Epitaph of Ethelburga, Queen of the Saxons, circa 617 A.D.

I was, I am not;
Smil'd, that since did weep;
Labour'd, short rest;
I walk'd that now must sleep;
I play'd, I play not;
Sung, that now am still;
Saw, that am blind;
I would, that have no will;
I fed that, which feeds worms;
I stood, I fell;
I bade God save you
That now bid farewell;
I felt, I feel not;
Follow'd, was pursued;
I would have peace;
I conquer'd, am subdu'd;
I moved, want motion;
I was stiff that bow;
Below the earth;
Then something, nothing now;
I catch'd, am caught;
I travelled, here I lie;
Liv'd in the world
That to the world now die.

Gottfried Benn: Beautiful Childhood

The mouth of the girl who had laid so long
In the reeds looked so gnawed at.
When one broke open the breast,
The esophagus was so full of holes.
Finally in a bower under the diaphragm
I found a nest of young rats.
One little sister lay dead.
The others were living on liver and kidney,
Drank the cold blood and had
Spent a beautiful childhood there.
And beautiful and fast their death, too, came:
I threw them the lot of them into the water.
Oh, how the little snouts squeaked!

(Translator unknown)




Gottfried Benn: A fine childhood

The mouth of a girl who had long lain in the reeds
looked so chewed up.
When we broke open the torso, the esophagus was so full of holes.
Finally in a bower under the diaphragm
we found a nest of young rats.
One little sister rat lay dead.
The others were living off liver and kidney,
drinking the cold blood and enjoying
a fine childhood.
And fine and fast was their death too:
we threw the whole bunch into water.
Oh, how those little snouts squeaked!

(Translator unknown)



Gottfried Benn: Cycle

The lone molar of a whore
who had died unknown
had a gold filling.
As if by silent agreement
the others had fallen out.
But this one the morgue attendant knocked out
and pawned to go dancing.
For, he said,
only earth should return to earth.

(Translator unknown)