Translated by Jerome Rothenberg

    Black milk of morning we drink you at dusktime

    we drink you at noontime and dawntime we drink you at night

    we drink and drink

    we scoop out a grave in the sky where it's roomy to lie

    There's a man in this house who cultivates snakes and who writes

    who writes when it's nightfall nach Deutschland your golden hair Margareta

    he writes it and walks from the house and the stars all start flashing he whistles his dogs to draw near

    whistles his Jews to appear starts us scooping a grave out of sand

    he commands us to play for the dance

    Black milk of morning we drink you at night

    we drink you at dawntime and noontime we drink you at dusktime

    we drink and drink

    There's a man in this house who cultivates snakes and who writes

    who writes when it's nightfall nach Deutschland your golden hair Margareta

    your ashen hair Shulamite we scoop out a grave in the sky where it's roomy to lie

    He calls jab it deep in the soil you lot there you other men sing and play

    he tugs at the sword in his belt he swings it his eyes are blue

    jab your spades deeper you men you other men you others play up again for the dance

    Black milk of morning we drink you at night

    we drink you at noontime and dawntime we drink you at dusktime

    we drink and drink

    there's a man in this house your golden hair Margareta

    your ashen hair Shulamite he cultivates snakes

    He calls play that death thing more sweetly Death is a gang-boss aus Deutschland

    he calls scrape that fiddle more darkly then hover like smoke in the air

    the scoop out a grave in the clouds where it's roomy to lie

    Black milk of morning we drink you at night

    we drink you at noontime Death is a gang-boss aus Deutschland

    we drink you at dusktime and dawntime we drink and drink

    Death is a gang-boss aus Deutschland his eye is blue

    he shoots you with leaden bullets his aim is true

    there's a man in this house your golden hair Margareta

    he sets his dogs on our trail he gives us a grave in the sky

    he cultivates snakes and he dreams Death is a gang-boss aus Deutschland

    your golden hair Margareta

    your ashen hair Shulamite