German is an amazing language - because it is so so Germanic it always ahs an inbuilt authority. I went to Oberammagau in 2000 and when Jesus was castigating the money changers for desicarating The Temple (His Father's House) He sounded much more authoritative in German than in English. When you recite German Poetry you have to really mean it to get the full efect. Even if you can't speak German try saying the following Haikus and you will see what I mean. German is reasonably phonetic - except that 'W' is pronounced as 'V'. Because of the sentence structure of the German Language the English translation does not follow line for line. Because they have a common source many words in Eglish and German are very similar so I am sure you will easily recognise which line matches which! br br KUHLE LUFT WEHT AUF br DER KLANG DER ABENDGLOCKE br LANGE NOCH IM OHR br br The cold wind blows br The sound of the evening bell br Still rings in my ear. br br IM PUPPENWAGEN br GLANZEN ZWEI KASTNIEN br DAS MADCHEN STRAHLT br br The little girl smiles br Two shiney conkers nestling br In her dollies pram! br br DAS TROCKENE FLUSSBETT br FURHT NUR NOCH STEINE br NUR NOCH STEINE br br Only stones flowing br In the dried-up river bed br Nothing but stones.