I’ll just post this “as is”. I wrote this – ahem – poem about three years ago (2005) when I got my second cat and just felt incredibly inspired …
Please note that this is my first and last and always poem I’ve ever written!
It is in German, I’ll try to translate it, but I guess it will lose all of – what? what has it got? – what it’s got in the process. It mostly consists of rhyme and beat – in and out of rhythm, but I didn’t care at that time, I just wanted to express my thoughts concerning my two cats. For now, I’ll just provide a translation that keeps the tenor (and beat) of it, but in no way rhymes or feels like the “real thing” …
Hope you enjoy …
‘Jäger des geworf’nen Schatzes’
(Hunter of the treasure thrown)
Weich und kratzig, schmus- und tatzig,
eig’ner Wille, liebt die Stille.
Mal gemütlich, tut sich gütlich,
kann auch anders, bei Bedarf!
(Soft and scratchy, cuddly – pawny,
has his own will, likes to be still,
sometimes comfy, sometimes batt’ning,
can be different on demand!)
Elegant und intrigant,
(un-) gern allein, will freundlich sein.
Akrobatisch, ‘Olli-Kahn’isch,
wenn man ihm ein Bällchen warf!
(classy and a-conniving,
can(‘t) be alone, will be so kind,
acrobatic – ‘Olli-Kahn’-y
if you’ll throw a ball at him!)
Raubtier, Staubtier, Saubertier,
aufmerk- aber wundersam.
Jagt sich, putzt sich, sagt’ ich putzig?
Teppich macht die Krallen scharf!
(Beast of prey, dust-stirring, spotless,
attentive- also wondrously.
Chases, grooms – did I say cutey?
Carpet’s used to edge the claws)
Hasst Parkett und liebt das Bett,
Rasselbällchen, Mausefellchen.
Lieb-gefährlich, aber ehrlich:
Dass ich _das_ erleben darf!
(Hates parquet but loves the bed,
rattle-bally, pelt of mousey.
dear-precarious, but straightforward:
Thanks that I can sample that!)
I tried to keep the metrics as close to the ‘original’, even if sacrificing some of the rhyme or meaning.
Y.
