FullReads

Und he looks, und ve sees, und ve tremples mit tread,
For risin’ all swart on de efenin’ red
Vas Johannes – der Breitmann – der war es, bei Gott!
Coom riding’ to oos-vard, right shtraight to de shpot!
All mouse-still ve shtood, yet mit oop-shoompin’ hearts,
For he look shoost so pig as de shiant of de Hartz;
Und I heard de Sout Deutschers say “Ave Morie!
Braise Gott all goot shpirids py land und by sea!”

Boot Itzig of Frankfort he lift oop his nose,
Und be-mark dat de shpook hat peen changin’ his clothes,
For he seemed like an Generalissimus drest
In a vlamin’ new coat und magnificent vest.
Six bistols beschlagen mit silber he vore,
Und a cold mounded swordt like a Kaisar he bore,
Und ve dinks dat de ghosdt – or votever he pe-
Moost hafe proken some panks on his vay to de sea.

“Id is he!”” Und er lebt noch! ” he lifes ve all say:
“Der Breitmann – Oldt Breitmann! – Hans Breitmann! Herr

Je! “
Und ve roosh to emprace him, und shtill more ve find
Dat vherefer he’d peen, he’d left noding pehine.
In bofe of his poots dere vas porte-moneys crammed,
Mit creen-packs stoof full all his haversack jammed,
In his bockets cold dollars vere shinglin’ deir doons
Mit dwo doozen votches und four dozen shpoons,
Und dwo silber tea-pods for makin’ his dea,
Der ghosdt hafe pring mit him, en route to de sea.

Mit goot sweed-botatoes, und doorkies, und rice,
Ve makes him a sooper of efery dings nice.
Und de bummers hoont roundt apout, alle wie ein,
Dill dey findt a plantaschion mit parrels of wein.
Den t’vas “Here’s to you, Breitmann! Alt Schwed”[4] – bist

zurück?
Vot teufels you makes since dis fourteen nights veek?”
Und ve holds von shtupendous and derriple shpree
For shoy dat der Breitmann has got to de sea.

But in fain tid we ashk vhere der Breitmann hat peen,
Vot he tid; vot he pass droo – or vot he might seen?
Vhere he kits his vine horse, or who gafe him dem woons,
Und how Brovidence plessed him mit tea-pods und shpoons?
For to all of dem queeries he only reblies,
“If you dells me no quesdions, I ashks you no lies!”
So ’twas glear dat some derriple mysh’dry moost pe
Vhere he kits all dat ploonder he prings to de sea.

Dere ish bapers in Richmond dells derriple lies
How Sherman’s grand armee hafe raise deir sooplies:
For ve readt in brindt dat der Sheneral Grant
Say de bummers hafe only shoost take vat dey vant.
But ’tis vhispered dat vhile a refolfer’ll go round
Der BREITMANN vill nefer a peggin’ be found;
Or shtarvin’ ash brisner – by doonder! – not he,
Vhile der Teufel could help him to ged to de sea.

FOOTNOTE 1.
The German equivalent for a native of Little Pedlington. It is a Suabian joke, commemorated in a popular song, to inquire in foreign and remote regions, “Is there any good fellow from Böblingen here?”

FOOTNOTE 2.
“Sonst etwas auf dem Rohr habem” – something else on the pipe or tube – meaning a plan or idea, kept to one’s self, is a German proverbial expression, which occurs in one of Langbein’s humorous lyrics.

FOOTNOTE 3.
” Nom de garce,” as an anagram of nom de grace, occurs in Rabelais. G

FOOTNOTE 4.
An expression only used in reference to seeing again some jolly old friend after long absence – “Uns kommt der alte Schwed.”