Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Germany: Vols. XVII–XVIII. 1876–79.

Nassau

Heinz von Stein

By Joseph Victor von Scheffel (1826–1886)

Translated by C. G. Leland

OUTRODE from his wild dark castle

The terrible Heinz von Stein:

He came to the door of a tavern,

And gazed at the swinging sign.

He sat himself down at a table,

And growled for a bottle of wine;

Up came, with a flask and a corkscrew,

A maiden of beauty divine.

Then, seized with a deep love-longing,

He uttered, “O, damosell mine,

Suppose you just give a few kisses

To the valorous Ritter von Stein.”

But she answered, “The kissing business

Is entirely out of my line;

And I certainly will not begin it

On a countenance ugly as thine.”

O, then the bold knight was angry,

And cursed both coarse and fine;

And asked, “How much is the swindle

For your sour and nasty wine?”

And fiercely he rode to the castle,

And sat himself down to dine;

And this is the dreadful legend

Of the terrible Heinz von Stein.