Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, GERMANY; A WINTER TALE: CAPUT 22, by HEINRICH HEINE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

GERMANY; A WINTER TALE: CAPUT 22, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: More changed than even the city itself
Last Line: Smoked sprats they are commonly known as!
Subject(s): Censorship; Hamburg, Germany


MORE changed than even the city itself
Appear'd the people within it;
Like walking ruins they totter'd about,
As if ready to tumble each minute.

The thin still thinner than ever appear'd,
The fat appear'd still fatter,
The children were old, and the old were young,
(In their second childhood the latter).

Full many that I had left as calves,
As oxen were herding together,
And many a gosling had now become
A goose in fullest feather.

The aged Gudel I found be-rouged,
And dress'd with syren-like brightness;
She had procured some dark black hair,
And teeth of dazzling whiteness.

The best preserved of all was my friend
The paper-dealer, good fellow;
Like John the Baptist, round his head
Was floating his hair so yellow.

I only saw D -- a long way off,
He slipp'd away so fleetly;
I hear that his soul was burnt, but insured
For a large amount discreetly.

I also saw my old Censor again
In the fog, and lowly stooping
I met him in the goose market by chance,
And he seem'd completely drooping.

We shook each other's hands, and some tears
In his eye appear'd collecting;
He was so pleased to see me once more!
The scene was truly affecting.

I found not all, for many a one
Had quitted this scene for ever;
My Gumpelino, 'mongst others, alas!
Was gone, to appear again never.

That noble one had surrender'd his soul
To Him by whom it was given,
And now had a glorified seraph become
In the blissful realms of heaven.

In vain for the crooked Adonis I sought,
(Though I look'd in every direction,)
Who used to sell pots and pans in the street, --
A very cheap collection.

And Sarras, the trusty dog, was dead,
A loss of a serious nature;
Friend Campe would sooner have lost a whole host
Of writers than this good creature.

The population of Hamburg town
Has from time immemorial consisted
Of Jews and Christians; 'tis also the case
That the latter are rather close-fisted.

The Christians all behave pretty well,
And pass their time in clover,
And promptly pay their bills of exchange,
Ere the days of grace are over.

The Jews are however divided again
Into two very different parties;
The old one goes to the synagogue,
In the temple the new one's heart is.

The new party eat the flesh of swine,
Their manners are somewhat dogmatic;
They democrats are, but the older school
Is much more aristocratic.

I love the old, and I love the new,
Yet I swear by the prophet Jonas
That certain fish I love still more, --
Smoked sprats they are commonly known as!





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