The Lament of Corporal Schnapps
by Henry Clay Work
Mine heart ish proken into little pits,
I tells you, friend, what for;
Mine schweetheart, von coot patriotic kirl,
She trives me off mit der war.
I fights for her, der pattles of the flag.
I schtrikes to prove as I can;
Put now long time she nix remempers me,
And coes mit another man.
Ah! mein fraulein!
You ish zo ferry unkind;
You coes mit Hans to Zhermany to live,
And leaves poor Schnapps behind.
I march all tay, no matter if der schtorm
Pe worse ash Moses' flood;
I lays all night, mein head upon a schtump
And "sinks to schleep" in der mud.
Der nightmare comes, I catch him ferry pad
I treams I schleeps mit der Ghost
I wakes next morning frozen in der cround
So schtiff as von schtone post.
Ah! mein fraulein!
You ish zo ferry unkind;
You coes mit Hans to Zhermany to live,
And leaves poor Schnapps behind.
They kives me hart-pred, tougher as a rock
It almost preaks mine zhaw;
I schplits him sometimes mit an iron wedge
And cuts him up mit a saw.
Dey kives me peef, so ferry ferry salt
Like Sodom's vife, you know;
I surely tinks dey put him in der prine
Von hundred years aco.
Ah! mein fraulein!
You ish zo ferry unkind;
You coes mit Hans to Zhermany to live,
And leaves poor Schnapps behind.
Py'n py we takes von city in der South
Ve schtays there von whole year,
I kits me sourkraut, much as I can eat,
And blenty lager bier.
I meets von lady repel in der schtreet
So handsome effer I see;
I makes to her von ferry callant pow
Put ah! she schpits on me.
Ah! mein fraulein!
You ish zo ferry unkind;
You coes mit Hans to Zhermany to live,
And leaves poor Schnapps behind.
"Hart times!" you say, "What for you folunteer?"
I tolt you, friends, what for:
Mein schweetheart, von coot patriotic kirl,
She trove me off mit der war.
Alas! Alas! Mein bretty little von
Vill schmile no more on me
Put schtill I fights der pattles of te flag
To set mein countries free.
Ah! mein fraulein!
You ish zo ferry unkind;
You coes mit Hans to Zhermany to live,
And leaves poor Schnapps behind.
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