Rideamus Translated

The End!

2009-08-29T16:09:00.000-07:00

That's it, folks - the two-year process that began when Bob stumbled upon this bizarre-looking German book is over. I hope a few people were taking a look at this page. If so, thanks for sticking with me - my output was inconsistent at best. For me, the journey began after my first semester of German and ended after I'd lived in Germany for six months. You'll notice the output picked up a lot this year: turns out, it's easier to translate when you have a decent grasp on the language.

With that in mind, the journey's not over yet. The first year or so's worth of pages need a retranslation, and the whole thing probably needs to be rewritten for smoothness. But I'm proud to have at least gotten through the darn thing.

Finally, a big thanks to everyone who helped me out with words or phrases I couldn't crack. And, silly as it sounds, thanks to Fritz Oliven and the illustrator, Paul Telemann, for making a book well worth translating until the end.

Page 112

2009-07-16T06:24:00.000-07:00

We, you see, haven't yet come quite so far.

[The end.]

Page 111

2009-07-14T07:50:00.000-07:00

You should see me from the back!" -

And he ripped himself violently from the nail
And struck the suitor right in the chest!

And, out of spite, he hit him again in the gut,
And then left the suitor with a dedication:
"In remembrance of your blessed-spent hours!"

And mere moments after he'd injured the terrified suitor
The lieutenant too jumped down in a flash
And, likewise, turned himself around.

And there stood in clear writing: "Dear schnookums,
I kiss you on the ear! - Your True Mitz! - "

With that, Miss Mitzi screamed "The horror!"
And ran out of the room, ashamed.

So too had the suitor dissapeared -
On account of the "blessed-spent hours."

The lieutenant and the banker, however,
laid satisfied on the settee.
And they cried: "We should be friends,
Because, so long as we like,
Both the 2 and 3 dimensional worlds belong to us two,
and we won't let any third in -
Yes!" they both yelled, "so it should be!" -

And the lieutenant threw his arms around the banker's neck,
And the banker the same to the lieutenant.

That is - only the pictures.

In reality -

Page 110

2009-07-13T07:25:00.000-07:00

He was a young editor,
He said: "My angel, I love you so much,
And were you my woman, I would be so happy.
But say, who are those two men?"

"Oh, that," said the girl, "they're just relatives,
The lieutenant above there, that's my cousin,
A good man, but a cretin,
And the fat one, he's my aunt's husband,
A sugar daddy, rich and really quite old
And shaky. - Hopefully he dies soon!" -

Then the suitor clapped his hands together:
"You seem to come out of a good family,
A banker and a lieutenant - how sad! I hate
the members of this favored class!
I, however, will love you just out of pure love,
And if you're a good girl,
You'll be mine today!"

With that, the pictures cried: "That bastard!"

And the lieutenant yelled: "Sir Banker,
I think he's a social democrat!" -

And the fat banker spoke:
"Sir Lieutenant, it seems to me
That this devil is a dirty fiend!"

"Yeah," said the lieutenant, "it's him we should be fighting!"

"Indeed," said the fat banker, "with pleasure!
And if I appear shaky to you from the back, well then, -

Pages 108 and 109

2009-07-12T18:31:00.000-07:00

"Oh," said the banker, "don't be so dumb,
The young miss knows exactly why.
We pay for her rent, shoemaker, and tailor,
It's from us that she has stockings, petticoats, and clothes
And an automobile for ten thousand gulden -
But from you - and I quote - she has 'nothing but debt!'"

"My God!" bellowed the lieutenant, "scandal!
I'll let my original know!
And when he hears that - upon my soul -
He'll confront her and shoot her dead!"

"What?" cried the banker with a livid look,
"What are you going to do, send us an invoice?!
Just be amicable and quiet down,
Or we'll send you a bill,
And it'll amount to twenty million!"

With that, the lieutenant was silent.

And suddenly the banker hushed too.

Then under, on the settee
Sat the sweet Miss Mitzi
with a brand new lover.

Page 107

2009-07-11T07:09:00.000-07:00

In what company I find myself here!
A fat banker with no hair and a paunch!
And she betrays us with you, too.
Just what does she see in a commerce minister?!
My master is a squire and a soldier!
Yes, I'm sadly just his copy -
But -- I disdain you!

Page 106

2009-07-11T06:02:00.000-07:00

And the fat banker spoke: "Oh, misery and horror,
I can't endure this view much longer,
When I see how my master's wife, that shrew, lies
and cheats with your master daily!
And I hang idly by and burst with pain -
And right over the settee!"

And the lieutenant spoke: "Oh, scandal and sin,

Page 105

2009-07-09T06:45:00.000-07:00

The Revenge of the Photographs

They hung together on a wall:
The fat banker and the lieutenant -
In a frame over the settee
of Miss Mitzi vom Variété.

Page 102

2009-07-08T06:10:00.000-07:00

"In the end, you're much stronger than I!
Chin up! You'll surely attain your goal.
You will demolish me! You will triumph!
Just don't lose your guts now!" --
And Satan, beguiled by the siren,
Sprang to his feet in an instant.
"Human," he cried, "did you hear that?
I'm going to vanquish her! She said it herself!
Well now!" he cried, pale with excitement,
"Well now! That's something, at the least!
Well now!" he cried, cheering wildly -- "So!
Here we go again from the top!!!" --

[End of Chapter 4: The Flight.]

Pages 100 and 101

2009-07-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

And then he disappeared with her into the bushes.

The Jew received a gold pass,
That allowed him a two-day entrance into Russia -
Only once per year, and revocable --
And he spoke merrily: "Satan, good sir,
it's actually very beautiful here on earth,
In the end, I'm rightly satisfied
with the result of our travels in the air --

And concerning the meaning of life --
We shouldn't always speak so often of it!
We simply can't know!" he yelled anxiously:
"Maybe someone went into the box once
And that someone - pulled it out!" --

And he swung his pass happily
And toddled off.

But Satan
Threw himself to the ground and lashed at the stars:
"Now I know," he yelled, "how this world
holds itself together with its squeaky hinges,

It's Hope, that harlot!

And she is unvanquishable on the earth
And forever, as the world turns --
I admit my defeat! I give up!
I'll become a pious hermit!"

And he closed his eyes -- a deadly tired man.

Then Hope floated in quietly
And softly stroked his feverish cheeks:
"Poor friend," she said, consolatory and motherly,

Pages 98 and 99

2009-06-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Doctor Faust got out first and threw himself down
And cried, sniveling, "I'm back on solid ground!"

And the Wandering Jew followed and yelled:
"My dear counselor, what is your bidding?"

But the devil spoke grimly, sneering:
"This is foolish! There's no job for us here!"

"On the contrary!" cried the counselor, "there certainly is!
Excepting you, of course,
because you're a creature that terrifies us --
You, however, worthy Herr Doctor Faust,
I'd like to offer you a life of science
and studies in an academic life.
Of course - I must deny you the chairmanship
of philosophy, much as I hate to, -
Because your ideas are a bit too modern for us --
But I'm happy to appoint you to
to a private professorship in chemistry!"

Doctor Faust ruminated for a moment
Then stroked his ample beard and spoke:
"Man errs as long as he doth strive!"
And his next sentence was remembered forevermore:
"I'm like any man who greedily digs toward riches,
and who's happy when he simply finds earthworms!"¹
And then he accepted the job.

For his part, Don Juan danced a promenade
with a royal maiden
And he looked with happiness upon her full corset
And cried: "I've finally found it again here!
This is truly the meaning of life,
Searching for it up there was silly!"

1: "Wie nur dem Kopf nicht alle Hoffnung schwindet,
Der immerfort an schalem Zeuge klebt,
Mit gier'ger Hand nach Schätzen gräbt,
Und froh ist, wenn er Regenwürmer findet!"
Faust, 602-605

Page 97

2009-06-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

And he snatched at the gearbox with fevered hand,
A rip - and a jolt - and the motor stopped -
And we suddenly began to plummet downward into ruin!

---

But the devil cannot die,
And Hope didn't let us go.

She hovered under us, momentous
And bore us with a gigantic swing,
Until, gradually, the motor
was returned to working order.
It delayed the impact. The machine sank
very slowly and landed soft and flat
not too far from -- Halberstadt.

A balloon race had just taken place there.
And as the spectators saw with their instruments
How high we'd ascended,
These admirers surrounded us in droves,
and greeted us with jubilant compliments,

it helped drive away our bitter emotions a bit.

A government representative approached,
And after a survey of the apparatus
Called to us: "I'd like to buy your machine
for the Royal Prussian Air Force!" -
Here the drama unfolded like a satire:

Pages 95 and 96

2009-06-26T07:04:00.000-07:00

"Give me your hand, my loves,
Come to my castle with me,

There's no strife there,
It's not far from here!"

Lo and behold, Hope and Falsehood,
Their eyes averted by his look and the sound of his voice,
Stared, enthralled at his manly traits -

Satan, snatching with his hand
Seized the box in a fevered frenzy,
Ripped and yanked the lock back and forth --

And then something terrible happened:

The lid sprang open, and the box was - empty!

Empty! Empty! Empty!! Empty!!!
And bleakness and darkness surrounded us on all sides --
And within us, doubt and stupefying horror!
Crushed were all our hopes and ambitions,
No purpose, no meaning, no life's worth ---
And the devil cried out shrilly:
"Now, gentlemen, who's been proven right?
There's no design! No great plan!
We've senselessly labored, slaved away -
Now we're free from every commitment!
Now comes the comedy's last act:
'The meaning of life is -- annihilation!!'

Page 94

2009-06-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

So we flew across deep space.

Heavenly bodies darted past,
The ball we call earth slowly sank,
And we all found ourselves in feverish anticipation.

We climbed silently through the night ---

Then, finally, as the morning was still gray,
A shimmering splendor glimmered far away,
And the devil yelled tremulously: "Look!
Look and grasp it!
We've reached our goal!" And the screws piped,
And the airship hurdled like a bolt
toward the box with screaming might --

But the devil, in his hastiness,
hadn't thought of the two women:
Hope and Falsehood, I mean.
Who were holding true in their watch of the box.
With swords of flame and a magical look
They banished our airship,
And from whichever side we approached,
Their watchfulness held us back,
And the devil began to doubt our chances...

Then Don Juan cried suddenly with proud confidence:
"Here, let me do it! They're women, after all!"
And he pulled his mandolin forth
and belted out in a bright, clear tenor:

Page 93

2009-06-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

"We'll see about that!" said the devil and laughed, then fell silent.

And he sat in the cockpit, and the airship climbed.
And he pulled the lever, and faster and faster
The propeller whizzed and roared.

Page 92

2009-06-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

And whoever manages to unlock this shrine,
Then, for him, the secret meaning of life,
the big "why," the "where to," the "where from,"
all these questions will be unsealed.
He'd become be almost omniscient and omnipotent,
and there, gentlemen -- is where we're going!!!"

And a shudder ran through our souls.
"Oh, the horror!" yelled the eternal Jew, "the horror!
Stop, stop, I'm getting out!"
It made our throats tighten.

But the king of evil just laughed devilishly,
He bent over the machine
And spoke, as if it were a living being:
"Up, my sweet cloudwalker, up!
Up, up, ascend through the heavens,
The higher the flight, the greater the fall,
Up, my sweet, up!

We'll see unfathomable things,
Despair and conquering misery will be combined.
The world will be scattered in the gray of night!
Now say, gentlemen, how do you like the flight?
Speak, Faust, why do you hide your face so anxiously?

But Faust spoke calmly: "I'm not afraid!
Whatever it is guarding the magic shrine,
Must be something so gigantic, immortal,
that space will pluck your poisonous claws from you -
In the end, you've been duped!"

Page 91

2009-06-18T07:15:00.000-07:00

And spoke with proud and wide satisfaction:
"You'll never attain it unless you know the feeling!"¹

But Don Juan yelled, scoffing, "Oh, come on!"
And tipsily emptied his tenth glass,
"The meaning of life? The wise say this:
'Go throw a party, lively and hearty, till all their heads are heated with wine!'²
Even small girls agree!
'And in Spain it was a thousand and three!'"

But the eternal Jew blanched and spoke:
"I don't ponder such things at all:
We live, we die, we're buried --
Everything has its place!"

With that, we saw flames in the eyes of the fiend,
And his mouth and nose twitched as he sneered:
"Phrases," he yelled, "nothing but phrases!
You'll never solve the riddle so.
But I too haven't figured it out,
Despite it plaguing me for ten thousand years --
But soon you'll all become experts!
Because I know now, where we'll find the answer.

Listen! In the middle of space
Hovers a box of pure crystal.
It's surrounded by the sun's rays,
Guarded by Hope and by Falsehood,
It sparkles like a star through the night.
There, locked away, lies the secret!

1: Faust (I, 1, 182)
2: "Finch'han del Vino" - Don Giovanni, Act I, Scene XV

Page 90

2009-06-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

And the Wandering Jew spoke: "For two thousand years
I have traveled through the world
And I've seen all lands, large and small,
Except Russia, where they won't let me in!
And it's supposed to be a beautiful place.
However, this time I'll surely succeed,
Because in a airship, you don't need a passport --
Good sir from Hades,
Couldn't you bring me over the border?"

But the devil tauntingly raised his brow.
"No," he spoke, "we're not going there,
We're flying into the dark, into the unknown!"

"Into the unknown?" spoke Faust, "that makes no sense,
And everything in life must eventually
lead toward sense and a destination!"

"Really?" Satan threw down, sneering,
"Then, tell me, just for example,
This long, eternal trip we call Life:
what kind of sense does it make? -
Give me an answer to this question,
you philosophers and wise gentlemen,
Then I will, and gladly,
Take your to all your destinations!"

And they all fell silent again. A little while passed,
then Faust collected himself and cleared his throat

Pages 88 and 89

2009-06-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

"Indeed," spoke the devil, "my good men,
Where would you like to go?"

"I'd like," spoke Faust, "to go to Greece,
Where whispers of the classic legends wisp about,
The modern is perfectly combined with the antique,
And where I bonded myself with the ghost of Helen!

"God save me from your ghost!"
yelled Don Juan, laughing,
"You're a romantic!
I've had enough of this stony guest.
I'd far rather fly to Spain
To Donna Anna and Elvire --
I'd love to seduce them once more!"

[This isn't the first time Faust and Don Juan have met. In 1828, Christian Dietrich Grabbe wrote a play called Don Juan und Faust, wherein the two legends meet. At the core of the story is the conflict of ideas between the two. This meeting is certainly a reference to the play. Source: Wikipedia.]

Pages 86 and 87

2009-06-15T07:44:00.000-07:00

So we climbed into the sea of air.

And the earth became small. And we climbed and climbed,
And our hearts became full, and we were all silent.
The eternal Jew became somewhat nervous.

"Satan, good sir," he spoke, "please don't get angry,
I apologize if I seem overly curious,
But -- where are we actually going?"

Pages 84 and 85

2009-06-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

The Flight

"My dear sir," said the Devil and stroked his beard,
"I've created an airplane.
We're starting here in the next few seconds.
Accompany me on my flight!"

Four passengers entered the gondola.
In the pilot's seat sat the devil, roaring in the wind,
Then followed these strange passengers:

The first was - Doctor Faust.

And next to him, lounging long across the seats,
Sat Don Juan with a comfortable countenance.
In one arm, a flask of champagne,
in the other, his mandolin.

I hunkered down like a stowaway
in a corner. And next to me
Sat the eternal Wandering Jew.

Page 80

2009-06-12T07:12:00.000-07:00

And he must first have some time to think it over!

And the mother said,

I was a moral ruffian,

And the daughter said,

I was an idiot,
And within a day I'd be written off,
Because, as anyone could see from my actions,
I didn't have a trace of character!

--

And so, once more, I remained single.

(End of Chapter 3: Character.)

Page 79

2009-06-11T06:59:00.000-07:00

"Herr Rideamus, is this true?"

"Indeed!" I called, "it's true, good sir,
As true as I wrote in the play!
And now, now, please tell me:
Do I have character or what?
And may I now hope for your blessing?"

Here the father spoke and became very pale:
"But you're always suddenly so... unbelievable!"

Page 78

2009-06-09T06:57:00.000-07:00

"Yes," I spoke sullenly, "today I'm free,
I've ripped the girl out of my soul,
And this morning I left her!"

The father said that was very noble,
Because I'd been through a moral dilemma
for my ambitions!
Not just on the stage, no, but also in life!

"Do you really mean that?" I yelled, joyously,
"And should I do nothing for the girl?"

"Well now!" yelled the father pacifyingly, "well now!"
And then he spoke in a jesting tone:
"You have, after all, your half million!"

But I responded with a mischievous expression:
"Well, that's just it! I don't really have it!

Because of my character, you see,
That was ignited in the flames of the heart!
You'll be amazed! Listen:

The girl was poor and destitute.
And to assuage her pain,
And so she wouldn't be beset with poverty,
I gave her, with my bleeding heart,
All of my royalties!"

Here the father spoke with ruffled hair:

Page 77

2009-06-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

It cost me a lot personally, lovely gentlemen,
I wrote it though blood, sweat, and tears,
It's a play full of soul that pulls on your heartstrings,
because, the story - I lived it all!" -

"It can't be!" said the daughter, excited,
"Are you a lieutenant too?"

"No," I said, "I'm not, sadly, not yet,
But the rest is true:
I also loved a girl of the common class!"

"Stop!" said the father,

"That has no place here!"

But the daughter said it wasn't a problem for her
because I was, after all, a poet.
She just wanted to know one thing,
"Whether it was over and done with?"

Pages 75 and 76

2009-06-03T07:50:00.000-07:00

Just once more from behind, quietly, almost silently,
Sounds "Bubi and Schatzi," in a heartwarming manner,
And then falls the curtain, and that is the end!

--

Here I stopped. And the whole circle was silent.
And a voice, deeply touched, quietly, almost silently,
Flew thew the room -
"A genius."

Finally, the stunned father broke
the stunned silence
with a thunderous exclamation: - "Good God!
Good God, what a play!
It's an absolutely delightful work!
It's even better than 'Old Heidelberg!'"

And now it came from all sides.
The father said, "you're a giant!"
Then he spoke shrewdly to the publisher:
"That is art, Herr Schmidt, you can't dispute it!"

But the publisher screamed, exasperated, "What?!
You call this art and poetry?!
Oh, no!" he cried, and snatched my notebook,
"This is more than a work of art! This is a business!!
This is a business! This will play
easily on over 300 stages!!
This will bring maybe half a million!!!"

"Great Scott!" yelled the father in a screeching tone,
"You could live like a noble!
I wouldn't even need to pay a dowry!
Is this possible!?!" - However, I responded coolly:
"Don't you think that's going a little far?

Pages 73 and 74

2009-06-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

And he dresses himself, and stands at the window,
And from above, he yells:

"Ignoble traitors!"

And from under, the crowd cries:
"The high Kasimir Peter!"

And suddenly, the revolution comes to an end.
Flames of excitement reach to the heavens,
And Prince Kasimir takes the throne! -

The girl, however, breaks down, sobbing.

Page 72

2009-06-01T12:18:00.000-07:00

What use is a proud destiny?"

She sings it quietly, she sings it from her heart,
And afterward, she sings "Bubi, Schatzi!"
With that, the prince opens his eyes
and asks with a broken voice, "where am I?"

But barely after recognizing his beloved,
He shouts, "No one will call me a liar!"
And he tries to rip the fresh bandages
from his bloody wound.

Mathilde, however, cannot endure it.
She cries, "You belong to the fatherland,
I'm just a mere common girl,
Be free, my love! I relinquish thee!"

And she kisses him once more with quivering mouth.

Page 71

2009-05-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

The third act
takes place two days later.
Prince Kasimir lies in his father's castle.
He lies in bed with a high fever,
And a quiet melancholy lies over him.
The doctors have given up on him,
They give him just a short time,
Only a miracle could save his life.
Now - when the crisis is at its worst,
In she comes, in deep sadness - Mathilde,
And everyone yields to her, awestruck,
And she bends down over him, smiles gently
And she sings:

"What use are millions?

Page 70

2009-05-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

With that, the group was ripped from their stillness.
The aunt, Amalie, yelled, "No, please, no!
Don't let it be the end! I have to scream!
And it's a tragedy! -
No! It's too much for my nerves!"

But the father stayed dignified and proper.
"You dumb cow!" he yelled, chagrined,
"There's still a third act,
He's got you totally hooked!"

Page 68 and 69

2009-05-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

But I yelled, "He doesn't do either!!!

He proceeds as a man and as a knight,
His eyes explode with a flood of tears:
"Mathilde," he yells, "forgive me!"

Then he pulls a revolver forth.

And his voice clings, muffled and hollow,
And his heart melts and becomes soft as butter:

"Live well!" he yells, full of pain,"live all ye well!

Live well, beloved father! Give my best to mother!

Live well, my hard-earned fatherland,

Live well, my sweet love from the beach of the Neckar,

Live well, my l0ve,

Live well, Yellow - Green - Red!"

And then sounds a shot.

And then he is dead!

And, you see,

So ends the second act!

Pages 66 and 67

2009-05-28T03:24:00.000-07:00

Here said the men:

The responsibility comes first
And he must, as a man, suffer for the fatherland! -

But the women responded with one voice, as in a choir:
He must choose love!

Page 65

2009-05-28T03:14:00.000-07:00

"I cannot!" he called with undulant breast.
But the father spoke adamantly, "you must!"

And that is the climax of the play!! --

"Good God!" everyone yelled, choked up from excitement,
"That's a colossal conflict!"

"Yes indeed!" I said, proud and exalted,
"A bigger conflict does not exist!
This is the conflict between love and responsibility!
It could've been written by Shakespeare himself!"

"So what does the prince do now?" sought everyone, out of breath.
"Does he go? Or does he stay far from the fatherland?"

"Indeed," I said, "ladies and gentlemen,
What would you do in this case?"

Page 64

2009-05-27T14:59:00.000-07:00

"Stop!" said the father with a foreboding feeling,
"Without doubt, here comes something terrible and sad
that tears the two apart!"

"Yes," I said with a strong stir, "so it is!"

And the father spoke, sunk deep in contemplation:
"It's nice, after all, when it comes out how you think!"

"Yes," I said, "in life, things come differently than expected,
but on the stage things are always so familiar." -

So, they hear the trumpet tone.
And there appears the father of the hero
And says with a tremulous tone:
In our land there's a revolution,
and you must take the throne!
The fatherland is calling you. It is your responsibility!"

With that, the blood drains from the prince's face,
He seems himself on the grave of his happiness:

Pages 62 and 63

2009-05-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

"Surely not the mother-in-law!?"

"Naturally," I said, "the mother-in-law!
She was, you see, definitely not in America!!!"

"Hahahaha!" laughed the papa,
so that a flood of tears surged from his eyes,
"You see," he yelled with great hearty amusement,
"You see, there are still points
that are funny - without being offensive!"

"Yeah!" I said. But all this great humor
Simply prepares us, using nice contrast,
for this deeply woeful scene:

The day comes to an end. The sun fades.
The guests gradually leave.
A deep silence lies over the scene.
Only in the background do we hear quiet music.
And from the right comes Kasimir with Mathilde.
"Honey," he calls in happy jest,
"I dedicate this foamy mug to you!"
But Mathilde sighs in melancholy: "Kasimir,
An anxious thought just ran through my heart!
You are a prince from a foreign land,
I am just a common girl,
Never leave me! Promise me!"

"My darling fool!" says Peter Kasimir.

Then he speaks in a manly tone:
"That my wife would call me a liar!
As true as the stars hang in the sky,
We will never be pulled apart!"

Then suddenly, they hear the sound of trumpets,

Page 61

2009-05-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

"Bubi, Schatzi,
Süsses Fratzi,
Kleiner Schelm und Herzensdieb!
Herz'ges Schnucker!
Zeig' die Guckerl,
God, oh God, how great is love!"

--

As the jubilee finally quieted a little,
The father stepped up to me favorably:
"Bravo!" he said, "young man,
I certainly didn't expect that from you!
But what about," he said seriously and sternly,
"the aforementioned humor?"
"Oh," I said, "there's also plenty of that,
You'll soon see some
In the Second Act:
There is, for example, an old major!
He's always in dread of his mother-in-law.
Nevertheless, at one time, he goes to a festival,
Where the guests all ask:
"Hey, old Major,
what's going on here?
Where's your mother-in-law?"
"Haha!" he says, "she's not here!
She's all the way in America!
For once we can have some fun!"

Suddenly, there's a ring. You can hear someone bitching and screaming -
And who, do you think, comes in???

Page 60

2009-05-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

I couldn't go any farther. The group was dancing.
Everyone swayed in a waltz,
And a cousin played - whatever he had - whatever he could -
on the grand piano. And everyone sang along,
some off-key and some on. And the brother-in-law
bellowed, thrilled, "It'll be a hit!!!"

Page 59

2009-05-26T10:16:00.000-07:00

"What use are millions?
What use is a proud destiny?
What use is a life on the throne?
Oh, love, only love is happiness!"

Mathilde cries, but she soon composes herself:
"My love," she calls, "I must repay you,
with one of the most beautiful songs
that we sing in the forests of Vienna!"
And now they both sing in a round,
- It'll be, you see, most likely an operetta: -

"Bubi, Schatzi,
Süsses Fratzi,
Kleiner Schelm und Herzensdieb!
Herz'ges Schnucker!
Zeig' die Guckerl,
God, oh God, how great is love!"

(So, I've chosen not to translate this song. It's basically a bunch of cute pet names.)

Page 58

2009-05-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

Icily still! - With a poisonous look
the proud Serbian pulls back.
And Mathilde and Kasimir stay, alone
And kiss each other long in the shine of the moon.

Mathilde speaks, sobbing: "Oh Kasimir,
You're sacrificing happiness, honor, and wealth for me!"
He, however, burning through with the fire of love,
Answers her with the following song:

Page 57

2009-05-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

They've slipped in here very rudely?!"

But the prince throws his mantle back,
And his familial ornament sparkles brightly!
And he yells, booming and blaring and loud:

"Madame, I am more than an officer,
I am the Prince Peter Kasimir!

And this girl - is my bride!!!"

Page 56

2009-05-25T09:04:00.000-07:00

And therefore, he is now incognito!!!"

"Bravo!" said the papa.
And the daughter spoke feverishly: "Oh, lord!
That is certainly an interesting setting!"

"Furthermore, we have a rich heiress,
The daughter of the neighboring country, a Serb,
She is also in love with the prince,
But she is heartless and cold in character,
And as she notices "him" and the girl,
- she doesn't recognize "him," because he is incognito -
She calls to them with a poisonous look:
"What do these two commoners want?

Pages 54 and 55

2009-05-24T08:58:00.000-07:00

He is -

The prince, heir to the throne, Kasimir Peter,

The son of the king of a distant land!

And he loves -

A girl of the common classes!

Page 53

2009-05-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

"As the curtain rises,
Gleam the crowns -
of seventeen - Prussian - Lieutenants!!"

With this, it suddenly became quiet in our circle.
A low voice whispered:
The opening was exciting and atmospheric!
"Seventeen lieutenants!" shouted someone, "that's enormous!
Are they all in uniform?"

"Naturally!" I explained, measured and cool,
"Except the hero of the story - he is in civvies!"

"Oh God!" yelled the daughter, "oh God, how sad!"

But I said, "That's exactly right!
He is, you see, merely - incognito!"

"Aha!" said the daughter, appeased, "I see!
So in reality, he's also in the military?"

"Pah!" I said, scoffing, "he is much more!!
That is, in the play it comes much later,
But for you, dear audience, I'll tell you now:

Page 52

2009-05-24T08:14:00.000-07:00

At my desk, I seized upon it with great pains,
Gone was all the back-breaking haze.
I began to see with your eyes
And now, I grasp the beauty of art.

So formed this master work, scene by scene.
The play discusses seriousness and humor -
Truth, nobility, goodness, and beauty -
And when you'll allow - I'll read it to you!"

"God forbid!" said the father, indignant.
"Theater this early in the morning!"
Which made the endless row of aunts giggle,
And a publisher was also there,
He wanted to hear it least of all
and let out a giant scream.

I, however, as I simply am,
Didn't let it bother me in the least.
I just chuckled underhandedly
and began in a sharp military manner:

Pages 50 and 51

2009-05-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

And yelled triumphantly:
"Now I've got one!!!"

"What do you have?" yelled the father, appalled.

"I discovered my character!!"
I explained with a beaming, excited face:
"Herr Advisor and Frau Counsel, I thank you!
Listen: Yesterday, I sat alone
until late in the night and tore at my hair.
Then your superb speech came to my mind,
And then it occurred - something miraculous!

Page 49

2009-05-23T05:05:00.000-07:00

We say principally, in fact, that not particulars,
but, rather ideals, are above everything else on earth -

And therefore, nothing can come of this thing!"

With that I was broken. But I got collected myself:
"Herr Advisor and Frau Counsel!" I stammered,
"I know that I'm a miserable creature,
But don't dismiss me because of it!
You can see for yourselves, I'm still so young -
I promise you great improvement!
I will strive to fervently exert myself
and put right your discomfort -
And especially the thing with the character
will be finished in the promptest manner
to your full satisfaction!
Until today, you see, I had none,
But for a long time
I've been in negotiation for one -
and when you wish, good sir - by tomorrow
I can definitely obtain one!

--

The next morning I made a visit.
I only wore my third-best hat
and a pasty tie.
I also had a tiny fleck on my collar
as an outer sign of my good heart -
And under my arm, a blue book.
I swayed in the brightness of an aura

Page 48

2009-05-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

But I don't like what you've got inside!
Your perspectives are too realistic,
To me, your writings are too materialistic.
You depend on the banal and trivial,
You lack totally for ideals!
You have a cool and frosty nature,
That never glows for the noble or beautiful,
In short - you have no character -
I read that in the newspaper.

We ourselves are only adore the beautiful
and the noble! Isn't that right, Helene?"

"Definitely," said the mother, "we're for the Ideal,

Page 47

2009-05-22T17:29:00.000-07:00

And asked the father for his blessing -

But he spoke with a strange smile: "Oho!
You are Herr Rideamus?! You don't say?!"

And then he told me - he was against it!

"You are, namely," he said with a stern face
and looked at me piercingly,
"An outwardly passable young man -

Page 46

2009-05-22T16:47:00.000-07:00

She had also told me, whispering,
She'd read several of my works.

Here she became exceedingly likable.

Later she assured me emphatically,
That she buys everything I write
and hadn't heard of it third-hand,

Here I began to glow with tempestuous love.

And as she finally admitted, blushing,
Her brother was a critic, and her father
Took part in a Berlin theater,
I couldn't control myself any longer,

I rushed double-quick to her parents

Pages 43 and 45

2009-05-22T16:41:00.000-07:00

The Character

My dinner partner had been very nice -
She had peeled me a pear -

Page 42

2009-05-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

I kissed her red mouth,
in trembling wait of hellish penalties.
Then, with great apprehension, I went to bed -
And the next morning - I was healthy!!!

---

Yes! I had completely recovered
and been enlivened thanks to the damsel.
But, sadly, she's gotten married since then.
She'd already been in love, after all.

I met her again after a year's time,
As she'd already been married a long while,
And next to her, enthroned as spouse,
In proud dignity - my specialist!

There, I excused him for all my pains.
We began to congratulate each other.
I didn't share everything, so that
next time, I could consult him again.

(End of Chaper Two.)

Page 41

2009-05-22T15:56:00.000-07:00

we have, you see, a little stomach ache!!!"

The waiter laughed - the staff laughed,
Who the devil knows what they thought!
They attended us, at least, while
we drank, we ate!
Yes, we drank, we ate,
The air was moist and the night became late,
It was an orgy of excess,
A mockery of every sound diet!

"It was an orgy of excess!"
So I yelled, and pulled the damsel very close,
"But we've forgotten one thing!"

The damsel didn't say no and didn't say yes.
But then she yelled, "We're going to free ourselves
from the peril of fate - even if it costs our lives!"

In that hour, we two gave
the ape the killing blow!"

Pages 39 and 40

2009-05-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

"Waiter!" - I yelled - "first eel in jelly,
Then goose liver with truffle puree,
Then three plates of highly stored lobster,
Then ice cream and sweet meats - all smoked!
To drink, bring champagne and Tokayer*,
And after every course, three hard-boiled eggs!
Yes! Three eggs after every course!

(*A pinot gris from German Switzerland.)

Page 38

2009-05-22T10:01:00.000-07:00

I exploded with rage: "Damn you,
you sinister creature!" I screamed with an abrupt blast.
"I'd like to take you by the throat!
Do we have to lose all our happiness to you?!"
"No!" yelled the damsel, "we mustn't!
There's a dull, lank word,
A solace for the frail, and we call it: pity!
But there's also a powerful word,
a refreshment for the strong, and we call it: now!"

And a nameless anger
bubbled up in us - as did a hot desire.
And in this anger, and this desire
we both went - to Hiller.

And our eyes blitzed and burned,
And our hearts stood in flames,

And from the thousand banned foods,
we ordered supper together:

Page 37

2008-12-14T09:27:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-14T08:35:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-14T08:26:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-08T15:02:00.001-08:00

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

2008-12-02T14:09:00.000-08:00

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.

Page 31

2008-08-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

He sat on my lungs,
He tickled me with his beard,
I must have tilted forwards and backwards,
I must have displayed all my sides,
I was spared no humiliation,
And I became ever paler and paler,
And ever more harsh was the torture.
Yet I remained steady and just whimpered:
"I am innocent, Herr Professor!"

Now the specialist perceived
That his horrible efforts were fruitless,
He commanded me again to get up,
Furrowed his brows and resumed:

"Your spleen lies a bit awry,
The liver is too high and the stomach too low,
Also, the large intestine is a little too twisted,
And the small intestine is too straight. In short,
in the threads of your belly,
I find - nothing exceptional!

"Nonetheless, I'd wouldn't like to undertake to
come to a definitive conclusion today.
I must test your stomach internally!
Could you," he shouted with a funny face,
"measure your timing,
so that you eat tomorrow at 12 noon?"

"I could!" I yelled, "but I won't!
If you order me medicine in a beaker,
I will win your favor, truly and honestly -
But if you want me to empty my bowels for you,
Then you'll never see me again!

Page 30

2008-02-28T19:28:00.000-08:00

I lay on a medical bed - undressed -
and next to me stood the specialist.
First his eyes probed me for a fairly long time.
He gazed on my defenseless nakedness -
Then he suddenly slammed both fists a meter into my guts.
"Does it hurt?" he asked.
"No!" I said through watery eyes.
Then I might have said "yes." I wagered
that he might have treated my appendix.
The torture got more and more painful:
He pulled on my throat,

Page 29

2008-02-28T18:51:00.000-08:00

Please sit, good sir! Your name?
Are you old? Were you born in Prussia?
Your birthplace? Your weight?
Are you married or not?
Have you had to much to eat since yesterday?
Do you have any brothers? Any sisters?
Or are you an only son?
Your job? Your religion?
Your home?" and then after a pause,
"Do you lease or own?"
And he painstakingly wrote down my answers.

To what end he asked these questions, I don't know,
But it seemed to me that probably it was
owing to the height of his fees.

Now I wanted to show him my tongue.
But he told me, scowling, to keep quiet,
and said: "You don't have to say anything.
I can see it for myself! You suffer from stomach problems,
vertigo, morbid weakness,
fainting spells, constant vomiting -"

"No, no," I said, quite frightened, in a cheeping tone,
"It's only a mild ailment!"

But he wouldn't hear it:
"Whether mild or terrible," he shouted angrily,
"That's for me to decide!
Follow me! - Remove your clothes!"
I obeyed, trembling. Only too soon
did I feel total and utter misery:
He wished to extort a confession from me,
He guided me - to his torture chamber -

Page 28

2008-02-28T12:58:00.000-08:00

And I had time to practice my smile,
because when I got there, it was half-past one,
and I wasn't due to be there until half-past six!

Finally I joined the back of the line.

I rubbed my cheeks one final time,
as to give the appearance of good health,
then I pranced in.

I bowed while smiling from ear to ear -
And began instantly in a jesting tone:
"A mild ailment---!"

But he didn't pay attention to me.
First he wrote out, in chicken scratch,
the bill for his last patient,

Then he shouted grandly:

"Sit!"

Page 27

2008-02-28T12:48:00.000-08:00

And I had absolutely no appetite for it.
Father Winter approached with his pleasures,
and so a plan welled up in my breast:
I would fool the specialist!

Yes, yes, I would go to him looking my best,
"Always smiling and not confessing!"

Page 26

2008-02-25T11:41:00.000-08:00

And one day they captured me:
"Because the doctors are at a total loss,"
they tied me and dragged me
by force - to a specialist.

---

I had no confidence at the outset:
They look so regal, so cheerless,
They look half like high priests,
half like executioners.

How fine and lovely your personal doctor is!
He always prescribes white bread and fish.
But if you prefer a giblet,
He'll eventually prescribe that as well.

On the other hand, the specialist,
He is a born sadist!
He prescribes you uncomfortable things,
and bans everything you find palatable!
He prescribes a santarium cure,
that takes only two or three months,
But it's at his private clinic,
So the whole affair takes a half year.

Page 25

2007-06-26T18:15:00.000-07:00

Yet the third spoke with a piqued look
In a tone, that I will never forget:

Operating would not remove my ailment,

And furthermore, it held no interest for him!

My one solace in these days

Was that, since I was in such a state,

I was allowed to say so many curse words,

I could say anything I wanted.

It changed my tune back to cheerful and jolly -

But the others suffered under it.

Page 23 and 24

2007-06-09T16:04:00.000-07:00

Dyspeptic.

In the beginning the illness wasn't so bad,

I was likely to recover on my own.

But as my relatives, in herds,

assumed to show their caring -

I began to have stomach troubles.

I lost some pounds. -

Now I absorbed salt from Carlsbad en masse,

guzzled baking soda and seltzer like a fool,

drank castor oil from a saucer -

and my gastric flu was finished!

In this most dire of episodes

I managed, naturally, to have everything go amiss:
I consulted various doctors,

and they all had various methods:

The first had a healing goal

He prescribed me a pink medicine:

The medicine gradually went away,

The gastric flu - that stayed.

The second examined my tongue and pharynx,

Felt my pulse and announced sophisticatedly:

"I declare you completely healthy,

But - come again tomorrow!"

Page 21 and 22

2007-06-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

Dyspeptic.

[Editor's note: Dyspepsia (from the Greek "δυς-" (Dys-), meaning hard or difficult, and "πέψη" (Pepse), meaning digestion) refers to disorders of the stomach involving symptoms such as heartburn, nausea, pain, or general discomfort. From Wikipedia.]

Page 19 and 20

2007-05-28T16:18:00.000-07:00

Thus, if all this did not exist on earth,
What would, exactly - be the purpose of a satirist?!" -

That he spoke, then disappeared into the dark night. -

I was soon red and soon sick,
"Surprised yet again,
I hadn't thought of that! -
Man alive!" this crossed my mind:
"I shouldn't write any more poems?!
And the world ought not to abide satirists?!
That is not possible, that cannot be!"

And in my cheeks I felt my blood rushing,
And I felt a hotness burning in my heart,
"No, no," I shouted out, "I'll admit this:
I have erred! Morality is good!!
It is the holiest of earth's good things,
We all, all live because of it,
hail it and its brave guardian!" -
And off I went with apprehensive steps,
To ask for the lawyer's apology,
And humbly I knocked on his door.

I would speak just like a book

And repentfully grasp his knees -

But he had a lady visitor --

So, regretfully - I wasn't admitted.

[End of chapter 1: The Invention of Morality.]

Page 18

2007-05-22T15:37:00.000-07:00

The newspapers already accuse me so,
I lacked the holy wrath,
But now a way and a goal beckon me!
Smash me if you will, but I must change them!" -

"On the contrary!" said Satan frigidly,
"I value such unselfish action!
Always combat only the false morals,
When your outrage is so high and sincere,
But first deliberate once more,
Whether morality - is actually so bad!

Because of morality the whole world lives,
that is, it holds mankind together.
Because of morality we have both
high and low officers of morality.
Because of morality we have censors,
the noble-born lawyers.
Because of morality we have the common people,
the marriage brokers and newlyweds.
Because of morality we have tenants of virtue,
the fortune hunters, the counsel daughters,
Hypocrites and saps live in good silence,
Falseness and foolishness live - and you live, too! ---

Page 17

2007-05-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

So spoke the devil. - But I began to tremble
as a heroic plan bubbled within.
Never before in my entire life
had this magnificent feeling occurred.
"Satan!" I yelled with a haughty gesture,
"You have measured with great cunning
the egotism of the giants of the world.
But you have forgotten one thing!
One thing, Satan, that you forgot,
That stands here before you in shame and outrage:
The satirist is he, the uncorrupted poet,
He who knows no selfish interests.
He who would reveal your dirty pact!
I want to speak to young and old
and wish to accomplish my high duty.
And wish to hold a mirror up to the world.

I'll bellow in the ear of humankind
And drive them to a spring of genuine truth. -

Page 15/16

2007-05-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

Thus, we created a monopoly
much like tobacco and alcohol,
as the state wore the people out,
with a design - called "wedlock."

The consumer must pay his taxes,
Moreover, he needs a church blessing,
But he can't do it all,
So - he falls into my claws!

The state first deliberated for a while,
Because they are always somewhat sluggish,
The church immediately understood me. -
So we kept humankind in groups:
Taxmen, clerks, and clerics -

And in doing so, I still stand strong!"

Page 14

2007-05-19T18:11:00.000-07:00

So now I sat and lamented long,
And I commenced to rack my poor brain:
"Now, where can I find sinning people?" -
But gradually it began to hit me:
"If man," so I said after a short time,
"Doesn't do what's forbidden,
Then the quick and easy solution:
Forbid what he does! -
Listen well - in this hour,
Whipped up from imperiousness and mental wretchedness,

I invented morality! -

It was a colossal idea!!

Man degenerated into plight instantly,
Descended into conflict and got off track -
Since those old days my rule has thrived,
And claimed millions of subjects!" -

---

My head whirled. Yet diligently
Satan went on: "Every invention has
an initial requirement - the financial foundation.
So I needed a mighty ally.

I betook myself to churches and states
and with them created a triumvirate.
"My good sirs," I said, "I have developed
a phenomenal tax object:
Carnality is the height of life on earth,
This point can be counted on!

Page 13

2007-05-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

"Well, that had long been my desire. --
Thus, I searched for my vassals,
Yet when I looked at this business in the cold light of day,
Then I saw I was lost -
Because sinners didn't yet exist on the earth.
Man, as is generally known, had only two drives:
Sensuality - and appetite;

He had meat and vegetables and love,
so he had an untainted mind.

Pages 9/10/11/12

2007-05-18T07:46:00.000-07:00

"And was born in a holy place
An angel with an innocent lily.

Yet not long could I abide the above,
I could feel that it was unfeasible,

I began to drill and to rummage,

And one day - I flew afar.
I fell off the world and fell into the abyss -
Thankfully, without bodily harm -
And next to me lay a pink slip,
that decreed my disciplinary transfer.

I was appointed the king of the evil.
To lord and rule over the sinners,
over the sacrilegious human beings.

Page 8

2007-05-18T07:06:00.000-07:00

But then he laughed horribly:
"My dear - you overestimate me!
Could I devise something so divinely beautiful,
That I myself needed no longer to flay anyone;
Yet I don't want to torment you any longer with riddles,
It delays me telling anything to you,
And today I'm a bit forthcoming,
So I want to tell you the facts!"

Now he pulled up an aimchair,
Crossed his left leg,
Lit up a cigarette,
Drank a Schnapps and began:

"My dear!"

"My dear,"
continued Satan smilingly,

"You know, I come from a good family...

Page 7

2007-05-17T17:59:00.001-07:00

Frankly, I must admit, I trembled with fear.
Yet the Devil said with a friendly countenance:

"I have examined all that you crave,

and I would serve you with a thousand joys.

Yes, it was virtually an obligation of honor,
To accommodate you, and balm your heart,
But to retrieve morality - that I cannot do!" -
"And why not?" - "Because I devised it myself!"

"You - created morals?" -
"Whoever else?" - "Yes, but you are known throughout the world
as the father of immorality!" -
Then Satan smiled: "They're very connected!"

Page 6

2007-05-17T15:59:00.000-07:00

With that, he went and left me in a state of deep brooding.

I attempted to fathom the purpose of morals.
And couldn't couldn't couldn't find any.
And so I was put into a terrible mood.

"Who has an idea?" I yelled with bitter fierceness.
"Were all these terms created askew?
Who in the world brought them to us?"
And finally I yelled with a threatening voice,
"This stumbling block for beauty and art,
This unclear dishonest haze,
That shrivels our lust for life,
That impairs us and makes us dumb,
That should call forth the devil incarnate!" -

Then sounded an explosion, a crashing tone,
And barely had the word escaped from my mouth,
That he stood before me in person

And asked courteously:

"You called?"

Page 4/5

2007-05-15T16:33:00.000-07:00

"So-", said the attorney,
"On my request, the young bard
was sentenced, because of immoral writings, by the judges
to seven months in prison." -

- And you're pleased about that!?"

"But certainly!" spoke he, "naturally!
Immorality is certainly a sin!"

"Tell me the reasons behind this!"
I yelled in an increasing rage,
"On the contrary, it is beneficial and good!
Rape, theft, slander, perjury and murder
Those are sins that you can see instantly.
Yet the so-called immorality,
The holy well, the procreating force,
That the universe recreates daily,
That endows only salvation and causes no one sorrow.
I am prepared to be charged,
Yet tell me one thing, Mr. Lawyer,
For what, then, is Morality necessary?" -

He balked, but composed himself quickly.

"For what," he shouted after a short period,
"For what is Morality necessary?
Morality is essential on earth,
Because otherwise everything would be immoral!"

Old German Typeface

2007-05-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

Here is a comparison of different old German typefaces. The font on the cover of our book seems to correspond best with Fraktur, especially in the S. Here's a link to the original Wikipedia article I pulled this from.

Title and Other Info

2007-05-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

Hello. With the help of my German professor, I've learned a little more about the book and Rideamus. He writes:

Because it is written in old-german script, it is probably "Die Erfindung der Sittlichkeit" or "The Invention of Morality". Of Fritz Oliven himself, the only information that I could find on him is that he is Jewish, and was a lawyer before he turned to writing. In 1939, he fled Germany for Brazil and died in 1956.

There you have it. Thankfully, the interior pages of the book are not in the old script, and are far easier to read. Also, here is a link to a Rideamus bibliography. Die Erfindung der Sittlichkeit is not present, probably because it is out of print.

Finally, my professor mentioned there isn't a whole lot of information on him, even in German, making me even more excited to embark on this project.

Inaugural Post

2007-05-15T01:02:00.000-07:00

Hello, everybody. This blog was created to chronicle the translation of Die Erfindung der Sittlichkeit, a book written by german lawyer and author Fritz Oliven under the pseudonym Rideamus.

To our knowledge, this is the first english translation of Oliven's work. This project is likely to be long-running, as it is the work of two people, only one of whom speaks german. (At this point, not even the full title of the book has been translated.)

If you are familiar with the work of Oliven, please feel free to comment. New pages will be added as they are translated.