The moral | In the darkest land in Africa

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by Hans Bötticher (1883 - 1934), as Joachim Ringelnatz

Translation © by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947)

Im dunkeln Erdteil Afrika

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Im dunkeln Erdteil Afrika
Starb eine Ziehharmonika.
Sie wurde mit Musik begraben.
Am Grabe saßen zwanzig Raben.
Der Rabe Num'ro einundzwanzig
Fuhr mit dem Segelschiff nach Danzig
Und gründete dort etwas später
Ein Heim für kinderlose Väter.
Und die Moral von der Geschickt? --
Die weiß ich leider selber nicht.

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Text Authorship:

by Hans Bötticher (1883 - 1934), as Joachim Ringelnatz, no title, appears in Die Schnupftabacksdose - Stumpfsinn in Versen, first published 1912 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Die Moral", 2008 [ medium voice or low voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , "The moral", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-03-14
Line count: 10
Word count: 49

The moral

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

In the darkest land in Africa
an accordion died.
It wanted to be buried with music.
On the grave sat twenty ravens.
Raven Number Twenty-One
took a sailing ship to Danzig
Where a little later it founded
A home for childless fathers.
And the moral to this story? --
That I simply cannot tell you.

Text Authorship:

by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "The moral", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Hans Bötticher (1883 - 1934), as Joachim Ringelnatz, no title, appears in Die Schnupftabacksdose - Stumpfsinn in Versen, first published 1912
- Go to the text page.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-03-14
Line count: 10
Word count: 54