Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, ATTA TROLL; A SUMMER-NIGHT'S DREAM: CAPUT 6, by HEINRICH HEINE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

ATTA TROLL; A SUMMER-NIGHT'S DREAM: CAPUT 6, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Yet perchance 'tis beneficial
Last Line: "what there is of public taste."
Subject(s): Animals; Jews; Judaism


YET perchance 'tis beneficial
For us men, who form the higher
Kind of livestock, to discover
How they reason down below us.

Yes, below us, in the gloomy
Mournful spheres of fellowship,
In the beasts' inferior strata,
Brood resentment, misery, pride.

That which natural hist'ry ever,
Equally with common custom,
Has for centuries admitted
Is denied with impious muzzle.

That false doctrine by the aged
In the young ones' ears is grumbled
Which assails both cultivation
And humanity on earth.

"Children!" Atta Troll thus growl'd,
As he hither roll'd and thither
On his carpet wanting couch:
"Unto us belongs the Future!

"If each bear but thought as I do,
"If all beasts but thought so too,
"With united forces would we
"Take up arms against the tyrants.

"Then the bear would form alliance
"With the horse, the elephant
"Twine his trunk in loving fashion
"Round the valiant ox's horn.

"Bear and wolf of every colour,
"Goat and monkey, e'en the hare
"For a time would work in common,
"And our triumph would be certain.

"Union, union is the' essential
"Requisite; alone, we're conquer'd
"Easily, but join'd together
"We would overreach the tyrants.

"Union! union! and we'll triumph,
"And Monopoly's vile sway
"Be o'erthrown, and we'll establish
"A just kingdom for us beasts.

"Full equality for all, then,
"Of God's creatures, irrespective
"Of their faith, or skin, or odour,
"Be its fundamental maxim!

"Strict equality! Each donkey
"Be entitled to high office;
"On the other hand, the lion
"Carry to the mill the sack.

"As respects the dog, indeed he
"Is a very servile rascal,
"Since for centuries has man
"Like a dog ne'er ceased to treat him.

"Yet in our free state we'll give him
"Once again his olden rights,
"His prescriptive birthright, and he
"Soon again will be ennobled.

"Yes, the Jews shall then enjoy too
"All the rights of citizens,
"And by law be made the equals
"Of all other sucking creatures.

"Only dancing in the market
"For the Jew shall not be lawful;
"This amendment I insist on
"In the interest of my art.

"For a sense of style, of rigid
"Plastic art in motion's wanting
"To that race, who really ruin
"What there is of public taste."





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