The Trumpeter of Säkkingen: A Song from the Upper Rhine.Scheffel, Joseph Victor von
General
The Trumpeter of Säkkingen: A Song from the Upper Rhine.
Scheffel, Joseph Victor von
Epic poetry, German -- Translations into English
Although others still came past him,
Rooted to the spot he stood there,
Looking only at the fourth one,
Gazed, and gazed; when the procession
Turned the corner of a side street
Still he gazed, as if the fourth one
In the file he must discover.
"He is caught!" so goes the saying
In that country, when one's soul is
By the wand of love enchanted;
Love can never be our captive,
We are wholly conquered by him.
So beware, my young friend Werner!
Joy and sorrow hides the saying:
"He is caught!" I need not say more.
FOURTH PART.
YOUNG WERNER'S ADVENTURES ON THE RHINE.
Mirth now reigned within the city.
Those who early had united
In the honoured Saint's procession,
Now sat, equally united,
Drinking the good wine before them,
Or the golden foaming beer.
Corks were popping, glasses ringing;
Many huge and mighty goblets
By the guests were emptied quickly,
In St Fridolinus' honour.
Simpering with delight, the landlord
Counted all the empty barrels,
And, with a devout expression,
Chalked them all upon the blackboard.
From the inn outside the gate, which
By the peasants was frequented,
Came gay music; for, with legs crossed,
There sat, playing on his fiddle,
Schwefelhans, the violinist;
And in wild and boisterous dances
Were the Hauenstein young peasants
Twirling round their buxom partners.
Groaning was the floor, and shaking
'Neath their feet and heavy stamping,
From the walls the plaster falling,
So uproarious was their shouting.
From afar, with turned-up noses,
Many dandies looked on sneering;
Yet, within themselves were thinking:
"Better, after all, than nothing."
The sedate and older people
Sat together in the tap-room.
As their ancestors delighted
To get drunk in Woden's honour,
So, in true historic spirit.
They for Fridolin got tipsy.
Many troubled faithful consorts
Pulled their husbands by the coat-tail,
When the second and the third piece
Of hard money here was squandered;
But the husband said quite coolly:
"Dearest wife, control thy humour,
For to-day all must be spent here!"
And he left not till the watchman
With the halberd came and ordered
That 'twas time to close the tavern.
With uncertain steps, ill-humoured,
To his mountain-home he totters:
And the silent night is witness
Of some sudden headlong tumbles.
But she covers them with darkness--
Kindly--as she does the beating
Which, as finish to the feasting,
He bestows on his poor consort.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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