Ach/Last Call

A
Right up to my final hour
I'll be obliging and polite.
Should I hear death firmly knocking,
I'll blithely shout: Come in all right!

What's on the schedule? Dying, is it?
Well, that's something rather new.
But I'm sure that we can swing it,
showing them a thing or two.

What is this? Your hourglass?
Interesting! And good to grasp.
And the scythe is for grim reaping,
did you say? I thought I'd ask.

Which way should I turn from here?
To the left? From where you stand?
Well, all right then. To the graveyard?
Where I take my final hand?

Yes, the glass is out of sand now.
Oh, I see, you want it back.
May I ask you where you got it?
So unusual, all in black.

Is it antique? Oh well, whatever.
I only meant to ask, old chap—
What? No questions? No more talking?
That's fine by me. I'll shut my—

* * *

Ach, noch in der letzten Stunde
werde ich verbindlich sein.
Klopft der Tod an meine Türe
rufe ich geschwind: Herein!

Woran soll es gehn? Ans Sterben?
Hab ich zwar noch nie gemacht,
doch wir werd'n das Kind schon schaukeln—
na, das wäre ja gelacht!

Interessant so eine Sanduhr!
Ja, die halt ich gern mal fest.
Ach—und das ist Ihre Sense?
Und die gibt mir dann den Rest?

Wohin soll ich mich jetzt wenden?
Links? Von Ihnen aus gesehn?
Ach, von mir aus! Bis zur Grube?
Und wie soll es weitergehn?

Ja, die Uhr ist abgelaufen.
Wollen Sie die jetzt zurück?
Gibt's die irgendwo zu kaufen?
Ein so ausgefall'nes Stück

Findet man nicht alle Tage,
womit ich nur sagen will
—ach! Ich soll hier nichts mehr sagen?
Geht in Ordnung! Bin schon
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