by
Walter De la Mare (1873 - 1956)
Tit for tat
Language: English
Our translations: CAT FRE GER
Have you been catching of fish, Tom Noddy?
Have you snared a weeping hare?
Have you whistled "No Nunny" and gunned a poor bunny,
Or blinded a bird of the air?
Have you trod like a murderer through the green woods,
Through the dewy deep dingles and glooms,
While every small creature screamed shrill to Dame Nature
"He comes - and he comes!"?
Wonder I very much do, Tom Noddy,
If ever, when you are a-roam,
An Ogre from space will stoop a lean face,
And lug you home:
Lug you home over his fence, Tom Noddy,
Of thorn-sticks nine yards high,
With your bent knees strung round his old iron gun
And your head a dan-dangling by:
And hang you up stiff on a hook, Tom Noddy,
From a stone-cold pantry shelf,
Whence your eyes will glare in an empty stare,
Till you're cooked yourself!
Available sung texts: (what is this?)
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 149
Language: German (Deutsch) after the English
Hast du Fische gefangen, Tomm Noddy?
Ist in der Falle ein Hase verendet?
Hast gepfiffen "Kein Späßchen" und erschossen ein Häschen,
oder hast du 'nen Vogel geblendet?
Bist wie ein Mörder durch Wälder gestreift,
durch klamme Klammen, klaftertief, düster,
als zu Mutter Natur jedes Tierlein schrie schrill
"Hier kommt er - da ist er!" ?
Ich frag mich, frage mich sehr, Tom Noddy,
ob je, wenn durch Wiese und Wald du streifst,
ein Monster vom All dich bringt grinsend zu Fall,
dich greift und nach Hause schleift:
dich zerrt über seine Umzäunung, Tom Noddy,
eine neun Meter hohe Stachelwehr,
deine Knie geschnürt an den eisernen Lauf
und dein Kopf baumelt hin und her:
dich starr an den Haken hängt, Tom Noddy,
in einer Kammer, steinern und kalt,
wo ins Leere du starrst und auf nichts mehr harrst,
bis man dich selbst brät alsbald.
