On Lazarus I

By Heinrich Heine


Leave the holy catenaries,
Leave hypotheses behind us --
Seek to solve the damnedest questions,
And let no diversion find us.

Why's the just man sadly schlepping,
Bleeding with the cross he's bearing,
While the bad one sits upon his
High horse, victory declaring?

Wherein lies the blame? Is maybe
God not really that almighty?
Or does He Himself make mischief?
Oh, we should not take that lightly.

So we constantly are asking
'Til our mouths are stopped at last, Sir,
With a handful of the earth, so --
But is that perhaps an answer?



 Posted by permission of the translator ~ © 2005



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