Heinrich Heine - Germany. Winter's Tale

The famous satirical poem by the “last romantic” of German literature, Heinrich Heine, was published in 1844. The stanzas, full of bitter humor, sharp satire and genuine patriotism, are the fruit of the poet’s journey from France to his homeland in 1843. In Prussia, the poem was immediately banned, in other German states it was published with censorship abbreviations. The translation by Yuri Tynyanov (1894-1943) is being republished for the first time since 1934. Tynyanov’s translation presented in this edition has stood the test of time and remains the best Russian version of the poem. This is not surprising: Yuri Nikolaevich Tynyanov worked a lot on the work of the German romantic; as you know, he authored a solid study of Tyutchev and Heine. He managed to convey what previous translators could not: ironic intonation, richness of semantic and lexical shades. He used some successful discoveries of his predecessors, he creatively borrowed from Mayakovsky’s poetry a free, relaxed manner of communicating with fellow poets and...

Read completely

Hide

Heinrich Heine. Germany. Winter's Tale

The action of the poem takes place in the autumn-winter of 1843. The poet's lyrical hero leaves cheerful Paris and his beloved wife in order to make a short trip to his native Germany, which he missed very much, and to visit his old sick mother, whom he had not seen for thirteen years.

He entered his native land on a gloomy November day and involuntarily shed tears. He heard his native German speech. A little girl with a harp sang a mournful song about a sorrowful earthly life and heavenly bliss. The poet proposes to start a new joyful song about heaven on earth, which will soon come, because there will be enough bread and sweet green peas and love for everyone. He hums this joyful song because his veins have been filled with the life-giving juice of his native land.

The little one continued to sing a heartfelt song in an out of tune voice, and meanwhile the customs officers were rummaging through the poet’s suitcases, looking for prohibited literature there. But in vain. He prefers to transport all forbidden literature in his brain. When he arrives, he will write. Outwitted the customs officers.

The first city he visited was Aachen, where the ashes of Charlemagne rest in the ancient cathedral. Spleen and melancholy reign on the streets of this city. The poet met the Prussian military and found that in thirteen years they had not changed at all - stupid and drilled dummies. At the post office he saw a familiar coat of arms with the hated eagle. For some reason he doesn't like the eagle.

Late in the evening the poet reached Cologne. There he ate an omelette with ham. I washed it down with Rhine wine. After that I went to wander around Cologne at night. He believes that this is a city of vile saints, priests who rotted in prisons and burned the flower of the German nation at the stake. But the matter was saved by Luther, who did not allow the disgusting Cologne Cathedral to be completed, but instead introduced Protestantism in Germany. And then the poet talked with Rain.

After that, he returned home and fell asleep like a child in a cradle. In France, he often dreamed of sleeping in Germany, because only native German beds are so soft, cozy, and fluffy. They are equally good for dreaming and sleeping. He believes that the Germans, unlike the greedy French, Russians and English, are characterized by dreaminess and naivety.

The next morning the hero set off from Cologne to Hagen. The poet did not get on the stagecoach, and therefore had to use a mail coach. We arrived in Hagen at about three o'clock, and the poet immediately began to eat. He ate fresh salad, chestnuts in cabbage leaves with gravy, cod in butter, smoked herring, eggs, fat cottage cheese, sausage in fat, blackbirds, goose and suckling pig.

But as soon as he left Hagen, the poet immediately became hungry. Then a nimble Westphalian girl brought him a cup of steaming punch. He remembered Westphalian feasts, his youth and how often he found himself under the table at the end of the holiday, where he spent the rest of the night.

Meanwhile, the carriage entered the Teutoburg Forest, where the Cherus prince Herman in 9 BC. e. dealt with the Romans. And if he had not done this, Latin morals would have been implanted in Germany. Munich would have its Vestals, the Swabians would be called Quirites, and Birch-Pfeiffer, a fashionable actress, would drink turpentine, like the noble Romans, who had a very pleasant smell of urine from it. The poet is very glad that Herman defeated the Romans and all this did not happen.

The carriage broke down in the forest. The postman hurried to the village for help, but the poet was left alone in the night, surrounded by wolves. They howled. In the morning the carriage was repaired, and it sadly crawled on. At dusk we arrived in Minden, a formidable fortress. There the poet felt very uncomfortable. The corporal interrogated him, and inside the fortress it seemed to the poet that he was in captivity. At the hotel he couldn’t even get a piece of food down his throat at dinner. So he went to bed hungry. He was haunted by nightmares all night. The next morning, with relief, he got out of the fortress and set off on his further journey.

In the afternoon he arrived in Hanover, had lunch and went sightseeing. The city turned out to be very clean and sleek. There is a palace there. The king lives in it. In the evenings he prepares an enema for his elderly dog.

At dusk the poet arrived in Hamburg. Came to my home. His mother opened the door for him and beamed with happiness. She began feeding her son fish, goose and oranges and asking him sensitive questions about his wife, France and politics. The poet answered everything evasively.

The year before, Hamburg had suffered a great fire and was now being rebuilt. There are no more streets there. The house in which, in particular, the poet first kissed the girl was gone. The printing house in which he printed his first works disappeared. There was no town hall, no Senate, no stock exchange, but the bank survived. And many people died too.

The poet went with the publisher Kampe to Lorenz's cellar to taste excellent oysters and drink Rhine wine. Kampe is a very good publisher, according to the poet, because it is rare that a publisher treats its author to oysters and Rhine wine. The poet got drunk in the cellar and went for a walk through the streets. There he saw a beautiful woman with a red nose. She greeted him, and he asked her who she was and why she knew him. She replied that she was Hammonia, the patron goddess of the city of Hamburg. But he didn’t believe her and followed her into her attic. There they had a pleasant conversation for a long time, the goddess prepared tea with rum for the poet. He, lifting the goddess’s skirt and placing his hand on her loins, swore to be modest both in word and in print. The goddess blushed and uttered complete nonsense, such as the fact that the censor Hoffmann would soon cut off the poet’s genitals. And then she hugged him.

The poet prefers to talk with the reader about further events of that night in a private conversation.

Thank God, the old bigots are rotting and gradually dying. A generation of new people with a free mind and soul is growing. The poet believes that young people will understand him, because his heart is immeasurable in love and immaculate, like a flame.

Bibliography

To prepare this work, materials from the site http://briefly.ru/ were used

Autumn-winter 1843. The poet's lyrical hero leaves cheerful Paris and his beloved wife in order to make a short trip to his native Germany, which he missed very much, and to visit his old sick mother, whom he had not seen for thirteen years.

The carriage broke down in the forest. The postman hurried to the village for help, but the poet was left alone in the night, surrounded by wolves. They howled. In the morning the carriage was repaired, and it sadly crawled on. At dusk we arrived at Minden, a formidable fortress. There the poet felt very uncomfortable. The corporal interrogated him, and inside the fortress it seemed to the poet that he was in captivity. At the hotel he couldn’t even get a piece of food down his throat at dinner. So he went to bed hungry. He was haunted by nightmares all night. The next morning, with relief, he got out of the fortress and set off on his further journey.

The poet went with the publisher Kampe to Lorenz's cellar to taste excellent oysters and drink Rhine wine. Kampe is a very good publisher, according to the poet, because it is rare that a publisher treats his author to oysters and Rhine wine. The poet got drunk in the cellar and went for a walk through the streets. There he saw a beautiful woman with a red nose. She greeted him, and he asked her who she was and why she knew him. She replied that she was Hammonia, the patron goddess of the city of Hamburg. But he didn’t believe her and followed her into her attic. There they had a pleasant conversation for a long time, the goddess prepared tea with rum for the poet. He, lifting the goddess’s skirt and placing his hand on her loins, swore to be modest both in word and in print. The goddess blushed and uttered complete nonsense, such as the fact that the censor Hoffmann would soon cut off the poet’s genitals. And then she hugged him.

The poet prefers to talk with the reader about further events of that night in a private conversation.

Option 2

The events of the work take place in 1843 on the territory of modern Germany. The lyrical hero of the story decides to leave his previous place of residence in France and for some time return to his native Germany, where he was born and raised, and where he has a mother, whom the hero has not seen for about thirteen years.

For the first time, after a long absence, he entered his native land in November and, hearing German speech, involuntarily shed tears. A very young girl with a harp was humming a song, the motive of which darkened the poet, and he invites the little girl to remake the song so that everyone around her would have more fun, because life is slowly getting better.

When passing the customs border, his suitcases were turned upside down. Customs officers searched for smuggled literature, but their efforts were in vain. The poet always carried all the forbidden literature with him, in his head.

The first city visited in Germany was Aachen, where the ashes of Charlemagne rest in the ancient cathedral. In thirteen years, almost nothing has changed here: the military, in his opinion, remains just as stupid, the same hated eagle hangs at the post office, and there are very few people on the streets.

The hero left Aachen that same day and was in Cologne in the evening. Having eaten his fill, an idea comes into his head to walk around the city at night. He did not like this city, because, as it seemed to him, it was here that the flower of the German nation was burned at the stake, and the priests and saints were to blame for this. He decides to clear his thoughts and feelings by sitting on the banks of the Rhine. After a walk in the fresh air, he immediately fell fast asleep in his bed. Finally, his dream came true; for a very long time he wanted to sleep in a warm and soft German bed.

At sunrise he continued on his way and the next stop was planned in the city of Hagen. The road was not close, and he had to get there by carriage. Upon arrival at the place, the fairly exhausted poet immediately started eating lunch: he ate fresh salad, chestnuts in cabbage leaves with gravy, cod in oil, smoked herring, eggs, fat cottage cheese, sausage in fat, blackbirds, goose and pig. But as soon as he left this town, he immediately remembered the Westphalian feasts, and how recklessly he spent his time in his youth.

In the Teutoburg Forest, his carriage broke down, the postman hurried to the village for help, and the poet was left alone with the wolves in the forest. In the morning they managed to fix the breakdown and by evening they had already arrived in Minden, a formidable fortress. He felt “out of place” here. Immediately upon arrival, he was given an unpleasant interrogation. For the whole day he ate almost nothing and in the morning he set off hungry.

By noon the carriage with the hero arrived in Hanover. The poet immediately remembered this lovely city for its cleanliness and well-groomed appearance. Of all the sights in the city, the king's palace made the greatest impression on him. His stay here was not long and by evening he finds himself in his native Hamburg. His mother opened the door for him and for a long time she could not believe her happiness. All day she fed her boy various fish, goose and oranges, and did not forget to ask him about his wife, France and politics, but in order not to upset his old mother, the poet tried to give evasive answers to all questions. The only thing that upset him was that after a big fire in the city, places dear to his heart burned down: the printing house where his first works were printed and the houses where he first kissed the girl.

After drinking with his old friend, the hero went for a walk through the streets and met a beautiful girl there, with whom he spent the rest of the night. The author prefers not to remember further events.

(No ratings yet)

Other writings:

The Winter's Tale Act I From a conversation between two nobles, it becomes known that the King of Bohemia, Polixenes, came to visit his childhood friend, the King of Sicily, Leontes. They were raised together as boys, and it was then that the roots of their friendship arose. When the kings matured, sovereign concerns Read More ......
Atta Troll This poem by Heinrich Heine tells the story of a bear named Atta Troll. The action begins in 1841 in the small resort town of Coteret in the Pyrenees, where the lyrical hero was vacationing with his wife Matilda, whom he affectionately calls Juliet. Their Read More......
Winter road Amazing and fabulous Russian winters excited the souls of all great writers. Prickly, frosty air, white flakes of fluffy snow, ornate patterns on the glass windows and the creaking sound of a sleigh. Charming winters inspire many poets in our time. However, no one Read More......
The Tale of Tsar Berendey Once upon a time there lived Tsar Berendey, he was married for three years, but had no children. The Tsar once inspected his state, said goodbye to the Tsarina and remained away for eight months. The ninth month was coming to an end when, approaching the capital, he took a rest Read More......
The Tale of Tsar Saltan Tsar Saltan is the main character of Pushkin's fairy tale, created by the writer based on a story told to the poet by his nanny. The image of Saltan, ideal from all sides, can be called the personification of the dreams of the Russian people, a father - a priest. This king can, without any Read More......
The Tale of the Golden Cockerel In “The Tale of the Golden Cockerel,” Pushkin depicted the life of the Russian people, their naive feelings and deceit, deception and truth. Created in the best traditions of folk art, the fairy tale is decorated with the free and flexible style of the writer. It attracts the reader with its simplicity Read More......
The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Heroes A. S. Pushkin is the author of many fairy tales, poems and poems. One of the great creations of the master of the pen is “The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights.” The author talks about what kind of enmity there is Read More......
Pasternak’s poem “Winter Night” has a double date – 1913 and 1928. In my opinion, this speaks to the significance of this work for the poet, to which he returned fourteen years later. Compositionally, “Winter Night” can be divided into three parts: introduction, main Read More ......

Summary Germany. Heine's Winter's Tale

GERMANY. WINTER'S TALE Poem (1844) The action takes place in the autumn - winter of 1843. This is, in fact, a political poem. Although it is mainly devoted to eating omelettes with ham, geese, ducks, cod, oysters, oranges, etc. and drinking Rhine wine, as well as healthy sleep.

The poet's lyrical hero leaves cheerful Paris and his beloved wife in order to make a short trip to his native Germany, which he misses very much, and to visit his old sick mother, whom he has not seen for thirteen years.

He set foot on his native land on a gloomy November day and involuntarily shed tears. He heard his native German speech. A little girl with a harp sang a mournful song about a sorrowful earthly life and heavenly bliss. The poet proposes to start a new joyful song about heaven on earth, which will soon come, because there is enough bread and sweet green peas for everyone, and more love. He hums this joyful song because his veins have been filled with the life-giving juice of his native land.

The little one continued to sing a heartfelt song in an out of tune voice, and meanwhile the customs officers were rummaging through the poet’s suitcases, looking for forbidden literature there. But in vain. He prefers to transport all forbidden literature in his brain. When he comes, he’ll write then. Outwitted the customs officers.

The first city he visited was Aachen, where the ashes of Charlemagne rest in the ancient cathedral.

Spleen and melancholy reign on the streets of this city. The poet met the Russian military and found that in thirteen years they had not changed at all - the same stupid and drilled dummies. At the post office he saw a familiar coat of arms with the hated eagle. For some reason he doesn't like the eagle.

But the matter was saved by Luther, who did not allow the disgusting Cologne Cathedral to be completed, but instead introduced Protestantism in Germany. And then the poet talked with Rain.

The next morning the hero set off from Cologne to Hagen. The poet did not have time to catch the stagecoach, and therefore had to use a mail coach. We arrived in Hagen at about three o'clock, and the poet immediately wanted to eat. He ate fresh salad, chestnuts in cabbage leaves with gravy, cod in butter, smoked herring, eggs, fat cottage cheese, sausage, blackbirds, goose and pig.

The carriage broke down in the forest.

The postman hurried to the village for help, but the poet was left alone in the night, surrounded by wolves. They howled.

In the morning the carriage was repaired, and it sadly crawled on. At dusk we arrived in Minden, a formidable fortress.

There the poet felt very uncomfortable. The corporal interrogated him, and inside the fortress it seemed to the poet that he was in captivity. At the hotel he couldn’t even get a piece of food down his throat at dinner. So he went to bed hungry. He was haunted by nightmares all night. The next morning, with relief, he got out of the fortress and set off on his further journey.

At dusk the poet arrived in Hamburg. Came to my home. His mother opened the door for him and beamed with happiness.

She began feeding her son fish, goose and oranges and asking him sensitive questions about his wife, France and politics. The poet answered everything evasively.

The poet went with the publisher Kampe to Lorenz's cellar to taste excellent oysters and drink Rhine wine.

Kampe is a very good publisher, according to the poet, because it is rare that a publisher treats its author to oysters and Rhine wine. The poet got drunk in the cellar and went for a walk through the streets. There he saw a beautiful woman with a red nose.

She greeted him, and he asked her who she was and how she knew him. She replied that she was Hammonia, the patron goddess of the city of Hamburg. But he didn’t believe her and followed her into her attic. There they had a pleasant conversation for a long time, the goddess prepared tea with rum for the poet. He, lifting the goddess’s skirt and placing his hand on her loins, swore to be modest both in word and in print. The goddess blushed and uttered complete nonsense, like the censor Hoffmann would soon cut off the poet’s genitals. And then she hugged him.

The poet prefers to be frank with the reader in a private conversation about the further events of that night.

He entered his native land on a gloomy November day and involuntarily shed tears. He heard his native German speech. A little girl with a harp sang a mournful song about a sorrowful earthly life and heavenly bliss. The poet proposes to start a new joyful song about heaven on earth, which will soon come, because there will be enough bread and sweet green peas and more love for everyone. He hums this joyful song because his veins have been filled with the life-giving juice of his native land.

The little one continued to sing a heartfelt song in a false voice, and meanwhile the customs officers were rummaging through the poet’s suitcases, looking for prohibited literature there. But in vain. He prefers to transport all prohibited literature in his brain. When he arrives, he will write. Outwitted the customs officers.

At dusk the poet arrived in Hamburg. I came to my home. His mother opened the door for him and beamed with happiness. She began feeding her son fish, goose and oranges and asking him sensitive questions about his wife, France and politics. The poet answered everything evasively.

The poet prefers to talk with the reader about further events of that night in a private conversation.