Drive-by poems.

[trishtrash]

AN ETHICAL GROOK

I see and I hear
and I speak no evil;
I carry
no malice
within my breast;
yet quite without
wishing
a man to the Devil
one may be
permitted
to hope for the best.

Piet Hein

THE WISHES OF AN ELDER MANI wish I loved the Human Race

Comments

[mav_fan]

Woo Hoo, I love poetry. Thanks for sharing.

[pixelkitten]

Piet Hein!, Piet Hein!,
Piet Hein, zijn naam is klein,
Zijn daden benne groot,
Zijn daden benne groot:
Hij heeft gewonnen de Zilveren Vloot

[trishtrash]

The Silver Fleet? I both sort of understand this poem (song?) and completely don't! *confusion*

[pixelkitten]

It's a bit of Dutch song about Piet Hein (another Piet Hein (a great-great-grandfather) from the poet you just quoted, I just found out on Wikipedia). Piet Hein was Dutch naval admiral from the 17th century.

He robbed a Spanish fleet out of a shitload of silver, which made him a kind of folk-hero. And they made a children's song about him.

The bit I quoted translates as:
Piet Hein! Piet Hein!
Piet Hein, his name is small,
His deeds are big,
His deeds are big,
He has won the Silver Fleet.

[trishtrash]

Ahhh, thanks; I was having trouble with 'klein' and 'groot'.