The Breitmann Ballads Part 4

Till dou canst make parentheses Intwisted-ohne zahl- Dann wirst du erst Deutschfertig seyn,[5]

For a languashe ideal.

Will'st dou learn de Deutsche Sprache?

Du must mitout an fear Trink afery tay an gallon dry, Of foamin Sherman bier.

Und de more you trinks, pe certain, More Deutsch you'll surely pe; For Gambrinus ish de Emperor Of de whole of Germany.

Will'st dou learn de Deutsche Sprache?

Be sholly, brav, und treu, For dat veller ish kein Deutscher Who ish not a sholly poy.

Find out vot means Gemutlichkeit, Und do it mitout fail, In Sang und Klang dein Lebenlang,[6]

A brick-ganz kreuzfidel.

Willst dou learn de Deutsche Sprache?

If a shendleman dou art, Denn shtrike right indo Deutschland, Und get a schveetes heart.

From Schwabenland or Sachsen Vhere now dis writer pees; Und de bretty girls all wachsen Shoost like aepples on de drees.

Boot if dou bee'st a laty, Denn on de oder hand, Take a blonde moustachioed lofer In de vine green Sherman land.

Und if you shoost kit married (Vood mit vood soon makes a vire), You'll learn to sprechen Deutsch mein kind, Ash fast ash you tesire.

Dresden, January 1870.

LOVE SONG

Vulnerasti cor meum, soror mea sponsa.

O VERE mine lofe a sugar-powl, De fery shmallest loomp Vouldt shveet de seas, from pole to pole, Und make de shildren shoomp.

Und if she vere a clofer-field, I'd bet my only pence, It vouldn't pe no dime at all Pefore I'd shoomp de fence.

Her heafenly foice, it drill me so, It oft-dimes seems to hoort, She ish de holiest anamile Dat roons oopon de dirt.

De renpow rises vhen she sings, De sonnshine vhen she dalk; De angels crow und flop deir vings Vhen she goes out to valk.

So livin white, so carnadine, Mine lofe's gomblexion show; It's shoost like Abendcarmosine, Rich gleamin on de shnow.

Her soul makes plushes in her sheek Ash sommer reds de wein, Or sonnlight sends a fire life troo An blank Karfunkelstein.

De uberschwengliche idees Dis lofe poot in my mind, Vouldt make a foost-rate philosoph Of any human kind.

'Tis schudderin schveet on eart to meet An himmlisch-hoellisch Qual; Und treat mitwhiles to k.u.mmel Schnapps De schoenheitsideal.

Dein Fuss seind weiss wie Kreiden, Dein Ermlein Helfenbein, Dein ganzer Leib ist Seiden Dein Brust wie Marmelstein- Ja-vot de older boet sang, I sing of dee-dou Fine!

Dou'rt soul und pody, heart und life Glatt, zart, gelind, und rein.[7]

DER FREISCHUTZ

AIR - "Der Pabst lebt," &c.

WIE gehts, my frendts-if you'll allow- I sings you rite afay shoost now Some dretful shdories vitch dey calls Der Freyschutz, or de Magic b.a.l.l.s.

Wohl in Bohemian land it cooms, Vhere folk trink prandy mate of plooms;[8]

Dere lifed ein Yaeger-Maxerl Schmit- Who shot mit goons und nefer hit.

Now dere vas von oldt Yaeger, who Says, "Maxerl, dis vill nefer do; If you shouldt miss on drial-tay, Dere'll pe der tyfel denn to bay.

"If you do miss, you shtupid coose, Dere'll pe de donnerwetter loose; For you shant hafe mine taughter's hand, Nor pe der Hertzhog's yaegersmann."

Id coomed pefore de tay vas set, Dat all de shaps togeder met; Und Max he fired his goon und missed, Und all de gals cot roundt und hissed.

Dey laughed pefore und hissed pehind; Boot von shap-Kaspar-saidt, "Ton't mind; I dells you vot-you stoons 'em alls If yoost you shoodt mit magic b.a.l.l.s."

"De magic b.a.l.l.s! oh, vot is dat?"

"I cot soom in my hoontin' hat; Dey're plack as kohl, und shoodt so drue: Oh, dem's de kindt of b.a.l.l.s for you.

"You see dat eagle vlyin' high, Ein hoondred miles oop in de sky; Shoot at dat eagle mit your bix, You kills hin tead ash doonderblix!"

"I ton't pelieve de dings you say."

"You fool," says Kasp, "denn plaze afay!"

He plazed afay, vhen, sure as plood, Down coom de eagle in de mud.

"O was ist das?" said Maxerl Schmit: "Vhy! dat's de eagle vot you hit.

You kills him vhen you plaze afay; Boot dat's a ding you nix verstay.

"Und you moost go to make dem b.a.l.l.s To de Wolf's Glen vhen mitnight valls.

Dow know'st de shpot-alone und late"- "Oh ja-I know shim ganz foost-rate!

"Boot denn I does not like to co Among dem dings." Says Kasp, "Ach, 'sho!

I'll help you fix dem tyfel chaps, Like a goot veller-dake some schnapps!"

("Hilf Zamiel! hilf")-"Here, dake some more!'

Denn Kasp vent shtompin' roundt de vloor, Und coomed his hoompugs ofer Schmit, Dill Max saidt, "Nun-ich gehe mit!"

All in de finster mitternocht, Vhen oder folk in shleep vas lockt, Down in de Wolfschlucht, Kasp tid dry His tyfel-strikes und Hexery.

Mit skools und pones he mate a ring, De howls und shpooks pegin to sing, Und all the tyfels oonder croundt Coom preakin' loose und rooshin' roundt.

Denn Maxerl cooms along: says he, "Mein Gott! vot dings ish dis I see!

I d.i.n.ks de fery tyfel und all Moost help to make dem magic ball.

"I vish dat I had nix c.u.m raus, Und shtaid mineself in bett to house."

"Hilf Zamiel!" cried Kasp; "you whelp- You red Dootch tyfel-coom und help!"

Den oop dere coomed a tredfull shdorm, De todtengrips aroundt tid schvarm; De howl shoomped oop und flopt his vings Und toorned his het like avery dings.

Oop droo de croundt dere coomed a pot Mit leadt, und dings to make de shot; Und hoellisch fire in grimson plaze, Und awful schmells like Schweitzer kase.

Agross de scene a pine-shtick flew Mit seferal shail-pirds vastened to; Six treadtful shail-pirds mit deir vings Tied to de shticks mit magic shtrings.

All droo de air, all in a row, Die wilde Jagd vas seen to go; De hounds und teer all mate of pone, Und hoonted py a skilleton.

Dere coomed a tredful shpecdre pig, Who, shpitten' fire afay, tid dig; Und fiery drocks und tyfel-shnake A scootin' droo de air tid preak.