O who will slake the Devil's thirst?
O who will bring me Bread and Wine?
Who was it first that ever cursed
And turned the Angels into swine?
A demon black who stands aloof
A horned matron with her veils
A Virgin with a cloven hoof
A nixie with twin tails
Medusa with her serpent hair
Vile Scylla with her monstrous pups
An outsize toad, a smiling bear,
The Knave of Hearts with all his cups
My Lord Archbishop, sly and cruel,
Who leads me to the sacrifice
A sorceress with a poisonous jewel
A hermit picking at his lice
A serpent nailed upon the Cross
A harlot weeping in her hair
Urchins who play at pitch and toss
Beneath the cold Mother's stare
These healing figures haunt my dreams
Curdle my blood with ice-cold fear
They hang me from the highest beams
And quench my fevers with their leer
O who will slake the Devil's thirst?
O who will bring me Bread and Wine?
Who was the first that ever cursed
And turned the Angels into swine?
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem