Ds Zündhölzli English translation
von Mani Matter

The matchstick

I have lit a matchstick
And a flame was created
And I wanted for the cigarette
Take fire from the match
But the matchstick spiked away
and landed on the carpet
And there would almost have been a hole in the carpet.

Yes, we know what can happen
If we are not careful with fire
And a carpet is too expensive
For to glow on a cigarette
And from the carpet - which horror
The fire could have expand all over the house
And who knows what else could have become of it?


There would have been a fire all around
And the fire brigade would have had to come
Would have been horning in the streets
And taken the pipes from the car
And they would have sprayed water
And that would have been no use at all
And the whole town would have burned, nothing would have been protecting any more

And the people would have jumped around
Fearing for all their belongings
Would have thought someone would have set fire
and they would have taken the assault rifle in their rage
Everyone would have been roaring: Who is to blame?
The whole country in an uproar
And they would have shot at the Federal Councillors at the speaker’s desk.

The UN had intervened
And the UN's opponents immediately also
To save the Swiss people's peace
Both would have come with tanks
It would have been spread to
To Europe, Africa
There would have been a war and mankind would not be here anymore.


I have lit a matchstick
And it became a flame
And I warnet for the cigarette
Take fire from the match
But the matchstick spiked away
And landed on the carpet
Thank God that I got it off from the carpet again.