Confucius at Reed College

 Confucius attends a German class at Reed College* 

Heine himself lectured and read at Reed in 1998.

Confucius accompanies his nephew (75 times removed) to a German class at Reed College. The class under Herr Gruber is reading and discussing Heine’s Ich wollte, meine Lieder, “I wish my songs.”

     Herr Gruber reads the poem.

                    Ich wollte, meine Lieder

                    Das wären Blümelein:

                    Icht schickte sie zu riechen

                    Der Herzallerliebster mein.

                    Ich wollte, meine Lieder

                    Das wären Küsse fein:

                    Ich schickt’ sie heimlich alle

                    Nach Liebchen’s Wängelein.

                    Ich wollte, meine Lieder

                    Das wären Erbsen klein:

                    Ich kocht’ eine Erbsensuppe,

                    Die sollte köstlich sein.**

The discussion takes place in German, which, though he has learned to get around in English, Confucius knows not at all.

     Afterward, he asks his grand, grand, grand etc. nephew, “Who this Heine was, a philosopher?”

     “No,” the nephew responds, “just a poet.”

 05.04.20

_______________

 *  “Confucius in America, 1968” begins here.

** A very free translation by my friend Rick Dietrich:

I wish my songs were scent,

sent to tickle my sweet love’s nose.

I wish my songs were breeze,

blown to nibble my sweet love’s cheeks.

I wish my songs were peas.

I’d cook them into a scrumptious soup.