Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry. 1904.
Narrative Poems: IV. GermanyThe Nobleman and the Pensioner
Gottlieb Konrad Pfeffel (17361809)“O
A beauty, by my soul!
A red-clay flower-pot, rimmed with gold so neatly!
What ask you for the bowl?”
A brave man gave it me,
Who won it—now what think you?—of a bashaw
At Belgrade’s victory.
Long life to Prince Eugene!
Like after-grass you might have seen us mowing
The Turkish ranks down clean.”
Come, old man, be no fool;
Take these two ducats,—gold for glory,
And let me have the bowl!”
My pension ’s all I ’m worth:
Yet I ’d not give that bowl away, sir,
For all the gold on earth.
Hard on the foe’s rear pressed,
A blundering rascal of a janizary
Shot through our captain’s breast.
The same would he have done,
And from the smoke and tumult drove him
Safe to a nobleman.
His money and this bowl
To me, he pressed my hand, just ceased his breathing,
And so he died, brave soul!
Three plunderings suffered he:
And, in remembrance of my old friend, brought I
The pipe away with me.
In flight or in pursuit;
It was a holy thing, sir, and I wore it
Safe-sheltered in my boot.
Under the walls of Prague:
First at my precious pipe, be sure, I caught, sir,
And then picked up my leg.”
What was the brave man’s name?
Tell me, that I, too, may admire,
And venerate his fame.”
His farm lay near the Rhine.”—
“God bless your old eyes! ’t was my father,
And that same farm is mine.
With me is now your bed;
We ’ll drink of Walter’s grapes together,
And eat of Walter’s bread.”
You ’re his true heir, I see;
And when I die, your thanks, kind master,
The Turkish pipe shall be.”