Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, GERMANY; A WINTER TALE: CAPUT 21, by HEINRICH HEINE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

GERMANY; A WINTER TALE: CAPUT 21, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: They bit by bit are building again
Last Line: "is stirr'd with indignation."
Subject(s): Birds; Hamburg Fire (1842); Kisses; Love


THEY bit by bit are building again
The hapless half-burnt city;
Like a half-shorn poodle Hamburg now looks,
An object to waken one's pity.

Full many a street has disappear'd
That mournfully one misses --
Where is the house, wherein I kiss'd
Love's first delicious kisses?

Where is the printing-house, where I
My Reisebilder printed?
The oyster shop, where I oysters gulp'd down
With appetite unstinted?

The Dreckwall too, -- where is it now?
I now should seek it vainly;
Where the pavilion, where I ate
So many cakes profanely?

Where is the town-hall, wherein sat
The senate and burghers stately?
A prey to the flames! The flames spared not
Whatever was holiest lately.

The people still were sighing with grief,
And with most mournful faces
The history sad of the great fire told,
And pointed out all its traces: --

"It burnt in every corner at once,
"All was smoke and flames fiercely flashing;
"The churches' towers all blazed on high,
"And tumbled in with loud crashing.

'The old exchange was also burnt,
"Where our fathers in every weather
"Were wont to assemble for centuries past,
"And honestly traded together.

'The bank, the silvery soul of the town,
"And the books which have always served us
"To note the assets of every man,
"Thank heaven! have been preserved us.

"Thank heaven! In every land they made
"On our behalf large collections;
"A capital job, -- we got no less
"Than eight millions in all directions.

"The money from every country flow'd
"In our hands, which were far from unwilling,
"And plenty of food they also sent,
"And we gladly accepted each shilling.

"They sent us clothes and bedding enough,
"And bread, and meat, and soups too;
"The King of Prussia, to show his regard,
"Would fain have sent us troops too.

"Our losses in property thus were replaced,
"A matter of mere valuation;
"But then the fright, -- our terrible fright,
"Admits of no compensation!"

I cheeringly said: "My worthy friends,
"You should not lament and bawl so!
"A far better city than your was Troy,
"And yet it was burnt down also.

"Rebuild your houses as fast as you can,
"And dry up every puddle;
"Get better engines and better laws,
"That are not quite such a muddle.

"Don't put in your nice mock-turtle soup
"So very much Cayenne pepper;
"Your carp are not wholesome with so much sauce,
"Or when eaten with scales, like a leper.

Your turkeys will not do much harm,
"But be on your guard 'gainst disaster
From the knavish bird that lays its eggs
"In the wig of the burgomaster.

"'Tis not for me to tell you the name
"Of this bird of bad reputation;
'When thinking about him, the food in my maw
"Is stirr'd with indignation."





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