an anonymous poem...

[caru]

The Smiling Villain

Out of his den to steal he stole,
His bags of chinks he chunk,
And many a wicked smile he smole,
And many a wink he wunk.


autor unbekannt

[Erwin Steinbach]

Der lächelnde Bösewicht

Vom Nest sich fort auf Diebstahl stahl
(Im Sack manch Klunker klarnk),
Der düst'res Lächeln lalch manchmal
Und falsches Zwinkern zwarnk.


anonym; ins Deutsche übertragen von Erwin Steinbach

[denver]

To pick thy golden gem he yorn,
Indeed at night he puck.
Alas, the guardsmen strouch him torn,
That man who miss his luck.

denver

[Kilian]

*verneigt sich bewundernd vor diesen lyrischen Leistungen und verspricht Aufnahme auf die Website beim nächsten großen Update*

[Erwin Steinbach]

Ich würde ja die zweite Strophe auch noch übersetzen, aber ich versteh die dritte Zeile nicht.

[denver]

It's not that hard: "the guardsmen stretched (strouch=strong form) him torn" means that they knocked him to pieces (yak). The last line shows the strong form of the verb miss (miss - miss, it's not acknowledged, I just like it). "Puck" seemed to me a nice strong past tense form of "picked"

denver

[Erwin Steinbach]

Thanks a lot, denver. I totally fole to realize "strouch" could be derived from "stretch". All the rest was clear  :)

[denver]

I'm very much looking forward to reading your German version - I like your style.
By the way,  I forgot to mention that the first line bears the strong past form of yearn (yorn) - anyway, I'm pretty sure you were aware of that.
Enjoy the weekend
denver

[Erwin Steinbach]

Dein Goldkleinod sein Sinn begahr,
Die Klau' nur Nachtwind puk;
Entzwei zorr ihn die Wächterschar,
Der, ach! umsonst sich pluk.

[denver]

Is that you, Harry Rowohlt? Who else would translate like that?
I'm amazed, I'm melting off my chair to read your words.
You're challenging me to write a third stanza, but let me think it over quietly - I'd like to challenge you as well, even though...

[caru]

no, Erwin Steinbach is not Mr. Rowohlt; he actually is myself, using my real name rather than the pseudonym :)

[amarillo]

You should be ashamed of yourself, Harry, to present so many different names and not give away the real one - bastard.

Ich würde gerne noch ein wenig zusammenarbeiten mit einem, der so excellently nachdichtet.

ich bin ja auch nicht nur denver...

[denver]

His bones lay bleaching all around,
His flesh drought in the blaze.
Though yet - the villain was not found
The sun's  next morning's ways.

(isn't that spooky?)

[amarillo]

Hier kommt der Rest; zum Glück habe ich ja sonst nichts zu tun...

The sheriff swore, the bailiff moant
The guards were stupefit.
As much as they would search, they won't
Bring back that ghastly git.

Inside his den, deep in the grove
A man sat still and smole.
To madness he the shire drove,
Bluss be this villain's soul!

For he denode authority,
Their power, grim and strength.
Do just as he and thou shall see:
Thy life might last good length.

Accept not what they tell to grant,
Thou just own what thou take.
Grab with thy hands goods, gold and plant
Thy own way to day's break.

amarillo denver

[caru]

whew! bit of a job, ain't it. unlike you, i do have other things to do, so dont expect too much before, say, monday.

just for philology's sake: i found stanza 1 in some book of humorous english verse (can't remember the title, can't find the book), author's name unknown. stanzas 3-7 are obviously yours. whose is stanza 2? (i expect it would be yours too.)