Song Cycle by Gary Bachlund

1. Aesop and the Donkey

Authorship

by Gary Bachlund , "Aesop and the Donkey", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

a text in German by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781) , "Aesopus und der Esel"

The donkey spoke to Aesop: "When you propose 
another little story about me, 
let me say something sensible and profound."  

"You say something profound?" said Aesop, 
"how would that seem? Wouldn't people then say 
that you were the proper teacher and I the ass?"

2. A philosophic mouse

Authorship

by Gary Bachlund , "A philosophic mouse", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

a text in German by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781) , "Eine philosophische Maus"

A philosophic mouse praised Mother Nature, 
such that other mice sought out such excellent advice as he had to give. 
"As one half of us," the mouse said, "received wings from Mother Nature, 
if we here on the ground should be eradicated, 
the others could with little effort 
re-establish our extinct race through our bat friends. 
The good mouse didn't know that there were also flying cats. 
And so was our pride pacified 
mostly through our lack of knowledge.

3. The Fox and the Stork

Authorship

by Gary Bachlund , "The Fox and the Stork", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

a text in German by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781) , "Der Fuchs und der Storch"

"Tell me something of strange lands, 
that you have seen," said the fox 
to the well-traveled stork. 
With that the stork began to tell 
of every pool and every wet field, 
where he had enjoyed the tastiest worms 
and the fattest frogs.
"You been long in Paris, my friend. 
Where does one dine the best? 
What wine goes best 
with such delectable foods as you have found?"

4. The Warrior Wolf

Authorship

by Gary Bachlund , "The Warrior Wolf", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

a text in German by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781) , "Der kriegerische Wolf"

"My father of glorious memory," 
said a young wolf to a fox, 
"he was a true hero! 
How feared did he make himself 
throughout the whole region. 
He triumphed over more than two hundred enemies, 
such as sheep and donkeys; and his black soul was hailed 
in the kingdom of destruction. 
While a wonder, of course sooner or later 
he had to be beaten!" 

"So he crowed about corpses," 
said the fox, "but that braggart 
should've sat down and shut up; 
the two hundred enemies over which he triumphed 
were just sheep and donkeys, 
and there was one enemy that brought him down, 
which was the first bull that he even dared to attack."

5. The Water Snake

Authorship

by Gary Bachlund , "The Water Snake", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

a text in German by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781) , "Die Wasserschlange"

Zeus had not ever given frogs another king; 
instead on a quiet log there was a gluttonous water snake.
"Perhaps you could be our king," cried a frog,
"but why do you devour us?" -- 
"For the reason that, " answered the snake, "you have asked for this." 
"But I haven't asked you," cried one of the frogs, 
that was being devoured with the snake's eyes. 
"No?" said the water snake. "That's even worse. 
So I have to devour you, 
because you haven't asked me to."

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