1.

In those years in which practical

Reasoning just doesn’t count for much,
I Had the same fire,
I was just as crazy,
But now I am not.
For a time and Tribulations,
Lady Phlegm came to me
And she drove the whims and distrust
Out of my head.
To a small dwelling Place
She took me with her one day,
And, taking down from the wall of the
Peaceful place was the skin of a donkey.
“Take it,” she said “oh dear son.”

Then she disappeared and she left me.

While I stand silent staring at the gift
The sky becomes cloudy; it thunders;
Mixed with hailstorms the rain begins to
Pour so I cover myself with the cloak of
Donkey which she gave me
The storm Ends;
I take but two steps and a wild
Horrible Beast approaches me
Already the greedy
Mouth touches me.
I have No hope of defending myself.
But the vile smell of my garment
Took away the Beast’s appetite,
Despising me the beast
Returned to the forest.
So fate made me Learn,
That infamies, danger, shame and
Death can be avoided
with the cloak of an ass.

2.
The lake’s expanse is gripped in ice
the current of the stream is stemmed
Suspended from the towering cliffs
The waterfall hangs motionless and silent
In the leafless woods no sound is heard
Blankets the fields and fills the vales
A monstrous covering of snow

Earth’s aspect is that of a tomb where strength and grace lie dead
Where sad corpse-colours predominate
And where, on every side, the gaze falls only upon barren wasteland.

Here stands a traveller now

Bewildered and perplexed
Not knowing which way to turn
In vain he seeks the road
But finds neither path nor track
Vainly he tries to struggle
And wades through the deep snow
Only to find himself if more lost than ever

Now his courage ebbs away

His heart is gripped by the fear
Of seeing daylight disappear
And being paralyzed by weariness and cold
Now his courage ebbs away
His heart is gripped by the fear
But suddenly his eye is caught by the glimmer of a light nearby

Now he breathes again

His heart throbs with joy
He runs towards the cottage where cold and tired he hopes to find refreshments
Now he breathes again
His heart throbs with joy
He runs toward the cottage
Where, cold and tired, he hopes to find refreshment.