Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Alfred Brendel

When Mozart was murdered

When Mozart was murdered
no one
not even Haydn
would have guessed
that it was Beethoven
who had committed the wicked deed
During an outing
while Mozart
exhausted from playing leapfrog
was resting in the grass
Beethoven
disguised as Salieri
approached
slinking like a tomcat
and trickled poison
into Mozart’s matchless ear

At this point
it should be mentioned
that there was
in Beethoven’s life
a closely guarded secret
Beethoven was BLACK
and Mozart had FOUND OUT
After one of Beethoven’s wondrous improvisations
Mozart
had whispered to Süssmayr
Not bad for a nigger
Now there he lay
with poison racing through his veins
Laughing grimly
the culprit sneaked away
in full possession of the key of C minor
which
from now on
would be his

When Mozart was murdered

Als Mozart ermordet worden war
ahnte niemand
nicht einmal Haydn
daß kein Geringerer als Beethoven
die ruchlose Tat begangen hatte
Während einer Landpartie
da Mozart
vom Bockspringen ermüdet
im Grase ruhte
näherte sich Beethoven
als Salieri verkleidet
mit der Geräuschlosigkeit einer Katze
und träufelte dem Schöpfer der Kleinen Nachtmusik
Gift ins Ohr

An dieser Stelle wäre einzuflechten
daß es im Leben Beethovens
ein gut gehütetes Geheimnis gab
Beethoven WAR EIN NEGER
und Mozart HATTE ES BEMERKT
Nach einem von Beethovens berühmten Forte-
piano-Vorträgen
hörte man Mozart halblaut zu Süßmayr sagen
Für an Nega spülta netamoi schlecht
Nun lag er da
und das Gift gluckste in ihm
Grimmig in sich hineinlachend
schlich der junge Übeltäter davon
im festen Besitz der Tonart c-moll
die ihm
von dieser Stunde an
keiner mehr streitig machen würde
Close

When Mozart was murdered

When Mozart was murdered
no one
not even Haydn
would have guessed
that it was Beethoven
who had committed the wicked deed
During an outing
while Mozart
exhausted from playing leapfrog
was resting in the grass
Beethoven
disguised as Salieri
approached
slinking like a tomcat
and trickled poison
into Mozart’s matchless ear

At this point
it should be mentioned
that there was
in Beethoven’s life
a closely guarded secret
Beethoven was BLACK
and Mozart had FOUND OUT
After one of Beethoven’s wondrous improvisations
Mozart
had whispered to Süssmayr
Not bad for a nigger
Now there he lay
with poison racing through his veins
Laughing grimly
the culprit sneaked away
in full possession of the key of C minor
which
from now on
would be his

When Mozart was murdered

When Mozart was murdered
no one
not even Haydn
would have guessed
that it was Beethoven
who had committed the wicked deed
During an outing
while Mozart
exhausted from playing leapfrog
was resting in the grass
Beethoven
disguised as Salieri
approached
slinking like a tomcat
and trickled poison
into Mozart’s matchless ear

At this point
it should be mentioned
that there was
in Beethoven’s life
a closely guarded secret
Beethoven was BLACK
and Mozart had FOUND OUT
After one of Beethoven’s wondrous improvisations
Mozart
had whispered to Süssmayr
Not bad for a nigger
Now there he lay
with poison racing through his veins
Laughing grimly
the culprit sneaked away
in full possession of the key of C minor
which
from now on
would be his
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