by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
Translation © by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947)

Katzenpastete
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
Bewährt den Forscher der Natur
Ein frei und ruhig Schauen,
So folge Meßkunst seiner Spur
Mit Vorsicht und Vertrauen.

Zwar mag in Einem Menschenkind
Sich Beides auch vereinen:
Doch daß es zwei Gewerbe sind,
Das läßt sich nicht verneinen.

             *

Es war einmal ein braver Koch,
Geschickt im Appretiren;
Dem fiel es ein, er wollte doch
Als Jäger sich geriren.

Er zog bewehrt zu grünem Wald,
Wo manches Wildbret haus'te,
Und einen Kater schoß er bald,
Der junge Vögel schmaus'te.

Sah ihn für einen Hasen an
Und ließ sich nicht bedeuten,
Pastetete viel Würze dran
Und setzt' ihn vor den Leuten.

Doch manche Gäste das verdroß,
Gewisse feine Nasen:
Die Katze, die der Jäger schoß,
Macht nie der Koch zum Hasen.

Text Authorship:

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

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

  • ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , "Pâté of Cat Pies", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2010-02-02
Line count: 25
Word count: 121

Pâté of Cat Pies
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Known to the naturalists
Is that easy, calm perspective
Which artfully follows some measure
With both caution and with confidence.

Men might wish that both of them
Be joined as one enterprise;
But that there are two activities,
We can not deny.

             *                          
 
Once there was a good cook
Clever in presentation;
But it happened that he wanted
To play the hunter.

He went armed into the green forest,
Where much game made its home.
And soon, he shot a cat
That the young birds had shown to him.

It seemed to him to be a rabbit
And he didn't note the difference,
So it was made into nicely spiced pâté pies.
Which were served to his guests.

But some guests were quite put off
With their sensitive noses:
The cats which the hunter had shot
Could never be made by the cook into rabbit.

Text Authorship:

Based on:

 
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2010-02-02
Line count: 25
Word count: 145