeslieder.
The song is an amusing tale of a pretty young farmer's wife wanting to commit infidelity with a knight's labourer but is outwitted by her husband who catches her out just before the interesting bits. The theme of the song is that the farmer, at the insistence of his wife, should depart for the hay fields leaving her room to operate freely at home. The husband hides behind the house door however, in order to see what his wife gets up to while he is supposedly away. The final verse is given to the husband who, as a punch line, says that the Devil should go to the hay fields and only he would be her lover!

Dear Surfers, as of 6th December, 1999 I have finally learned from surfer Michael Haitz that the full title of the duo in question is: Esther and Abi Ofarim. Thanks a lot Michael!

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