We shook each other’s hands, and some tears In his eye appear’d collecting; He was so pleased to see me once more! The scene was truly affecting.
I found not all, for many a one Had quitted this scene for ever; My Gumpelino,[61] ’mongst others, alas! Was gone, to appear again never.
That noble one had surrender’d his soul To Him by whom it was given, And now had a glorified seraph become In the blissful realms of heaven.
In vain for the crooked Adonis I sought, (Though I look’d in every direction,) Who used to sell pots and pans in the street,-- A very cheap collection.
And Sarras, the trusty dog, was dead, A loss of a serious nature; Friend Campe[62] would sooner have lost a whole host Of writers than this good creature.
The population of Hamburg town Has from time immemorial consisted Of Jews and Christians; ’tis also the case That the latter are rather close-fisted.
The Christians all behave pretty well, And pass their time in clover, And promptly pay their bills of exchange, Ere the days of grace are over.
The Jews are however divided again Into two very different parties; The old one goes to the synagogue, In the temple the new one’s heart is.
The new party eat the flesh of swine, Their manners are somewhat dogmatic; They democrats are, but the older school Is much more aristocratic.
I love the old, and I love the new, Yet I swear by the prophet Jonas That certain fish I love still more,-- Smoked sprats they are commonly known as!
Though as a republic Hamburg was ne’er As great as Venice or Florence, Yet Hamburg has better oysters; one gets The best in the cellar of Laurence.
I went there with Campe at evening time, When splendid was the weather, Intending on oysters and Rhenish wine To have a banquet together.
I found some excellent company there, And greatly was delighted To see many old friends, such as Chaufepié, And new ones, self-invited.
There Wille was, whose very face Was an album where foes academic Right legibly had inscribed their names In the shape of scars polemic.
There Fucks was also, a heathen blind, And personal foe of Jehovah, Who believed but in Hegel, and slightly perhaps In the Venus of Canova.
My Campe was our Amphytrion there, And smiled and enjoy’d the honour; His eye was beaming with happiness, Just like an ecstatic Madonna.