Death Fugue

Black milk of daybreak we drink it at sundown

we drink it at noon in the morning we drink it at night

we drink it and drink it

we dig a grave in the breezes there one lies unconfined

A man lives in the house he plays with the serpents
he writes

he writes when dusk falls to Germany your golden
hair Margarete

he writes it ans steps out of doors and the stars are
flashing he whistles his pack out

he whistles his Jews out in earth has them dig for a
grave

he commands us strike up for the dance

Black milk of daybreak we drink you at night

we drink you in the morning at noon we drink you at
sundown

we drink and we drink you

A man lives in the house he plays with the serpents
he writes

he writes when dusk falls to Germany your golden hair
Margarete

your ashen hair Sulamith we dig a grave in the breezes
there one lies unconfined

He calls out jab deeper into the earth you lot you
others sing now and play

he grabs at teh iron in his belt he waves it his
eyes are blue

jab deper you lot with your spades you others play
on for the dance

Black milk of daybreak we drink you at night

we drink you at at noon in the morning we drink you
at sundown

we drink and we drink you

a man lives in the house your golden hair Margarete

your ashen hair Sulamith he plays with the serpents

He calls out more sweetly play death death is a master
from Germany

he calls out more darkly now stroke your strings then
as smoke you will rise into air

then a grave you will have in the clouds there one
lies unconfined

Black milk of daybreak we drink you at night

we drink you at noon death is a master from Germany

we drink you at sundown and in the morning we drink
and we drink you

death is a master from Germany his eyes are blue

he strikes you with leaden bullets his aim is true

a man lives in the house your golden hair Margarete


he sets his pack on to us he grants us a grave in
the air

He plays with the serpents and daydreams death is
a master from Germany

your golden hair Margarete
your ashen hair Shulamith

Translated by Michael Hamburger

Anonymous submission.