by Tom Kuhn
2
Since that day many many moons have gone
Swimming quietly down, down and away
No doubt the plum trees have been felled by now
And if you ask, And what about love? I say
In answer I cannot now remember
But I do know what you mean, of course I do
But her face, in truth, I wouldn’t know it now
I kissed it once upon a time, that’s all I know.
3
And even the kiss I’d have long since forgotten
Had it not been that the cloud was also there
The cloud I do remember and always will
It was very white and high when it came over.
Who knows, perhaps the plum trees do still blossom
And that woman by now, perhaps, has seven children
But only a few minutes did that cloud blossom
And vanished in the wind when I looked up again.
Ballad of Mazeppa
1
The rope was his and the horse likewise his own
To which, uprearing, maddened, whinnying
They bound him back on back and over the earth of home
Goaded them away into the darkening evening.
2
They fastened the roped man so in his pain
Senselessly tugging he whipped the horse more
And so all he saw was the sky that became
Darker, became wider, farther than far.
3
True the horse bore him ahead of the beaters
Blind and despairing and loyal as a woman
But fleeing his enemies yanked the rope deeper
Into his flesh that was bleeding and sodden.
4
Also at evening the sky filled up strangely
With foreign birds, with vultures, with crows
In soundless flight, in a dark mêlée
Through the ether they chased him gasping below.
5
Three days on the whinnying fleshly litter
Down towards the eternal start he was borne
Where the sky became now darker, now lighter
But more immeasurable, evermore.
6
Three days and always more harried and swifter
Three eternities the traveller bore
Where the sky became now darker, now lighter
But more immeasurable, evermore.
7
Three days: to stretch and to die is his wish
But he cannot in flight between grass and heaven.
And the vultures are asking when will he finish?
Oh they lust, they are mad for this live carrion.
8
Three days till the ropes that bound him revolted
The heavens were green and the grass was dun!
Oh the crows and the vultures above his head
Were brawling already over this live carrion.
9
And if he rode faster, gladly they followed
And if he screamed louder, they screamed too.
On the sun they were shadows, on the stars they were shadows
Pursuing the rider gasping below.
10
Three days, then all things made their appearance:
Earth gives silence, heaven gives rest.
A man rode out with things he possessed:
With earth and horse, with patience and silence
Then heaven and vultures completed the cast.
11
Three days he rode through morning and evening
Till he reached an age when his suffering ceased
And he was taken into the great safekeeping
And entered his eternal rest, dead beat.
Ballad of friendship
1
As two gourds drift downstream
Rotten but on one stalk
In yellow rivers, so they entertained
Their life of cards and talk.
And fired their guns at yellow moons
And loved one another and paid no attention:
Remaining as one through many nights
And also: when the sun shone.
2
In the green hard undergrowth
When the sky, that swine, was clouded over
They hung like rancid dates
Each softly in the mouth of the other.
And later when their teeth were falling out
Even then they paid it no attention:
Remaining still as one through many nights
And also: when the sun shone.
3
In the scabby little houses
They gave their bodies satisfaction
And in the jungle when it had to be
Behind the bushes with the same woman.
But washed their shirts next morning
And arm in arm and knee by knee walked on
Being as one through many nights
And also: when the sun shone.
4
When the cold on the earth was worse
No roof and nothing to pass the time
Body to body under other
Creeping plants they lay entwined.
And when they talked in the nights under many stars
So doing, now and then they ceased to listen:
In their union through many nights
And also: when the sun shone.
5
But in time it came to that island
Some moons they dwelled there, the two
And when both wished to leave
One could not and never would do.
And they looked for the wind, the tide and ships
But never either at his companion
In their union through many nights
And also: when the sun shone.
6
“You leave, comrade, for I cannot.
The salt tide would bite me in two
I can lie around here a while longer
Another week or so.”
And a man lies sick by the ocean
And looks dumbly at another man
Who had been as one with him through many nights
And also: when the sun shone.
7
“I’m lying easy here, comrade. Leave.”
“Comrade, there’s time enough. Let be.”
“When the rain comes and if you’re still here
We’ll rot till we’re black, you as well as me.”
And a shirt waves and in the salt wind a man
Stands and gives the sea and him his attention
Who had been as one with him through many nights
And also: when the sun shone.
8
Then came the day they parted.
Spit out the withered date!
Often in the night they looked for the wind
And on the next day one set out.
And still they went in clean shirts arm in arm
Smoking, knee by knee, as one
As in their union through many nights
And also: when the sun shone.
9
“Comrade, the wind is in the sail!”
“Till tomorrow morning the wind will blow.”
“Comrade, bind me on the tree there
Bind me by the knees, I beg you!”
And the other man, smoking, bound him
With rope fast on the tree, who had been
As one with him through many nights
And also: when the sun shone.
10
“Comrade, already there are clouds over the moon!”
“The wind will drive them clear, no hurry.”
“Comrade, I shall watch out after you:
I shall see far and wide from that tree.”
And days later, the rope bitten through
Still he looked out over the ocean
In the few nights, the last nights
And also: when the sun shone.
11
On the sea, with a woman, in the greenery:
Many skies pale away
But never the man on the tree:
Their talk in the starry nights, their walking
Arm in arm, smoking, knee by knee as when
They were together through many nights
And also: when the sun shone.
Ballad of the soldier
1
The shooter shoots you and the spear spits you
And the meltwater swallows all who wade there.
You drift, you freeze. Keep out, be wise.
So said the woman to the soldier.
2
But the soldier he had bullets in his gun
He heard the drum and he grinned his grin:
Marching never hurt anyone!
Up and down, north and south, through the land
And he takes the knife in his hand.
So say the soldiers to the woman.
3
Oh he pays indeed who won’t hear and heed
The wisdom of somebody older.
Go too far beyond, you will meet a bad end!
So said the woman to the soldier.
4
But the soldier then with his knife strapped on
Laughed her cold in the face and he waded in:
What harm can the water do a man?
Put us in your prayers, we shall come back soon
When the Munger River shines in the white full moon.
So said the soldiers to the woman.
5
Like smoke away you blow and the warmth goes too
And we shan’t be warmed by the deeds you do!
How fast the smoke goes! God shield him too!
So said the woman about the soldier.
6
And the soldier then with his knife strapped on
Sank with his spear where he waded in
And the water swallowed those who wade there.
On the Munger River cool and white shone the moon
But the soldier with the ice drifted down
And what said the soldiers to the woman?
7
Like smoke away he blew and the warmth went too
And the deeds he did didn’t warm her.
Oh he pays indeed who heard and wouldn’t heed
What the woman said to the soldier.
FOURTH LESSON: MAHAGONNY SONGS
Mahagonny song No. 1
1
Away to Mahagonny
The air is cool and fresh
There’s whisky tables and poker tables
And horse- and woman-flesh.
Beautiful green moon of Mahagonny shine on us!
For we carry here today
Next the skin bills that will pay
Your big stupid mouth to laugh out loud for us.
2
Away to Mahagonny
Already the east wind blows
There’s fresh meat salad in that place
And you do as you please.
Beautiful green moon of Mahagonny shine on us!
For we carry here today
Next the skin bills that will pay
Your big stupid mouth to laugh out loud for us.
3
Away to Mahagonny
Cast off, where we’re bound for
Our ci-ci-ci-ci-civilis
Will find a cure for sure.
Beautiful green moon of Mahagonny shine on us!
For we carry here today
Next the skin bills that will pay
Your big stupid mouth to laugh out loud for us.
Mahagonny song No. 2
Those who stayed in Mahagonny
Needed five dollars a day
And for anything out of the ordinary
Needed a bit more, I’d say.
But everybody in those days
Stayed in Mahagonny’s poker drink saloon
They lost every game always
But had fun in that saloon.
1
On the high seas and on land
It’s a certainty that everyone gets skinned so everyone
Sits with all the rest and does
A trade in all the skins because
Day or night there’s dollars to be made on any human’s skin.
Those who stayed in Mahagonny
Needed five dollars a day
And for anything out of the ordinary
Needed a bit more, I’d say.
But everybody in those days
Stayed in Mahagonny’s poker drink saloon
They lost every game always
But had fun in that saloon.
2
On the high seas and on land
Enormous is the consumption of fresh skins therefore.
Yes, your flesh knows what it wants
But who’ll fund you on your jaunts?
For it is a fact that skins are cheap but whisky, whisky’s dear.
Those who stayed in Mahagonny
Needed five dollars a day
And for anything out of the ordinary
Needed a bit more, I’d say.
But everybody in those days
Stayed in Mahagonny’s poker drink saloon
They lost every game always
But had fun in that saloon.
3
On the high seas and on land
See the many mills of God are grinding slowly. So
Everybody sits and does
A trade in all the skins because
They very much want to live in cash, but pay in cash? Oh no!
Who stays in his shack, that man
Does not need five dollars a day
Nor, if he’s not without a woman
Needs an extra bit, I’d say.
But today all spend their days
In God the Father’s cheap saloon
Every game, they never lose
But fun there’s none in that saloon.
Mahagonny song No. 3
On a grey morning
Full in the whisky
God came to Mahagonny
God came to Mahagonny.
Full in the whisky
We caught sight of God in Mahagonny.
1
Sopping up like sponges
My good stock of grain year after year?
None of you expected me, did you?
Tell me, now I’m here, is the cupboard bare?
Looked at one another, did the men of Mahagonny.
Yes, said the men of Mahagonny.
On a grey morning
Full in the whisky
God came to Mahagonny
God came to Mahagonny.
Full in the whisky
We caught sight of God in Mahagonny.
2
Were you laughing Friday evening?
Far in the distance I saw Mary Weemann
Drifting dumb as a dodo in the sea
Gentlemen, she’ll never be dry again.
Looked at one another, did the men of Mahagonny.
Yes, said the men of Mahagonny.
On a grey morning
Full in the whisky
God came to Mahagonny
God came to Mahagonny.
Full in the whisky
We caught sight of God in Mahagonny.
3
Do you recognize these cartridges?
You shot that good man, my missionary?
Am I supposed to dwell with you in heaven
And watch you grizzled drunks eternally?
Looked at one another, did the men of Mahagonny.
Yes, said the men of Mahagonny.
On a grey morning
Full in the whisky
God came to Mahagonny
God came to Mahagonny.
Full in the whisky
We caught sight of God in Mahagonny.
4
Go to hell, the lot of you
Stick your virginias in you
r packs and go!
Quick march to hell, my lads, to my black hell
The whole damn gang of you, be off pronto.
Looked at one another, did the men of Mahagonny.
Yes, said the men of Mahagonny.
On a grey morning
Full in the whisky
You come to Mahagonny
You come to Mahagonny
Full in the whisky
You start that stuff in Mahagonny!
5
Don’t move an inch now. Stay put.
Every man on strike here. You can’t haul
Us kicking and screaming off to hell because
We already are and always were in hell.
Looked at God, did the men of Mahagonny.
No, said the men of Mahagonny.
Alabama song
1
Oh, show us the way to the next whisky bar
Oh, don’t ask why, oh, don’t ask why
For we must find the next whisky bar
For if we don’t find the next whisky bar
I tell you we must die! I tell you we must die!
Oh! Moon of Alabama
We now must say goodbye
We’ve lost our good old mama
And must have whisky
Oh! You know why.
2
Oh, show us the way to the next pretty girl
Oh, don’t ask why, oh, don’t ask why
For we must find the next pretty girl
For if we don’t find the next pretty girl
I tell you we must die! I tell you we must die!
Oh! Moon of Alabama
We now must say goodbye
We’ve lost our good old mama
And must have a girl
Oh! You know why.
3
Oh, show us the way to the next little dollar
Oh, don’t ask why, oh, don’t ask why
For we must find the next little dollar
For if we don’t find the next little dollar
