Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Alfred Brendel

6

No
it wasn’t the cook
and don’t let’s blame the gardener
still less the lady’s maid
least of all Griffiths
the butler
despite his haggard look
On no account
should we consider the corgies
who have
admittedly
mutilated a number of toddlers before
As for the farm manager
a self-declared gipsy
he had joined his family for dinner
in their caravan
miles away
Finally
any personal involvement of our host
may safely be discounted
since his Lordship is equipped
with only one leg
A statue in the vegetable garden
will remind us for ever
of the sorry affair

6

Nein
die Köchin war es nicht
auch der Gärtner
kann es nicht gewesen sein
noch weniger
denken wir an die Zofe
ganz zu schweigen von Griffith
dem Butler
obgleich dessen Gesicht
einen verkniffenen Zug aufweist
Keinesfalls wollen wir die Corgies verdächtigen
die
es läßt sich nicht leugnen
bereits mehrere Kinder und Halbwüchsige
auf beklagenswerte Weise verstümmelt haben
Selbst der Gutsverwalter
ein Zigeuner
weilte zur Tatzeit
meilenweit entfernt
im Wohnwagen seiner Familie
Vollends die Annahme
es möchte der Hausherr persönlich
in die Affäre verwickelt sein
dürfen wir
da ihre Lordschaft nur ein Bein haben
als Verleumdung zurückweisen
Ein Gedenkstein
wird im Gemüsegarten
an das traurige Ereignis erinnern
Close

6

No
it wasn’t the cook
and don’t let’s blame the gardener
still less the lady’s maid
least of all Griffiths
the butler
despite his haggard look
On no account
should we consider the corgies
who have
admittedly
mutilated a number of toddlers before
As for the farm manager
a self-declared gipsy
he had joined his family for dinner
in their caravan
miles away
Finally
any personal involvement of our host
may safely be discounted
since his Lordship is equipped
with only one leg
A statue in the vegetable garden
will remind us for ever
of the sorry affair

6

No
it wasn’t the cook
and don’t let’s blame the gardener
still less the lady’s maid
least of all Griffiths
the butler
despite his haggard look
On no account
should we consider the corgies
who have
admittedly
mutilated a number of toddlers before
As for the farm manager
a self-declared gipsy
he had joined his family for dinner
in their caravan
miles away
Finally
any personal involvement of our host
may safely be discounted
since his Lordship is equipped
with only one leg
A statue in the vegetable garden
will remind us for ever
of the sorry affair
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