Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, GREEDINESS PUNISHED, by FRIEDRICH RUCKERT


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

GREEDINESS PUNISHED, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: It was the cloister grabow, in the land of usedom
Last Line: They might have been contented!
Alternate Author Name(s): Raimar, Freidmund
Subject(s): Fables; Greed; Allegories; Avarice; Cupidity


It was the cloister Grabow, in the land of Usedom;
For years had God's free goodness to fill its larder come:
They might have been contented!

Along the shore came swimming, to give the monks good
cheer
Who dwelt within the cloister, two fishes every year:
They might have been contented!

Two sturgeons -- two great fat ones -- and then this law was
set,
That one of them should yearly be taken in the net:
They might have been contented!

The other swam away then until next year came round;
Then with a new companion he punctually was found:
Then might have been contented!

So then again they caught one, and served him in the dish,
And regularly caught they, year in, year out, a fish:
They might have been contented!

One year, the time appointed two such great fishes brought;
The question was a hard one, which of them should be
caught:
They might have been contented!

They caught them both together, but every greedy wight
Just spoiled his stomach by it; it served the gluttons right
They might have been contented!

This was the least of sorrows: hear how the cup ran o'er!
Henceforward to the cloister no fish came swimming more:
They might have been contented!

So long had God supplied them of his free grace alone
That now it is denied them, the fault is all their own:
They might have been contented!






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