Enzensberger: Don’t read poetry, my son October 3, 2017

.

In Germany it is  included in schoolbook anthologies. The poet is  popular.

Don’t read poetry, my son; read the timetables
For they are more exact. Roll up the maps of the sea
Before it is too late. Be alert, don’t sing.

Those encyclica are useful to start a fire

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

.

Lies keine oden, mein sohn, lies die fahrpläne:
sie sind genauer. roll die seekarten auf,
eh es zu spät ist. sei wachsam, sing nicht.

Complete text in German

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

.

Wikipedia biography at http://tinyurl.com/de39kt

soll der geier vergissmeinicht fressen?
was verlangt ihr vom schakal,

was guckt ihr blöd aus der wäsche
auf den verlogenen bildschirm?

Is the vulture to feed on daisies?

and the last two lines very freely translated are:
what about your stupid faces watching the mendacious screen?

It is so rude that the effect is almost funny, mainly because those of the “stupid faces” are so many that statistically speaking, imagine, since Enzensberger is so popular, among them would be his readers.

.