SONG ABOUT A RICH MAN UP FOR AUCTION

I saw a rich man being auctioned
by a dealer who called out loud,
“What do I hear for a rich man?”,
but not a buyer could be found
who wanted him at any price.
“For that man there,” they all cried,
“we wouldn’t put a nickel down.”

Anyone there could tell you why
the task of the auctioneer was futile:
the rich man never learned a trade,
and who would pay for a useless fool?
He doesn’t do any kind of work
that might to a buyer be of worth,
nor can he fix the simplest food.

When they put him up for sale,
indeed they asked the man himself,
“Well, rich man, what can you do?”
“Nothing at all!” the rich man said:
“I hate to work and hate to spend,
although I do like buying land,
if you have any you’d like to sell.”

After they had heard all this,
not one man or woman present
offered even the slightest pittance.

CANTIGA D’ESCARNHO

CANTIGA D’ESCARNHO

En almoeda vi estar
oj’un ricom’e diss’assy:
– Quen quer hun ricome comprar? –
E nunca hy comprador vi
que o quisesse nen en don;
ca dizian todus que non
daria hun soldo por ssy.

E d’este ricome quen quer
vus pode a verdade dizer:
poys non aprês nen hun mester,
quen querrá hi o seu perder?
Ca el non faz nen hun lavor
de que nulh’om’aja sabor,
nen sab’adubar de comer.

E, hu foron po-lo vender,
preguntaron-o en gran sen:
– Ricom’, que sabedes fazer? –
E o ricome disse: – Ren!
Non amo custa nen misson,
mays compro mui de coraçon
erdade, se mh’a vend’alguen –.

E poys el diss’esta razon,
non ouv’i molher nen baron
que por el dar quisesse ren.