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"Burn joy out of sorrow, / And light from ancient woe" (prophetic words!)

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nostamj Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-11-05 10:22 AM
Original message
"Burn joy out of sorrow, / And light from ancient woe" (prophetic words!)
PUBLIC SLANDERERS
From his dark den there comes
A robber to waylay us;
He wants to snatch our purses,
But finds a better booty:
A quarrel over nothing,
Confused and ignorant rant,
A nation's banner torn,
A people dull and stupid.

Wherever he goes he finds
The times are lean and empty,
So he can step forth brazenly
And play the role of prophet.
He boldly plants his foot
On the rubbish heap around him
And hisses his venal message
To an astonished world.

Cloaked in deceit and malice,
That wrap him like a cloud,
He stands before the people,
The mightiest in the land.
The hands of many helpers
Of low and high degree,
Espying their advantage,
Bring service to his will.

They carry forth his message
As formerly the angels
Had done with the five loaves.
It rattles on and on!
Where once but one man lied,
Today they come by thousands:
And roaring like the storm,
His gold draws interest now.

It grows to a great harvest.
The social order overthrown,
The masses live in infamy
And laugh at every scurvy deed.
It turns out to be true,
What was first fabrication:
The good have disappeared,
The bad come out in crowds.

When one day this trouble
Will melt like winter's ice,
The people will recall it
Like the very Plague itself.
They'll raise an effigy of straw;
Let children play on the heath
Burn joy out of sorrow,
And light from ancient woe.
Gottfried Keller, (1819-1890) (Trans. Arthur Schultz)

This poem was written by 100 years before Hitler came to power and is quoted in Inge Scholl's memoir of her brother and sister's involvement with The White Rose Society. (The poet is Swiss and was writing about a contemporary event in Zurich.)

If it sounds like it was written about the current resident...well, this DOES sound like a perfect desscription of bushit to me:
He boldly plants his foot
On the rubbish heap around him
And hisses his venal message
To an astonished world.

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nostamj Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-11-05 10:53 AM
Response to Original message
1. kick
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nostamj Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Mar-11-05 11:25 AM
Response to Original message
2. well, GD is the wrong place for poetry....
but...
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nostamj Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Mar-12-05 12:36 AM
Response to Original message
3. maybe a late kick?
(nah)
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The_Mule Donating Member (264 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Mar-12-05 12:42 AM
Response to Original message
4. Well, I liked it
And I've never heard it before. Thank you for posting it.
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nostamj Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Mar-12-05 12:51 AM
Response to Reply #4
5. you've made my day...
uh, night...

uh... morning?

it's a killer though. 1843? tyrants are nothing new!
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nostamj Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Mar-12-05 12:14 PM
Response to Original message
6. .
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