Poser And Vue St. Anthony of Padua’s Sermon to the Fish At sermon time Anthony finds the church empty! He goes to the rivers and preaches to the fish! They flap with their tails! They gleam in the sunshine, they gleam. The carp with roe have all congregated; their jaws gaping, intent on listening. Never did a sermon so please the fish! Sharp-snouted pike, that fence continually, swam up in a hurry to hear the holy man! Even those odd creatures that continually fast: I mean the codfish, appear for the sermon! Never did a sermon so please the codfish! Good eels and sturgeon that people of quality relish, even they condescend to attend the sermon. Crabs, too, and turtles, usually slowboats, climb hurriedly from the depths to hear this voice! Never did a sermon so please the crabs! Fish big and fish small! Of quality and common! They raise their heads like rational creatures! At God’s command they listen to the sermon. The sermon finished, each one turns away! The pike remain thieves, the eels great lovers, the sermon was pleasing, they all stay the same! The crabs go backwards, the codfish stay fat, the carp gorge a lot, the sermon ’s forgotten! The sermon was pleasing, they all stay the same! From " Des Knaben Wunderhorn" (Boy, do I love Mahler!)