Das Narrenschiff, Today
The Ship Of Foyls, London, 1509.
English and Latin Translation of Sebastian Brandt's wildly popular Das Narrenschiff, 1494
'These depictions of men transformed or transforming into asses show a
clear link between the trope of asinine transformation and folly. The
ass was long associated with stupidity and folly, and donkey ears were
often incorporated into the hood of a fool. The ass also had other
connotations. In the biblical story of Balaam (Numbers, 12) the ass
becomes a symbol of both suffering and wisdom. The ass could also have
sexual connotations with a pun on ‘ass’, and, by extension,
‘tail’, as well as being an instrument of humiliating sexual punishment
for women – prostitutes in medieval France were punished by being made
to ride naked on an donkey. Thought provokingly, the fool that is fully ass is at the top of the wheel, in the position of best fortune'.
Article from the British Library site. The woodcut is based on the original by Albrecht Durer printed in Basel, Switzerland in 1494. Prostitutes were enjoyed with enthusiasm by all and sundry so I doubt very much that any but an unfortunate few were ever punished with such a thing as a donkey ride naked. Read your Rabelais.
Wheel Of Fortune, Albrecht Durer original. Hand of God turning the wheel, upper left.
Ship of Fools, Bosch. 1490-1500
The Ship Of Fools
It's getting cold, all signs indicate a storm
There's only stupid giggling,
- and nagging from the command tower
And a dull grinding sound from the engine.
Rolling and pounding and heavy seas
The band is playing a joyous song
And mad laughter is heard from the latrine.
The cargo is rotten, the papers are fake
The bilge pumps leak and the sheets are blocked
The hatches wide open and all alarm bells are ringing.
The waves are crashing six-foot high into the loading bay
And St Elmo's fires are seen on the bay deck
Yet nobody on board is able to understand the signs!
Demons are leading the fools' ship
Full steam ahead for the reef!
There's only stupid giggling,
- and nagging from the command tower
And a dull grinding sound from the engine.
Rolling and pounding and heavy seas
The band is playing a joyous song
And mad laughter is heard from the latrine.
The cargo is rotten, the papers are fake
The bilge pumps leak and the sheets are blocked
The hatches wide open and all alarm bells are ringing.
The waves are crashing six-foot high into the loading bay
And St Elmo's fires are seen on the bay deck
Yet nobody on board is able to understand the signs!
The helmsman lies, the captain is drunk
And the machinist is sunk into dull lethargy
The crew are just perjured bandits,
The radio operator is too cowardly to send an SOS
And the machinist is sunk into dull lethargy
The crew are just perjured bandits,
The radio operator is too cowardly to send an SOS
Demons are leading the fools' ship
Full steam ahead for the reef!
On the horizon, the signs of the times are signaling
Perfidy, greed, vanity.
On the bridge, idiots are gawking.
Sharp-toothed sharks are fishing in the murky waters
Bringing their prey to tax havens
To the sand bank, the well-known treasure island.
The others, money launderers and pimps, are already waiting
Brothel king and gambling baron
In the bright light, nobody has to sneak around in the dark
In the banana republic, where even the president
Has lost all shame and knows no scruples,
To show himself with the tax thief in public.
Perfidy, greed, vanity.
On the bridge, idiots are gawking.
Sharp-toothed sharks are fishing in the murky waters
Bringing their prey to tax havens
To the sand bank, the well-known treasure island.
The others, money launderers and pimps, are already waiting
Brothel king and gambling baron
In the bright light, nobody has to sneak around in the dark
In the banana republic, where even the president
Has lost all shame and knows no scruples,
To show himself with the tax thief in public.
People have become brown-nosers, have gotten used to it.
All our ideals have drowned
And the great rebel, who never tired of fighting
Became a servile, poisonous gnome
And tamely sings songs to the bad old man in Rome
It's true: times change!
Formerly wild young men are now submissive, devout and tame
Bought out, anesthetized and unable to fly
With little velvet paws in exchange for their once so sharp claws.
And vain old men arrogantly present themselves
With far too young women on the upper deck
They warm their flaccid limbs and pre-chew their food.
All our ideals have drowned
And the great rebel, who never tired of fighting
Became a servile, poisonous gnome
And tamely sings songs to the bad old man in Rome
It's true: times change!
Formerly wild young men are now submissive, devout and tame
Bought out, anesthetized and unable to fly
With little velvet paws in exchange for their once so sharp claws.
And vain old men arrogantly present themselves
With far too young women on the upper deck
They warm their flaccid limbs and pre-chew their food.
They are
arming themselves against the enemy, but the enemy has long been here.
He has his hand on your throat, he is right behind you.
He shuffles marked cards, protected by law.
Everyone can see it, but all look away
And shady characters emerge from their hiding-places
And deals drugs right in front of the kindergarten.
The lookout shouts from the highest mast: it's the end of times!
But all are petrified and don't hear him.
They move like lemmings, mindless hordes.
It is as if all have lost their mind
Committed themselves to the downfall and decline
And a ghost light has become their beacon.
He has his hand on your throat, he is right behind you.
He shuffles marked cards, protected by law.
Everyone can see it, but all look away
And shady characters emerge from their hiding-places
And deals drugs right in front of the kindergarten.
The lookout shouts from the highest mast: it's the end of times!
But all are petrified and don't hear him.
They move like lemmings, mindless hordes.
It is as if all have lost their mind
Committed themselves to the downfall and decline
And a ghost light has become their beacon.
The helmsman lies, the captain is drunk
And the machinist is sunk into dull lethargy
The crew are just perjured bandits,
The radio operator is too cowardly to send an SOS
Demons are leading the fools' ship
Full steam ahead for the reef!
And the machinist is sunk into dull lethargy
The crew are just perjured bandits,
The radio operator is too cowardly to send an SOS
Demons are leading the fools' ship
Full steam ahead for the reef!
Reinhard Mey
Ship of Fools, Steve Davis
It's getting cold, all signs indicate a storm
There's only stupid giggling and nagging from the command tower
And a dull grinding sound from the engine.
Rolling and pounding and heavy seas
The band is playing a joyous song
And mad laughter is heard from the latrine.
The cargo is rotten, the papers are fake
The bilge pumps leak and the sheets are blocked
The hatches wide open and all alarm bells are ringing.
The waves are crashing six-foot high into the loading bay
And St Elms fires are seen on the bay deck
Yet nobody on board is able to understand the signs!
https://lyricstranslate.com/en/das-narrenschiff-ship-fools.html
It's getting cold, all signs indicate a storm
There's only stupid giggling and nagging from the command tower
And a dull grinding sound from the engine.
Rolling and pounding and heavy seas
The band is playing a joyous song
And mad laughter is heard from the latrine.
The cargo is rotten, the papers are fake
The bilge pumps leak and the sheets are blocked
The hatches wide open and all alarm bells are ringing.
The waves are crashing six-foot high into the loading bay
And St Elms fires are seen on the bay deck
Yet nobody on board is able to understand the signs!
https://lyricstranslate.com/en/das-narrenschiff-ship-fools.html
It's getting cold, all signs indicate a storm
There's only stupid giggling and nagging from the command tower
And a dull grinding sound from the engine.
Rolling and pounding and heavy seas
The band is playing a joyous song
And mad laughter is heard from the latrine.
The cargo is rotten, the papers are fake
The bilge pumps leak and the sheets are blocked
The hatches wide open and all alarm bells are ringing.
The waves are crashing six-foot high into the loading bay
And St Elms fires are seen on the bay deck
Yet nobody on board is able to understand the signs!
It's getting cold, all signs indicate a storm
There's only stupid giggling and nagging from the command tower
And a dull grinding sound from the engine.
Rolling and pounding and heavy seas
The band is playing a joyous song
And mad laughter is heard from the latrine.
The cargo is rotten, the papers are fake
The bilge pumps leak and the sheets are blocked
The hatches wide open and all alarm bells are ringing.
The waves are crashing six-foot high into the loading bay
And St Elms fires are seen on the bay deck
Yet nobody on board is able to understand the signs!
Ship of Fools
It's getting cold, all signs indicate a storm
There's only stupid giggling and nagging from the command tower
And a dull grinding sound from the engine.
Rolling and pounding and heavy seas
The band is playing a joyous song
And mad laughter is heard from the latrine.
The cargo is rotten, the papers are fake
The bilge pumps leak and the sheets are blocked
The hatches wide open and all alarm bells are ringing.
The waves are crashing six-foot high into the loading bay
And St Elms fires are seen on the bay deck
Yet nobody on board is able to understand the signs!
The helmsman lies, the captain is drunk
And the machinist is sunk into dull lethargy
The crew are just perjured bandits,
The radio operator is too cowardly to send an SOS
Kobolds are leading the fools' ship
Full steam ahead for the reef!
On the horizon, the signs of the times are signaling
Perfidy, greed, vanity.
On the bridge, idiots are gawking.
Sharp-toothed sharks are fishing in the murky waters
Bringing their prey to tax havens
To the sand bank, the well-known treasure island.
The others, money launderers and pimps, are already waiting
Brothel king and gambling baron
In the bright light, nobody has to sneak around in the dark
In the banana republic, where even the president
Has lost all shame and knows no scruples,
To show himself with the tax thief in public.
The helmsman lies, the captain is drunk
And the machinist is sunk into dull lethargy
The crew are just perjured bandits,
The radio operator is too cowardly to send an SOS
Kobolds are leading the fools' ship
Full steam ahead for the reef!
People have become brown-nosers, have gotten used to it.
All our ideals have drowned
And the great rebel, who never tired of fighting
Became a servile, poisonous gnome
And tamely sings songs to the bad old man in Rome
It's true: times change!
Formerly wild young men are now submissive, devout and tame
Bought out, anesthetized and unable to fly
With little velvet paws in exchange for their once so sharp claws.
And vain old men arrogantly present themselves
With far too young women on the upper deck
They warm their flaccid limbs and pre-chew their food.
The helmsman lies, the captain is drunk
And the machinist is sunk into dull lethargy
The crew are just perjured bandits,
The radio operator is too cowardly to send an SOS
Kobolds are leading the fools' ship
Full steam ahead for the reef!
They are arming themselves against the enemy, but the enemy has long been here.
He has his hand on your throat, he is right behind you.
He shuffles marked cards, protected by law.
Everyone can see it, but all look away
And shady characters emerge from their hiding-places
And deals drugs right in front of the kindergarten.
The lookout shouts from the highest mast: it's the end of times!
But all are petrified and don't hear him.
They move like lemmings, mindless hordes.
It is as if all have lost their mind
Committed themselves to the downfall and decline
And a ghost light has become their beacon.
The helmsman lies, the captain is drunk
And the machinist is sunk into dull lethargy
The crew are just perjured bandits,
The radio operator is too cowardly to send an SOS
Kobolds are leading the fools' ship
Full steam ahead for the reef
Ship of Fools
It's getting cold, all signs indicate a storm
There's only stupid giggling and nagging from the command tower
And a dull grinding sound from the engine.
Rolling and pounding and heavy seas
The band is playing a joyous song
And mad laughter is heard from the latrine.
The cargo is rotten, the papers are fake
The bilge pumps leak and the sheets are blocked
The hatches wide open and all alarm bells are ringing.
The waves are crashing six-foot high into the loading bay
And St Elms fires are seen on the bay deck
Yet nobody on board is able to understand the signs!
The helmsman lies, the captain is drunk
And the machinist is sunk into dull lethargy
The crew are just perjured bandits,
The radio operator is too cowardly to send an SOS
Kobolds are leading the fools' ship
Full steam ahead for the reef!
On the horizon, the signs of the times are signaling
Perfidy, greed, vanity.
On the bridge, idiots are gawking.
Sharp-toothed sharks are fishing in the murky waters
Bringing their prey to tax havens
To the sand bank, the well-known treasure island.
The others, money launderers and pimps, are already waiting
Brothel king and gambling baron
In the bright light, nobody has to sneak around in the dark
In the banana republic, where even the president
Has lost all shame and knows no scruples,
To show himself with the tax thief in public.
The helmsman lies, the captain is drunk
And the machinist is sunk into dull lethargy
The crew are just perjured bandits,
The radio operator is too cowardly to send an SOS
Kobolds are leading the fools' ship
Full steam ahead for the reef!
People have become brown-nosers, have gotten used to it.
All our ideals have drowned
And the great rebel, who never tired of fighting
Became a servile, poisonous gnome
And tamely sings songs to the bad old man in Rome
It's true: times change!
Formerly wild young men are now submissive, devout and tame
Bought out, anesthetized and unable to fly
With little velvet paws in exchange for their once so sharp claws.
And vain old men arrogantly present themselves
With far too young women on the upper deck
They warm their flaccid limbs and pre-chew their food.
The helmsman lies, the captain is drunk
And the machinist is sunk into dull lethargy
The crew are just perjured bandits,
The radio operator is too cowardly to send an SOS
Kobolds are leading the fools' ship
Full steam ahead for the reef!
They are arming themselves against the enemy, but the enemy has long been here.
He has his hand on your throat, he is right behind you.
He shuffles marked cards, protected by law.
Everyone can see it, but all look away
And shady characters emerge from their hiding-places
And deals drugs right in front of the kindergarten.
The lookout shouts from the highest mast: it's the end of times!
But all are petrified and don't hear him.
They move like lemmings, mindless hordes.
It is as if all have lost their mind
Committed themselves to the downfall and decline
And a ghost light has become their beacon.
The helmsman lies, the captain is drunk
And the machinist is sunk into dull lethargy
The crew are just perjured bandits,
The radio operator is too cowardly to send an SOS
Kobolds are leading the fools' ship
Full steam ahead for the reef
Jeepers, that's bleak...but one cannot argue with it!
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