Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, KOBES I, by HEINRICH HEINE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

KOBES I, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: In eighteen hundred and forty-eight
Last Line: The echo rang wildly long after.
Subject(s): Germany; Ghosts; Life; Secrets; Supernatural; Germans


IN eighteen hundred and forty-eight,
When passions men's minds were heating,
The German nation's parliament
At Frankfort held its meeting.

Just at this time, in the Senate-house
Appear'd the white lady ghostly,
The spectre that heralds the coming of woe, --
They call her the Housekeeper mostly.

By night they say in the Senate-house
She is wont to make her appearance,
Whenever the Germans their foolish tricks play
With extra perseverance.

I saw her myself at the selfsame time
As she roam'd in the hours of slumber
Through the silent chambers, wherein were piled
The middle ages' old lumber.

She held the lamp and a bunch of keys
In her hands so pale and sickly;
She open'd the presses against the walls,
And the chests strew'd around her thickly.

There lie the imperial insignia all,
There lies the bull all-golden,
The sceptre, the regal apple, the crown,
And more of such fancies olden.

There lie the ancient imperial robes,
The purple frippery faded,
The German kingdom's wardrobe in fact,
Now rusted and rot-pervaded.

The Housekeeper mournfully shakes her head
At the sight, then with deep displeasure
She suddenly cries at the top of her voice:
"The whole of them stink beyond measure!

"The whole of them stink with mice's dung
"And rotten and mouldy's the ermine;
"And all the gaudy trumpery work
"Is swarming with noxious vermin.

"In truth, on this splendid ermine dress,
"Once used at the coronation,
"The cats of the Senate-house district are wont
"To lie, as their lying-in station.

"'Tis useless to clean them; I pity the fate
"Of the Emperor next elected;
"By the fleas in his coronation robe
"His health will be surely affected.

"And know ye, that all the people must scratch,
"Whenever the Emperor itches --
"O Germans, I dread the princely fleas
"Who swallow up much of your riches.

"Yet what is the use of monarch and fleas?
"For rusty are now and all rotten
"The olden costumes -- By modern days
"Are the ancient dresses forgotten.

"The German poet at Kyffhauser said
"To Barbarossa quite truly:
"'I find that we want no Emperor now,
"'When I weigh the matter duly.'

"But if, spite of all, ye an empire must have,
"With an Emperor reigning o'er ye,
"My worthy Germans, don't suffer yourselves
"To be snared by genius or glory.

"Choose one of the people your monarch to be,
"All sons of the nobles reject ye;
"Select not the lion, select not the fox,
"The dullest of sheep elect ye.

"Elect as your Monarch Colonia's son,
"The crown to dull Kobes awarding;
"The genius of Dulness well-nigh is he,
"His people he'll ne'er be defrauding.

"A log is ever the best of kings,
"As Esop has shown in the fable;
"He cannot devour us poor frogs up,
"As the stork with his long bill is able.

"Be sure that Kobes no tyrant will be,
"No Holofernes or Nero;
"He boasts no terrible antique heart,
"A soft modern heart has our hero.

"Though vulgar pride might scorn such a heart
"Yet in the arms of the helot
"Of work the unfortunate threw himself,
"Becoming a regular zealot.

"The men of the journeymen's Burschenschaft
"As president Kobes elected;
"He shared with them their last piece of bread,
"They held him vastly respected.

"They boasted that he in all his life
"Had never been at college,
"And out of his head composed his books
"By the light of intuitive knowledge.

"Yes, his consummate ignorance
"Was the fruit of his own endeavour;
"With foreign wisdom and training he
"Had injured his intellect never.

"From abstract philosophy's influence he
"Kept likewise his thoughts and his spirit
"Entirely free. -- Himself he remain'd!
"Yes, Kobes has really his merit!

"The tear of the usual stereotype form
"In his beautiful eye is gleaming,
"And from his lips incessantly
"The grossest stupidity's streaming.

"He prates and he grins, and he grins and prates,
"His words with long ears are provided;
"A pregnant woman who heard him speak
"Gave birth to a donkey decided.

"With scribbling books and knitting he's wont
"His idle hours to flavour;
"The stockings that he with his own hands knit
"Have met with particular favour.

"To devote himself wholly to knitting he's begg'd
"By Apollo and all the Muses;
"They're frighten'd whenever they see that his hand
"A goose-quill laboriously uses.

"His knitting recals the olden time
"Of the Funken, -- who all stood knitting
"While mounting guard, -- these men of Cologne
"No means of amusement omitting.

"If Kobes is Emp'ror, he'll surely recal
"To life these Funken deserving;
"The valiant band will surround his throne,
"As the guard imperial serving.

"He well might be glad to go at their head,
"And march over France's borders,
"And Alsace, Lorraine, and Burgundy fair
"Bring under Germany's orders.

"Yet be not afraid, at home he'll remain,
"Intent on a scheme long suspended,
"A lofty idea, the completion, in fact,
"Of Cologne Cathedral so splendid.

"But when the Cathedral's quite complete,
"Then Kobes will get in a passion,
"And sword in hand, will bring the French
"To account in a regular fashion.

"He'll take Alsace and Lorraine away
"(By France from the empire estreated);
"To Burgundy, too, he'll triumphantly go,
"When once the Cathedral's completed.

"Ye Germans, pray lose not your senses quite,
"If an Emperor's needed, I'll name him;
"The Carnival King of Cologne let it be,
"As Kobes the First now proclaim him!

"The fools of the Carnival rout at Cologne,
"With caps and bells ringing and mocking,
"Shall be his ministers of state,
"His scutcheon a knitted stocking.

"Let Drickes be Chancellor, calling himself
"Count Drickes of Drickeshausen,
"And Marizebill the Mistress of State,
"With the Emperor fondly carousing.

"Within his good sacred town of Cologne
"Will be Kobes's habitation;
"And when the Cologners hear the glad news,
"They'll have an illumination.

"The bells, the iron dogs of the air,
"Into joyous barks will be breaking,
"And the three holy kings from the land of the East
"In their chapel will soon be awaking.

'They'll step outside with their clattering bones,
"All dancing with rapture and springing;
"I hear them the Hallelujah's strains
"And Kyrie Eleison singing." --

Thus spoke the dread white nightly ghost
With loud uproarious laughter;
Through all the resounding halls of the place
The echo rang wildly long after.





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