Germany. A Winter’s Tale

Text by Heinrich Heine (1797-1856)
translated into English by Joseph Massaad

Caput XXII

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Departure | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI | XII | XIII | XIV | XV
XVI | XVII | XVIII | XIX | XX | XXI | XXII | XXIII | XXIV | XXV | XXVI | XXVII


Ever more changed than the city,
It’s its people who impressed.
They moved like wandering ruins,
So sunken and so distressed.

The lean ones are even leaner now,
And the fat ones are even fatter,
The children are old; most of the adults
Have grown childish for that matter.

I found old Gudel all made up,
And, like a siren, clean and bright;
She manage to acquire black curls,
And teeth that are sparkling white.

My friend, the stationer, is the one
Who’s best preserved his youthful air.
He looked like John the Baptist,
His head surrounded by yellow hair.

I only saw -----from some distance,
He swiftly fled from my view;
I hear his mind is burnt out,
And was insured by Biber’s too.

I also saw my dear old censor again,
In the mist, lowly stooping.
We met in the goose market-place,
He appeared completely drooping!

We shook each other’s hands warmly,
I noticed that his eyes were wet.
It was quite a moving scene;
He was so pleased that we met!

Not every one was still about.
Many had sailed from this earthly shore.
Alas! Even my Gumpelino too,
Was not to be seen anymore.

That noble man had surrendered his soul
To God, by whom it was given.
He has become a glorified seraph now,
Floating ‘round Jehovah’s throne, in Heaven.

I also sought for the crooked Adonis,
I combed every corner, in vain.
He used to sell, in Hamburg’s streets,
China cups and nocturnal porcelain.

Sarras, the faithful poodle is dead.
A terrible loss! I would bet
Campe would rather loose a score
Of his authors, than his pet.

The population of Hamburg State
Has from time immemorial consisted
Of Jews and Christians; it’s also known
That the latter are rather close-fisted.

All of the Christians are fairly good.
They have a healthy appetite too.
They also pay their bills on time,
Sometimes, before they’re overdue.

The Jews can be subdivided again
Into the old party and the new block.
The old pray in the Synagogue,
And the new, in the Temple they flock.

The new Jews eat pork meat,
They rebel for they have a short fuse,
They’re democrats, though. The old
Are much more the aristoscratchic Jews.

I love them all, both old and new,
But I swear by mighty God above,
There are some fish called smoked sprats,
For which I nourish a greater love.

 

Departure | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI | XII | XIII | XIV | XV
XVI | XVII | XVIII | XIX | XX | XXI | XXII | XXIII | XXIV | XXV | XXVI | XXVII