 |
 | Poem |
|
|
When you walk on Baltrum's beach
you'll find something in and on the sand for each
Slim girls, to make their tan complete,
and old stuff as well as seaweed,
snail's shells and you certainly won't miss
muscles, crabs and loads of jelly-fish,
and with a lot of luck, uttering 'please, please'….
you might detect a splendid amber piece.
The Meyers therefore unwearying
decided today to go searching,
for some amber pieces fine
and polish these to make them shine,
so that Mum would not anymore complain,
having a self-made amber stones chain.
The Meyers start strolling hand in hand
but soon take a dive into the beach's sand.
Between all those black pieces of mud
there must be one, if not: how odd…...
Father Meyer, who is really quite clever,
is covered in mud, but sighs: "Endeavour"
Yep, bingo, what have we here
Oh no.. brown glass from a bottle of beer.
THERE it is, he picks it up
Oh no (again). …. It's a lollypop.
Mother digs into the sludge,
finds turpentine, mmm not much,
a bathing cap, stubborn as a mule
Mum continues digging in a water pool
finds onions underneath a thin black layer
where can I find amber, is it there?
Heini Meyer thinks: "Breakwaters, give it a go"
and searches in between, he would know.
Between black stones and some wood, quite old
he sees it lying, it looks like gold,
"Amber", he shouts on the top of his voice,
but alas, again: no chance to rejoice
the cheerful reaction by his next of kin
suddenly stops, seeing the rests of a grapefruit skin.
Erna Meyer strolls along, doesn't really care,
she just looks up, then down, here and there,
though suddenly, about to turn the other way,
she finds this big, big piece….hooray.
Heini takes it in his hand, excitement makes him sneeze,
mother takes a closer look, using here expertise,
Father then is certain: This is it, yes, cherie
It's amber, good heavens, what else could it be!
Everybody hurries cheerful then great fun
to the home of Mrs. Mindermann
whose face looks happy, smiles in wreathe.
She places the piece between her teeth
she turns it again and again and round and round
speaks finally - which is not easy she found -:
Well, sorry to say, hope you won't mope,
but this is not amber, it's a piece of soap."
All members of the Meyer-clan are quite distressed,
there's one, though, not wanting to be depressed
it is mother Meyer, who rubs her face and says:
"Continue searching? No way, not again" whereas
she gets up, forgotten are disappointment and pain
when she buys a Mrs. Mindermann amber chain!
Free translation based on a poem by
Ch. Sauerborn
Source: "Inselglocke"
|
