H. Ossenfelder's "The Vampire" 275 years old!
This year 2023, it has been 275 years ago that Heinrich Ossenfelder's poem "Der Vampir" (The Vampire) was published in the magazine Der Naturforscher (issue No. 48 of May 25, 1748), a project of Ossendorfer's friend Christlob Mylius. Despite early critique, the poem has become quite popular among vampire fans and has been posted on numerous blogs. To help commemorate the very first appearance of a vampire in western fiction and poetry, I created a new English translation that respects the metrical character of the German original and corrects some of the flaws of existing renderings. Secondly, I created three brand-new illustrations of the poem—the first illustrations ever designed for this verse. Last but not least, my essay discusses the source from which Ossenfelder took his keywords and his understanding of haiduks, and the anacreontic character of the poem. Simply download my new e-book for free below. Enjoy reading!
This e-book is a contribution to the 275th anniversary of the publication of Ossenfelder’s poem “The Vampire” on May 25, 1748. Feel free to download a copy for your personal and academic use, without cost. You are also free to share the link to this download page: https://vampvault.jimdofree.com/the-vampire-275-years/. Please, abstain from sharing the PDF file itself, e.g. through online repositories and platforms such as academia.edu, researchgate.net, DocPlayer.org, Scribd, etc.
As its author, I prefer to retain control through which channels my content is spread; this also allows me to post updates without older versions still swirling around—or even to withdraw it one day, should I ever wish to do so :-)
Der Vampir (1748)
Mein liebes Mägdchen glaubet
Beständig steif und feste,
An die gegebnen Lehren
Der immer frommen Mutter;
Als Völker an der Theyse
An tödtliche Vampiere
Heyduckisch feste glauben.
Nun warte nur Christianchen,
Du willst mich gar nicht lieben;
Ich will mich an dir rächen,
Und heute in Tockayer
Zu einem Vampir trinken.
Und wenn du sanfte schlummerst,
Von deinen schönen Wangen
Den frischen Purpur saugen.
Alsdenn wirst du erschrecken,
Wenn ich dich werde küssen
Und als ein Vampir küssen:
Wenn du dann recht erzitterst
Und matt in meine Arme,
Gleich einer Todten sinkest
Alsdenn will ich dich fragen,
Sind meine Lehren besser,
Als deiner guten Mutter?
Published May 25, 1748, in Der Naturforscher, No. 48.
The Vampire (transl. 2023)
My maiden dear is clinging
Unbendingly and firmly,
To old and traded doctrines
Her pious mother taught her;
As folk tribes at the Tisza
In murd’rous vampires fixedly
Like haiduks do believe.
But wait and see, dear Christine,
You stubbornly won’t love me;
I will have my requital,
And raise a wine from Tokaj
Today to vampire’s kind.
And while you slumber softly,
Your sweet cheeks I’ll be sucking
For purple young and fresh.
And then you’ll feel the terror
When finally I’ll kiss you
Yes, as a vampire kiss you:
And when you’re truly trembling
And in my arms, exhausted,
Like lifeless you are sinking
Then I will ask the question,
Are not my teachings better,
Than those of your good mother?
Translation © 2018-2023 Hans Corneel de Roos
June 23, 2023: Another illustration I created to celebrate the 275th anniversary of "The Vampire." This time, satire meets with satire, and satyr with nymphomaniac.
