Germany, A Winter's Fairy Tale (Caput II)

. . . continuing with free translation.

Caput II

While the little birds trill
Songs of heavenly ease,
A Prussian official
Looks in my valise.

Sniffing and nosing
Through all socks and shirts
He searches for weapons
And forbidden words.

What he finds there is naught,
And the reason is plain
The contraband words
Are safe in my brain.

In my head are the jewels,
For the future the gems,
Diamonds for new gods
From dangerous men.

Many books in my head,
And none of them dated,
In my head chirps a nest
Of books confiscated.

From Satan's long library
Nothing worse may be taken,
Words are more dangerous than
Hoffmann von Fallersleben

In the queue next to me,
As I'd earlier noticed.
And before us the Prussian
On the border as posted.

"This official" - he said -
"Will ground the new kingdom
This fragmented Fatherland
Will come together as one."



(the next two quatrains omitted)















       /. . .  to be continued.