Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, GERMANY; A WINTER TALE: CAPUT 2, by HEINRICH HEINE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

GERMANY; A WINTER TALE: CAPUT 2, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Whilst heavenly joys were warbled thus
Last Line: "our outward and inward dealings."
Subject(s): Germany; Germans


WHILST heavenly joys were warbled thus
And sung by the little maiden,
The Prussian douaniers search'd my trunk,
As soon as the coach was unladen.

They poked their noses in every thing,
Each handkerchief, shirt, and stocking;
They sought for jewels, prohibited books,
And lace, with a rudeness quite shocking.

Ye fools, so closely to search my trunk!
Ye will find in it really nothing;
My contraband goods I carry about
In my head, not hid in my clothing.

Point lace is there, that's finer far
Than Brussels or Mechlin laces;
If once I unpack my point, 'twill prick
And cruelly scratch your faces.

In my head I carry my jewelry all,
The Future's crown-diamonds splendid,
The new god's temple-ornaments rich,
The god as yet not comprehended.

And many books also you'd see in my head,
If the top were only off it!
My head is a twittering bird's nest, full
Of books that they gladly would forfeit.

Believe me that matters are no worse off
In the library e'en of the devil;
E'en Hoffmann of Fallersleben ne'er wrote
Any works that were half so evil.

A passenger who stood by my side
Remark'd that we now had before us
The famous Prussian Zollverein,
The customhouses' vast chorus.

"The Zollverein" -- thus he observed, --
"Will found our nationality,
"And join our scatter'd fatherland
"In bonds of cordiality.

"'Twill give us external unity, --
"That kind that's material and real;
"The censorship gives us the other kind,
"That's ghostly and ideal.

"It gives us internal unity,
"In thought as well as in feelings;
"A united Germany need we to rule
"Our outward and inward dealings."





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