As The 100th Anniversary Of The First Year Of World War I (Remember The War To End All Wars) Continues ... Some Remembrances-Poet’s Corner-German Jewish Poets   

 

 

 

 

ALFRED LICHTENSTEIN (1889-1914)

PRAYER BEFORE BATTLE

The soldiers pray fervently, every man for himself:
God, protect me from bad luck.
Father, son and holy ghost,
Please don’t let any shells hit me,
Or those scoundrels, our enemies
Imprison or shoot me,
Don’t let me kick the bucket like a dog
For the dear Fatherland.

See, I would like to still live
Milk cows, bang girls,
And beat up that rascal, Sepp.
And get boozed up many times
Before I meet my holy end.
See, I’ll  pray well and willingly
Say seven rosaries daily,
If, God, in your mercy
You kill my friends Huber or Meier
But spare me.
But if I’ve got to take it
Let me not be wounded too heavily.
Send me a light leg-wound,
A small arm injury,
So that I return home as a hero
Who can tell many a story.

Alfred Lichtenstein  -  Translated by Peter Appelbaum

ROMANTIC JOURNEY

A thousand stars are shining in the heaven

The landscape shines, and from the far-off meadows

The human marching  column slowly nears.

Just once  it is detached – and, lost in thought --

A young lieutenant, a page-boy in love.

But finally combat wagons start to move.

The moon makes this all look particular.

And now and then the drivers shout out loud:

Halt!

High on the wobbliest cartridge wagon sits

Like a small fiery toad, refinely carved

From blackest wood, his hands balled lightly closed,

His rifle on his back, sword buckled light,

A large smoking  cigar in crooked mouth

Monk-lazy, full of longing like a dog

Valerian drops pressed tightly to his heart –

Old-funny, mad, serious, with yellowed mouth:

Kuno.

Alfred Lichtenstein  -  Translated by Peter Appelbaum

[Kuno was one of Lichtenstein’s comrades.)