Der Freischtz

Wie gehts, my frendts if youll allow     I sings you rite afay shoost now     Some dretful shdories vitch dey calls     Der Freyschtz, or de Magic Balls.     Wohl in Bohemian land it cooms,     Vhere folk trink prandy mate of plooms;     Dere lifed ein Yaeger Maxerl Schmit     Who shot mit goons und nefer hit.     Now dere vas von oldt Yaeger, who     Says, Maxerl, dis vill nefer do;     If you shouldt miss on drial-tay,     Derell pe der tyfel denn to bay.     If you do miss, you shtupid coose,     Derell pe de donnerwetter loose;     For you shant hafe mine taughters hand,     Nor pe der Hertzhogs yaegersmann.     Id coomed pefore de tay vas set,     Dat all de shaps togeder met;     Und Max he fired his goon und missed,     Und all de gals cot roundt und hissed.     Dey laughed pefore und hissed pehind;     Boot von shap-Kaspar saidt, Tont mind;     I dells you vot you stoons em alls     If yoost you shoodt mit magic balls.     De magic balls! oh, vot is dat?     I cot soom in my hoontin hat;     Deyre plack as kohl, und shoodt so drue:     Oh, dems de kindt of balls for you.     You see dat eagle vlyin high,     Ein hoondred miles oop in de sky;     Shoot at dat eagle mit your bix,     You kills hin tead ash doonderblix!     I tont pelieve de dings you say.     You fool, says Kasp, denn plaze afay!     He plazed afay, vhen, sure as plood,     Down coom de eagle in de mud.     O was ist das? said Maxerl Schmit:     Vhy! dats de eagle vot you hit.     You kills him vhen you plaze afay;     Boot dats a ding you nix verstay.     Und you moost go to make dem balls     To de Wolfs Glen vhen mitnight valls.     Dow knowst de shpot alone und late     Oh ja I know shim ganz foost-rate!     Boot denn I does not like to co     Among dem dings. Says Kasp, Ach, sho!     Ill help you fix dem tyfel chaps,     Like a goot veller-dake some schnapps!     (Hilf Zamiel! hilf) Here, dake some more!     Denn Kasp vent shtompin roundt de vloor,     Und coomed his hoompugs ofer Schmit,     Dill Max saidt, Nun-ich gehe mit!     All in de finster mitternocht,     Vhen oder folk in shleep vas lockt,     Down in de Wolfschlucht, Kasp tid dry     His tyfel-strikes und Hexery.     Mit skools und pones he mate a ring,     De howls und shpooks pegin to sing,     Und all the tyfels oonder croundt     Coom preakin loose und rooshin roundt.     Denn Maxerl cooms along: says he,     Mein Gott! vot dings ish dis I see!     I dinks de fery tyfel und all     Moost help to make dem magic ball.     I vish dat I had nix cum raus,     Und shtaid mineself in bett to house.     Hilf Zamiel! cried Kasp; you whelp     You red Dootch tyfel coom und help!     Den oop dere coomed a tredfull shdorm,     De todtengrips aroundt tid schvarm;     De howl shoomped oop und flopt his vings     Und toorned his het like avery dings.     Oop droo de croundt dere coomed a pot     Mit leadt, und dings to make de shot;     Und h?llisch fire in grimson plaze,     Und awful schmells like Schweitzer kase.     Agross de scene a pine-shtick flew     Mit seferal shail-pirds vastened to;     Six treadtful shail-pirds mit deir vings     Tied to de shticks mit magic shtrings.     All droo de air, all in a row,     Die wilde Jagd vas seen to go;     De hounds und teer all mate of pone,     Und hoonted py a skilleton.     Dere coomed a tredful shpecdre pig,     Who, shpitten fire afay, tid dig;     Und fiery drocks und tyfel-shnake     A scootin droo de air tid preak.     Boot Kaspar tidnt mindt dem alls,     But casted out de pullet balls;     Six vas to go ash he vouldt like,     De sevent moost for de tyfel shtrike.     Ad last, oopon de drial tay,     De gals cot roundt so nice und gay,     Und den dey goed und maked a tantz,     Und singed apout de Jungfernkranz.     Und denn der Hertshog dats der Duke     Cooms doun und dinks hell dake a look;     Young mans, to Maxerl denn saidt he,     Shoost shoot dem dove oopon dat dree!     Denn Maxerl pointed mit de bix,     Potzblitz! says he, dat dove Ill fix!     He fired his rifle at de Taub,     When Kass rollt ofer in de Staub.     De pride she falled too in de doost,     Dey gals dey cried, de men dey got coossed:     Der Hertshog says, Ids fery glear     Dat dere has peen some tyfels here!     Und Max has shot mit tyfels-blei!     Pfui! die verfluchte Hexerei!     O Maximilian! O Du     Gehst nit mit rechten Dingen zu!     Boot denn a hermits coomed in late;     Says he, Ill fix dese dings foostrate;     Und telled der Hertshog dat yung men     Vill raise der Tyfel now und denn.     De Duke forgifed de Kaspar dann,     Und mate of him a Yegersmann,     Vhat shoodts mit bixen goon, und pfeil,     Und talks apout de Waidmannsheil.     Und denn de pride she coomed to life,     Und cot to pe de Maxerls vife;     Denn all de beoples gried Hoorah!     Das ist recht brav! und hopsasa!     MORAL     Py dis dings may pe oondershtood     Dat vhat is pad works ofden goot:     Or, Maximilia maximilibus curantur if you will.