The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #16400   Message #3861747
Posted By: keberoxu
19-Jun-17 - 12:47 PM
Thread Name: Animal Songs
Subject: Lyr Add: KATZBURSCHLIED (trans. Anthea Bell)
This English translation refers back to Post number 95 on this thread, dated 13 June 2017, and the German-language "Katzburschlied."

The six verses (singable translation, so not really literal)

All too sharply barks the Pom [eranian / Spitz-dog],
Far too loud the Poodle.
See the bold and valiant Tom [cat],
Silencing that noodle!

See the Philistine go by!
Doff your cap politely.
Such a fool, his head held high,
We don't suffer lightly.

Merrily the fish must swim,
Birds fly in fair weather.
Fin and feather let us hymn,
Though we catch them never!

Mew and growl and growl and mew
But do not scratch; pray pause!
Show yourselves in rosy hue
And spare your nice sharp claws.

Master Coxcomb thinks he can
Judge us by his standard.
Looks haughty, acts the gentleman,
But we're more even-handed.

(That last one isn't even CLOSE, it's supposed to be about an ape.)

Each of us beside the others
Paw in paw we sang:
"We're a merry bunch of brothers!
Philistines go hang!"


English translation copyright © Anthea Bell, 1999. Published by Penguin Classics, London, 1999, as part of The Life and Opinions of the Tomcat Murr, pages 188 - 189. Translation from the original German of Lebensansichten des Katers Murr by Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann, 1822.