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Title: Rodenstein And The Priest
Author: Joseph Victor Scheffel [
More Titles by Scheffel]
Und wieder sprach der Rodenstein:
'Halloh, mein wildes Heer!
In Assmanshausen fall ich ein
Und trink' den Pfarrer leer.
'Raus da! 'raus aus dem Haus da!
Herr Pfarr', dass Gott Euch helf'.
Giebt's nirgends mehr ein' Tropfen Wein
Des Nachts um halber Zwölf?'
Again outspoke the Rodenstein--
'Hurrah! wild army:--fly!
In Assmanshausen there is wine;
Let's drink the parson dry!
Rouse there! rouse out o' th' house there!
Now, priest, God help your like
If there be left one drop of wine
When you hear midnight strike.'
The priest, a valiant clergyman,
Stood raging by the door;
With scapulary, cross, and bann,
He cursed the spirit o'er.
'Rouse there! rouse out o' th' house, there!
The devil help you delve,
If you dig out one drop of wine
Before the clock strikes twelve!'
But laughing growled the Rodenstein,
'Oh, priest, I'll catch you yet;
A ghost who's shut in front from wine,
Through the back door can get.
Fly'n there! fly'n there to the wine, there!
Hurrah--we're in! they shout.
His cellar is not badly filled!
Hurrah! we'll drink him out!'
Oh, poor and pious priestly heart!
Bad spirits rule this hour.
In vain he roared out cellar ward,
Till he cracked the vault with power--
'Swine there! swine there by the wine, there!
Is't decent, let me know?
Oh, can't you leave me wine enough
For a gentleman to show?'
And when the clock struck One, all rough
The ghosts began to cry,
'Ho, Parson! now we've got enough!
Ho, Parson! now good-bye!
Rouse there! rouse out o' th' house, there!
Now, Parson, all is sprung;
There runs no more one drop of wine
From spicket, jug, or bung!'
Then cursed the priest, 'My thanks to you,
Confound it!--All is gone.
Then I myself in your wild crew,
As chaplain will dash on!
Rouse there! rouse out o' th' house, there!
Sir Knight--at one we'll be.
If all my wine to the devil's gone,
The devil may preach for me!
Huzzah! Hallo!--Yo hi ha ho!
Rum diri di!--it's gone!
Hoy diri do!--I'm on!
In the devil's chorus--all before us,
Row--dow-dydow!'
[The end]
Joseph Victor Scheffel's poem: Rodenstein And The Priest
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