'Twas dark, the moon shone brightly,
snow-bedecked the greensward,
as an auto, lighting-quick
slowly drove 'round the corner,

'Twas dark, the moonlit night,
the grass-green lawn was thick with snow,
as an auto, at the speed of light,
rounded the corner, molasses-slow.

Within sat standing people,
silently immersed in conversation,
as a shot-dead hare
skated over the meadow,

Inside sat the standing crowd,
in conversation with lips sealed,
as a hare, shot cold and dead,
skated lively over the field,

and the auto drove at a trot,
backwards up a mountain.
Aloft, an old raven by degrees
wound a clocktower up.

and the auto drove at a trot,
descending up the mountain;
aloft, an old raven 
and the auto drove at a trot,
backwards up a mountain.
Aloft, an old raven by degrees
wound a clocktower up.

All around ruled deep silence
and with a terrible row
two camels in the grasses' branches,
soundlessly played chess.

A deep silence ruled all around,
and with a terrible row,
as silently in the grass,
a camel played chess with a cow.

And on a red bank,
that was painted blue,
sat a blond-locked youngster
with coal-raven-black hair,

And on a crimson bank,
painted the azure blue,
sat a golden-curled youth
with hair was coal-raven-black.

Next to him an old hag,
aged just barely sixteen years,
and she ate a butter-bread,
that was spread with lard,

Next to him an ancient hag,
aged just barely sixteen years,
and she ate a butter-bread,
that was spread with jam,

Up there on the apple tree,
which bore very sweet pears,
hung the spring's last plum
and in nuts, still enough.

Up there on the apple tree,
which bore the sweetest pears,
hung the spring's last plum
and in nuts, still enough.

From the rain-wet street
the dust swirled aloft.
And the heat
mightily froze a boy's ears.

Both hands in his pockets
he held his eyes tightly closed.
As he could not bear,
how the cow smelled like violets.

Both hands in his pockets
he held his eyes tightly closed.
As he could not bear,
how the cow reeked of violets.

And two fishes ran friskily
all through the blue cornfield.
Finally the sun went down
and the gray day appeared.

And all that versified Goethe
as he in the dawn
recumbent on the chamber pot sat
and read the paper as well.

And this was versified by Goethe,
as in the morning's 
And all that versified Goethe
as he in the dawn
recumbent on the chamber pot sat
and read the paper as well.