Page 37

Before us beckoned the malicious thing,
waving at us with taunting paws from a hotel sign.

In one of the paws was an engagement ring,
in the other - a bundle of doctor's orders.

Page 36

The last embers of the evening sun
crept behind her luminous gold hair.
My soul grimly doffed his hat
and said to the damsel:

"Somewhere in the underworld
Lives a treacherous, spiteful ape.
He is expressly engaged in
giving us misery and worries.
If we have a mere glance at happiness,
he rips this pleasure away from us,
and he gives us the most amazing luck,
at times when we can't make use of it.

For a week I've searched for you, heavenly maiden;
your face came to me in my dreams -
But - to meet you today! Today, of all days!" -
And I told her of my sorrows.

The damsel staggered backward with a pained countenance,
"The ape also worked his ways on me.
I too would love to go out with you,
But yesterday I became engaged!"

--

So we walked alongside the linden trees,
With a sad gaping hole between us.
Then around us clanged a happy and festive noise,
and before us danced the ape!

Pages 34 and 35

Now I only had a soul.

As this peevish and ponderous
soul fluttered home with hope,
it met a blonde damsel,
whom it already knew from before.

Page 33

The door fell shut and I fell to my knees.

"Beware of all excesses!" -

Ladies and gentlemen, can you comprehend
the immensity of this prohibition?!

He'd banned me from wine, liquor, and tobacco,
he'd banned me from all my indulgences.
And now this final, most intense blow -
I felt eviscerated.

My guts were empty and my heart was empty,
and my belly was free of earthly indiscretions.
I had absolutely nothing left -

Page 32

And look, that worked. The specialist
saw, for good or ill, that he had to comply.
But a cruel thirst for vengeance
was reflected in his movements:
on a large sheet of paper
he wrote the names of a hundred delicacies:
"All these," he said, sneering at me,
"you may not eat or drink!
Furthermore, avoid alcohol,
refrain from smoking,
and, of course, stay away from any smoked meats!
Finally" - he seethed with vengeance -
"Please don't forget the most important point:

Beware of all excesses!!!"

And slammed the door behind me.