Arany János - Győrei Zsolt (szerk.): The trill of the nightingale (Budapest, 2019)

III - „His voice, once fine and heady, still a grumble deep” - The Nightingale (Peter Zollman)

Our Peter, after these events,

Is also eager to be heard And tickled by his innocence Submits his case about the bird.

The facts were these, the claims are those. The trill belongs to him, he knows — “The Court, the Crown Can’t let me down,

By earthly justice and divine The trill in question must be mine!”

And aiming at a truer truth He clean forgets a broken tooth,

Deducts some bloodshed from the bill And adds a coin to gild the pill,

Which enters, rather dignified,

The ample pocket near the heart Upon his worship’s lefi hand side.

The day of truth is due to start With the long-awaited session.

Each party came to savour it,

Having gained the firm impression Of being fancied favourite.

The hours pass but neither lawyer Can turn the scale,

And as they fail,

Resort to rage and paranoia.

They search the Law for nightingale,

A fine tooth comb Through every tome,

More time to waste without avail.

But now his worship wants his dinner,

So more delay is not allowed —

Slaps both his pockets, canny, proud And then proceeds to name the winner To the interested crowd.

Here is the gist:

“Claims one and two are both absurd The little bird trilled for a third:

(Slap on the right) he trilled for me,

(Slap on the left) he trilled for me:

Case dismissed!”