Counting to four

This land is flat,
my nanny is a rat,
my sister is a gnat,
and you are fat!

– Felix Morgenstern (© 2008)

Inspired by BlogFriday’s invitation to write on the topic of “flat”.

Meine Frauen verlassen mich

Zuerst die Soni,
die war Goldes wert,
schwirrt ab
mit ihrem Freunde,
hat neulich hier
ihr Haus geleert.
Die Ton- und
Bildkassetten,
die sie von mir
bekommen, die
hat sie einfach
mitgenommen.

Nun auch Francesca,
rabenschwarze
Locken, römisches
Profil. Ach,
sie bedeutete
mir viel. Mit ihr
fand manches
Spiel in meinen
Gedanken statt.
Und jetzt geht sie
nach Ingolstadt.

So brechen mir
meine Lieben entzwei –
eh etwas begann
ist’s schon vorbei.

– Felix Morgenstern (© 2008)

Regenreicher April ... mit Klabund

Als Begleitung und Ausgleich zu diesen regnerischen Apriltagen passt dieses wunderbar leicht gesponnene Gedicht von Klabund ganz hervorragend:

Regen

Der Regen rinnt schon tausend Jahr,
Die Häuser sind voll Wasserspinnen,
Seekrebse nisten mir im Haar
Und Austern auf des Domes Zinnen.

Der Pfaff hier wurde eine Qualle,
Seepferdchen meine Nachbarin.
Der blonde Seestern streckt mir alle
Fünfhundert Fühler zärtlich hin.

Es ist so dunkel, kalt und feucht.
Das Wasser hat uns schon begraben.
Gib deinen warmen Mund - mich deucht,
Nichts bleibt uns als uns lieb zu haben.

– Klabund (1890-1928)

Verschiedene, gesammelte und auch sämtliche Werke von Klabund sind im Buchhandel oder Online-Buchhandel, z.B. Amazon, erhältlich.

Active

A section of Glyph13

Active bloggers
can deliver even
funner glyphs

– Iself

again – in not the deepest poetic mood – inspired by a word (active) from BlogFriday, contributing to the world's fake haikus.

Heinrich von Morungen (um 1200)

Vielsüße sanfte Töterin,
warum wollt Ihr töten mir den Leib,
wo ich Euch doch so herzlich liebe,
fürwahr, Herrin, über alle anderen Frauen?
Wähnet Ihr ..., wenn Ihr mich tötet,
dass ich Euch dann nimmer mehr anschaue?
Nein, Eure Liebe hat mich dazu genötigt,
dass Eure Seele meiner Seele Herrin ist.
Soll mir hier nichts Gutes geschehen
von Eurem werten Leibe,
so muss Euch meine Seele eingestehen,
dass sie Eurer Seele dienet dort als einem reinen Weibe.

Ins Neudeutsche gebracht von Johannes Beilharz, der dazu schreibt:

Dieses Gedicht schwirrte mir neulich per Lyrikmail ins Haus, und zwar im Original und einer modernen deutschen Fassung, die zwar den Inhalt wiedergab, mir aber weder sprachlich noch emotional adäquat schien. So dass ich mich gedrängt fühlte, mich an einer eigenen Version zu versuchen – und dabei möglichst nahe am Original und gleichzeitig verständlich zu bleiben.

Vil süeziu senftiu tôterinne,
warumbe welt ir tôten mir den lîp,
und ich iuch sô herzeclîchen minne,
zewâre, frouwe, gar für elliu wîp?
Wênet ir ... ob ir mich tôtet,
daz ich iuch danne niemer mê beschouwe?
Nein, iuwer minne hât mich des ernôtet
Daz iuwer sêle ist mîner sêle frouwe.
Sol mir hie niht guot geschên
Von iuwerm werden lîbe,
sô muoz mîn sêle iu des verjên
daz si iuwerer sêle dienet dort als einem reinen wîbe.

Über Heinrich von Morungen, einen der großen Lyriker des hohen Mittelalters, ist nur bekannt, dass er um 1200 lebte und möglicherweise aus einer thüringischen Familie des niederen Adels stammte.

Youth suspected in banana store hold-up beaten by police officer

Lieutenant Shylock Enrique García of the Fuentecarral Police Force was no myrmidon by any means – just a little incapacitated in the conscience department and somewhat frozen in earlier history when the softening-up of suspects was routine preparation to elicit some useful answers.

– Iself

Written upon inspiration by Raven’s Week 7 Mini Challenge. The words frozen, history, myrmidon, Shylock and incapacitated were to be used.

Thank you, Raven, for getting me acquainted with the word myrmidon.

Christian Wagner | Rosenlandschaft

Du

Da du getreten in mein Leben ein,
Da wich die Nacht dem hellen Morgenschein;
Weit offen stand des Himmels festlich Tor,
Und eine Rosenlandschaft stieg empor

– Christian Wagner (1835-1918)

Von Christian Wagner sind im Buchhandel erfreulicherweise etliche Bücher erhältlich. Auch online, z.B. bei Amazon.

Errol Hinston for Ruby Tuesday

Our contribution to the meme started by Leonard Blumfeld at World So Wide is an outstanding poetic version of the Rolling Stones song by French rock group Errol Hinston (courtesy of Youtube). The video stars band member Brenda Claude Esserteau featuring eclectic intonation and pronunciation:

A near-miss haiku

So I was on my way to the store close-by,
only to find out, once I got there, that it was closed.
Well hell, I thought, that saved me some money coz I’s about to buy me some clothes.
That’s what I call a close call
and less wear on the clothesline.

Written upon instigation by BlogFriday – seeking submissions for the word ‘closed.’ This haiku with its syllabic structure of 11 / 13 / 19 / 7 / 7 is not the only thing that’s a amiss here. Or a close call.

– Iself

in a not so sincere writing mood.

Die Ballade vom Fliegenpilz

Ein Fliegenpilz
gedankenversunken im Walde stand.
“Ich will’s”,
dacht’ er für sich im Sand,

und meinte damit
auf Flügeln das Fliegen.
Ein dienstbarer Geist der hörte mit
und wollte ihm obliegen.

Von Tälern und Hügeln
kamen sie ihm zugeflogen
zuhauf auf ihren Flügeln.
Ganz ungelogen:

Schon mancher, dem das Glück gelacht,
wurde anders beschenkt als er gedacht.

– Felix Morgenstern (© 2008)

I cannot explain it

I smoke, and the mirror
shows no smoke

In fact, the mirror
shows neither my pipe
nor my hand holding it

In fact, my face
and I
are missing as well

– Bhoot (© 1898)

Note
I pulled out this poem by my close friend Bhoot because Totally Optional Prompts' theme Smoke and Mirrors reminded me of it.

Microsoft Lottery (?)

We all know that Bill Gates is one of the shrewdest people on earth when it comes to sniffing a buck against the wind. It is also known that he's a great philantropist, redistributing oodles of his software user-earned $$$ to cancer research, etc.

What's little known is that he's gone senile and started the Microsoft E-Games Promotion Award, of which I am a lucky consolation prize winner, as I've been informed by e-mail this very morning. Yahoo! I've been approved to win an incredible 500,000 £.

All I need to do to collect is send all my essential data, including my mobile phone no. and a copy of an ID, to Bill Gates' trusted friend and caretaker Paulson Depp at the following highly official e-mail address:

mr.paulsondeppclaimmanager@hotmail.com

I'm sure Mr. Gates' generosity doesn't stop with me. I think that you, dear reader, also have the best chances of having won this award and should claim it just like me. So, despite all the severe warnings below, I've decided to let you in on this. Here's the text of the e-mail with all the details on how to go about cashing in:

Microsoft E-Games Promotion Award
20 Craven Park Harlesden
London NW10,
United kingdom.
Registered No: N.I 24284
***************************
Dear Consolation Prize,

CONSOLATION PRICE WINNING NOTICE

This is to inform you that you email have won a prize money of(500,000.00)Five Hundred Thousand Great British Pounds Sterling for the month of March,2008 E-game promotion Award which is organized by Microsoft Windows Inc. Your email address attached to the ticket winning number:MCPA09788 that drew the lucky winning number, which consequently won the Microsoft E-games promotion Award in the second category,in four parts.You have been approved for a payment of 500,000.00 Great British Pounds Sterling (FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND GREAT BRITISH POUNDS) in cash credited to file reference number:MIC/WS68768P/68. This is from a total cash prize of FIVE MILLION GREAT BRITISH POUNDS Shared among the ten international winners that won the second categories.All participants were selected through a Multi international computer ballot system drawn from 98,000(Ninety eight thousand) names of email users around the world,as part of our international promotion programme.Due to mixed up of some names and addresses, we ask that you keep this award personal, till your claims has been processed and your funds remitted to you. This is part of our security measures to avoid double claiming or unwarrantedtaking advantage of the situation by other participants or impersonators.
****************************
PAYMENT OF PRIZE AND CLAIM
****************************
You are to contact this office for further instruction on how to claim your prize with this information.
WINNING INFO:
Amount Won:500,000.00 Great Britain Pounds Sterling.
Batch Number: 0094/AM6880
Winning Number: MCPA09788
Reference Number: MIC/WS68768P/68
****************************
CLAIM DEPARTMENT OFFICE
****************************
Claims Manager: Mr Paulson Depp
Office via Email: mr.paulsondeppclaimmanager@hotmail.com
Office Contact Number + 44-704-572-5696
Winners Care Line : + 44-703-184-6783

Note: The Verification and Claims form should be filled and sent to the e-games promo award manager who will immediately commerce process to facilitate the transfer of your fund to you. For security reason you are advice to keep your winning information confidential till your won price is processed andtransferred to you. This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. Please be warned.
***************************************************************
WINNER'S VERIFICATION FORM AND CLAIM'S INFORMATION
**************************************************
First Name.:
Middle Name.:
Last Name.:
Gender.:
Month Of Birth.:
Age.:
Marital Status.:
Nationality.:
Religion.:
Occupation.:
Address 1.:
Address 2.:
City.:
Country.:
State/Province.:
Zip Code.:
Mobile phone No.:
House Phone No.:
Fax No.:
Email Address.:
WINNING INFORMATION
Batch Number.:
Number.:
Reference Number.:
A Scanned copy of a valid identification card should also be attached (either an International passport or Driver's License) and send with the listed information for claims of your won prize.
*************************************************************
Winners Shall be paid in accordance with his/her Settlement Centre.Microsoft E-games Promotion Prize must be claimed no later than 15 days from date of Draw Notification,that is after the Draw date in which Prize was won.Any prize not claimed within this period will be forfeited.Once again congratulations from the management of the Microsoft E-games Promotion on your consolation price winning,we hope that you will use the winning for good cause.

Congratulations!! once again.
Yours in service,
MR. Silviu Hotaran
(General Manager Europe)
POWERED BY MICROSOFT WINDOWS.
***************************************************************
CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT: The document accompanying this transmission may contain confidential health information that is legally privileged.This information is intended only for the use of the individual or entity mail address above.The authorized recipient of this information is prohibited from disclosing this information to any other party unless required to do so by law or regulation and is required to destroy the information after its stated need has been fulfilled.If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure,copying,distribution, or action taken in reliance on the contents of these document is strictly prohibited.If you have received this information in error,please notify the sender immediately and arrange for the return or destruction of these document.

©2008 Microsoft Corporation.All rights reserved.

Image

My soul mate’s soul is like delicate silver,
Two lissome white seagull wings
Her feet,
And in her dear blood
Rises a blue intimation
Of things
All miraculous

– Peter Hille

English version by Johannes Beilharz, who writes:

In this translation I deviated quite noticeably from the German original, e.g. by avoiding the second person address and using third person instead ("her"), with the intention of rendering more the feeling of Peter Hille's poem or its inner intention, as I experienced it, than the actual words.

Peter Hille (1854-1904) traveled widely in England, Holland and Italy before settling in Berlin, where he became friends with Detlev von Liliencron (Germany's leading impressionist poet), Richard Dehmel, Rainer Maria Rilke, Otto Julius Bierbaum and Else Lasker-Schüler (who mystified him in her Peter Hille book of 1907). Lived most of his life in poverty, helped by friends. The Rowohlt Literaturlexikon 20. Jahrhundert (1971) calls him "the fragmentist of impressionism, who succeeded in recording momentary sensual and psychic impressions in an idiosyncratic manner." Along with Lasker-Schüler, he is also considered a precursor of German expressionism.

Peter Hille: Abbild

Abbild

Seele meines Weibes, wie zartes Silber bist du,
Zwei flinke Fittiche weißer Möwen
Deine beiden Füße,
Und dir im lieben Blut auf
Steigt ein blauer Hauch,
Und sind die Dinge darin
Alle ein Wunder.

– Peter Hille (1854-1904)

Von und über Peter Hille sind im Buchhandel und Online-Buchhandel, z.B. Amazon, etliche Werke erhältlich.

Distant greeting by telephone

I call you on the telephone:
Good morning! – How are you, my dear?
I’m listening to your voice’s tone.
It’s lovely, soothing and so very clear.

Through wire I kiss you on your distant ear,
You’re mine – aren’t you, my sweet?
How ever I hurt you when I was near:
Please do forgive me – I entreat!

You’re fine? – Great! – Worried about money?
Never you mind, the cost is not that much.
I have to go now and hang up, my honey.
Next time I’ll write to get in touch.

– Joachim Ringelnatz (1883-1934)

Translated from the German (which can be found here) by Johannes Beilharz.

Note
This poem was written in the days when not everybody had a telephone and definitely before the advent of free local calls or flat rates. If Ringelnatz were alive today, he'd have to rethink and write about wireless communication and e-mail. No doubt he would.

Copyright of translation by Johannes Beilharz 2008.