Erich Mühsam : The mock-revolutionary

_{Der Revoluzzer-video}

The mock-revolutionary (1907)
dedicated to the German Socialdemocracy

Once there was a mock-revolutionary
In civil status bulb cleaner
Moved along with the revolutionaries
In mock-revolutionary step.

And he yelled: “I am revolting a bit!”
And his mock-revolutionary cap
he pushed on his left ear,
Found himself utmost to fear.

But the revolutionaries stepped
into the middle of the street,
where he determined otherwise
is cleaning all the gas lights.

To displace them off the floor’s plates,
in order to build barricades,
they plucked out the gas lamps
from the pavements.

But our mock-revolutionary cried:
I am the bulb cleaner
from this nice glowing light
Please, leave it unharmed behind!

If we take away their light
all the citizens will be blind
abandon the lamps, I beg you come on
because otherwise I won’t play along!’

And the revolutionaries were laughing
and the gas lamps were crashing
and the bulb cleaner sneaked away
and he started crying bitterly.

Then he remained at home,
where he wrote a book soon:
That is to say how to mock-revolt,
while cleaning the bulb.