AND WINE MAKING. 261 







CHAPTER LVL 



WINE SONGS. 



"Wine maketh glad the heart of man." Can it sur- 

 prise us, therefore, if all nations which produce it have 

 had their poets who glorified it in song, and that sing- 

 ing and merriment prevail during the vintage ? But 

 none has more of them than Germany, the fatherland of 

 song ; while America, the coming Wineland, is singu- 

 larly deficient in this respect. Let us hope that, when 

 good wine is more appreciated than it has been so far, 

 some of our poets will also immortalize it in song. My 

 poetic vein has long ceased to flow, or I would try. But 

 at the end of a book devoted to grape culture and wine 

 making, I cannot forego the pleasure of attaching a few 

 translations of German songs, nearly as good as the orig- 

 inal in their quaint humor and deep meaning. 



FATHER NOAH, THE FIRST WINE GROWER. 



1. When Noah left his floating frame, 

 Our Lord to Father Noah came. 

 He prized his pious offering, 



And said, " Thou'st done a goodly thing, 



And to reward thy piety, 



Thou may'st e'en choose a boon from me." 



2. Then to the Lord old Noah said, 



" The water now tastes rather had, 



The whilst there have been drowned therein 



All beasts and mankind in their sin. 



'Tis therefore, Lord, I even think 



I should prefer some other drink." 



9. Thereat the Lord to Eden went, 



And brought him thence the grapevine's plant, 

 And gave him counsel and advice 

 To tend this shrub of Paradise, 

 And bade him nurse it carefully. 

 It pleased old Noah wondrously. 



