Tuesday, 31 January 2012
The wolves defended against the lambs - Verteidigung der Wölfe gegen die Lämmer - Defesa dos lobos contra os cordeiros (Hans Magnus Enzensberger)
Posted on 13:48 by Unknown
The wolves defended against the lambs
should the vultures eat forget-me-nots?
what do you want the jackal to do,
cut loose from his skin, or the wolf? should
he pull his own teeth out of his head?
what upsets you so much
about commissars and popes?
why do you gape at the fraudulent TV screen
as if someone just slipped you the shaft?
and tell me who sews the ribbons
over the general's chest? who
carves the capon up for the usurer?
who proudly dangles an iron cross
over his rumbling navel? who
rakes in the tip, the thirty pieces
of silver, the hush money? listen: there
are plenty of victims, very few thieves: who's
the first to applaud them, who
pins on the merit badge, who's
crazy for lies?
look in the mirror : squirming,
scared blind by the burden of truthfulness,
skipping the trouble of learning, abandoning
thought to the wolves,
a nose ring your favorite trinket,
no deception too stupid, no comfort
too cheap, every new blackmail
still seems too mild for you.
you lambs, why crows would be
nuns stacked up against you:
all of you hoodwink each other.
fraternity's the rule
among wolves :
they travel in packs.
blessed are the thieves: you
ask them up for a rape, then
throw yourself down on the mouldy bed
of submission. moaning
you stick to your lies. you'd love
to be torn limb from limb. you
won't change the world.
(Translation by Jerome Rothenberg)
Verteidigung der Wölfe gegen die Lämmer
soll der geier vergissmeinicht fressen?
was verlangt ihr vom schakal,
dass er sich häute, vom wolf? soll
er sich selber ziehen die zähne?
was gefällt euch nicht
an politruks und an päpsten,
was guckt ihr blöd aus der wäsche
auf den verlogenen bildschirm?
wer näht denn dem general
den blutstreif an seine hose? wer
zerlegt vor dem wucherer den kapaun?
wer hängt sich stolz das blechkreuz
vor den knurrenden nabel? wer
nimmt das trinkgeld, den silberling,
den schweigepfennig? es gibt
viel bestohlene, wenig diebe; wer
applaudiert ihnen denn, wer
steckt die abzeichen an, wer
lechzt nach der lüge?
seht in den spiegel: feig,
scheuend die mühsal der wahrheit,
dem lernen abgeneigt, das denken
überantwortend den wölfen,
der nasenring euer teuerster schmuck,
keine täuschung zu dumm, kein trost
zu billig, jede erpressung
ist für euch noch zu milde.
ihr lämmer, schwestern sind,
mit euch verglichen, die krähen:
ihr blendet einer den anderen.
brüderlichkeit herrscht
unter den wölfen:
sie gehen in rudeln.
gelobt sein die räuber: ihr,
einladend zur vergewaltigung,
werft euch aufs faule bett
des gehorsams. winselnd noch
lügt ihr, zerrissen
wollt ihr werden. ihr
ändert die welt nicht.
DEFESA DOS LOBOS CONTRA OS CORDEIROS
Defesa dos lobos contra os cordeiros
deve o abutre se alimentar de flores?
o que exigis do chacal?
que ele mude de pele? e do lobo? que
ele mesmo limpe os dentes?
o que não apreciais
nos coronéis e nos papas?
o que vos deixa perplexos
na tela mentirosa?
quem irá então costurar para o general
a condecoração sanguinária em sua calça? quem
irá fatiar o capão diante do agiota?
quem irá ostentar orgulhoso a cruz-de-ferro
diante da barriga que ronca? quem
irá pegar a gorjeta, a soma,
a propina? há
muitos roubados, poucos ladrões; quem
então os aplaude? quem
lhes coloca a insígnia? quem
é ávido pela mentira?
vede no espelho: covardes,
que evitam a fadiga da verdade,
avessos ao aprender, o pensar
é deixado a critério dos lobos,
a coleira é vossa jóia mais cara,
nenhuma ilusão é tão estúpida, nenhum
consolo é tão barato, qualquer chantagem
ainda é para vós branda demais.
cordeiros, irmãs são
as gralhas comparadas a vós:
cegais uns aos outros.
a irmandade reina
entre os lobos:
eles vão em bandos.
louvados sejam os predadores: vós,
convidativos ao estupro,
vos atirais sobre o leito negligente
da obediência. mentis e ainda
soltais ganidos. quereis
ser estraçalhados. vós
não mudais o mundo.(Tradução de Afrânio Novaes)
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