Poem
Jules Deelder
Saxonian twilight
In Lower Saxonia centralThere once lived a floor lamp
It was tired of awaiting fate
And made a bid for power
After a week of kill and murder
In the streets across the town
His mates and himself took
Control of all vital sockets
He nailed a breakdown of demands
On the Energy Board's entry
And elected himself Leader
Of the Common People's Party
Each day he addressed the masses
Concerning rights of lights
In the context of one's duties
And of putting an end to fights
Once his speeches came to a close
Always at the stroke of ten
Against the wall he lined
A group of high and mighty men
Way down in High Saxonia
Seat of the country's ruling class
They wondered where the heck
Lower Saxonia was
When an old map gave the answer
And the border marked to a T
The zest for intervening
Turned into a let it be
Much to the displeasure
Of those high and mighty men
No selfrespecting official
Desired carrying the can
Lower Saxony and its floor lamp
Might blow up for all they cared
Preferably right this very minute
Just to be rid of the hullabaloo
So the very heart of Lower Saxony
Fell prey to the Common People's Party
Its leader becoming high and mighty
Got his light dimmed overnightly
Which dealt a fatal blow
To the rights of the lights
For without a shining example
The heart gets stuck in duties ample
© Translation: 1995, Eiso Toonder
Saksenschemer
Saksenschemer
In het hart van NedersaksenLeefde eens een schemerlamp
Die het lot niet af wou wachten
En een greep deed naar de macht
Na een week vol moord en doodslag
In de straten van de stad
Bezette hij met z'n trawanten
Elk strategisch stopcontact
Hij nagelde een lijst met eisen
Aan de poort van 't G.E.B.
En verhief zichzelf tot Leider
Der Gemene Volks Partij
Elke dag hield hij een rede
Over de rechten van het licht
In het teken van de vrede
En het kader van de plicht
Tot besluit van iedere toespraak
Steevast op het hele uur
Ging ter lering en vermaak een
Stel notabelen tegen de muur
In het verre Oppersaksen
Zetel van het Staatsgezag
Moest men ernstig prakkedenken
Waar Nedersaksen ook weer lag?
Toen men op een oude landkaart
De juiste ligging had bepaald
Bleek de animo tot handelen
Tot een minimum gedaald
Voor de plaatselijke notabélen
Mogelijk een hard gelag, maar
Niemand wou z'n nek uitsteken
Voor de pishoek van het land
Nedersaksen kon ontploffen
Met die schemerlamp erbij
Liever nog vandaag dan morgen
Was men 't hele zoodje kwijt
Zo viel het hart Van Nedersaksen
De Gemene Volks Partij ten prooi
En werd haar Leider zó notabel
Dat men hem de lamp uitschoot
Dat betekende de doodsteek
Voor de rechten van het licht
Want zonder lichtend voorbeeld
Verzinkt het hart in plicht
From: Transeuropa
Publisher: De Bezige Bij, Amsterdam
Publisher: De Bezige Bij, Amsterdam
Poems
Poems of Jules Deelder
Close
Saxonian twilight
In Lower Saxonia centralThere once lived a floor lamp
It was tired of awaiting fate
And made a bid for power
After a week of kill and murder
In the streets across the town
His mates and himself took
Control of all vital sockets
He nailed a breakdown of demands
On the Energy Board's entry
And elected himself Leader
Of the Common People's Party
Each day he addressed the masses
Concerning rights of lights
In the context of one's duties
And of putting an end to fights
Once his speeches came to a close
Always at the stroke of ten
Against the wall he lined
A group of high and mighty men
Way down in High Saxonia
Seat of the country's ruling class
They wondered where the heck
Lower Saxonia was
When an old map gave the answer
And the border marked to a T
The zest for intervening
Turned into a let it be
Much to the displeasure
Of those high and mighty men
No selfrespecting official
Desired carrying the can
Lower Saxony and its floor lamp
Might blow up for all they cared
Preferably right this very minute
Just to be rid of the hullabaloo
So the very heart of Lower Saxony
Fell prey to the Common People's Party
Its leader becoming high and mighty
Got his light dimmed overnightly
Which dealt a fatal blow
To the rights of the lights
For without a shining example
The heart gets stuck in duties ample
© 1995, Eiso Toonder
From: Transeuropa
From: Transeuropa
Saxonian twilight
In Lower Saxonia centralThere once lived a floor lamp
It was tired of awaiting fate
And made a bid for power
After a week of kill and murder
In the streets across the town
His mates and himself took
Control of all vital sockets
He nailed a breakdown of demands
On the Energy Board's entry
And elected himself Leader
Of the Common People's Party
Each day he addressed the masses
Concerning rights of lights
In the context of one's duties
And of putting an end to fights
Once his speeches came to a close
Always at the stroke of ten
Against the wall he lined
A group of high and mighty men
Way down in High Saxonia
Seat of the country's ruling class
They wondered where the heck
Lower Saxonia was
When an old map gave the answer
And the border marked to a T
The zest for intervening
Turned into a let it be
Much to the displeasure
Of those high and mighty men
No selfrespecting official
Desired carrying the can
Lower Saxony and its floor lamp
Might blow up for all they cared
Preferably right this very minute
Just to be rid of the hullabaloo
So the very heart of Lower Saxony
Fell prey to the Common People's Party
Its leader becoming high and mighty
Got his light dimmed overnightly
Which dealt a fatal blow
To the rights of the lights
For without a shining example
The heart gets stuck in duties ample
© 1995, Eiso Toonder
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