Alfred Sachs writes in march 1941

Fellow citizens, friends, people of Domme, listen to me:

This week they slaughtered calves,

And all these calves had livers,

And those livers were turned into sausages.

Of these I "obtained" two samples for you,

Brashly speculating on your gourmandise.

The big one cost twenty nine ninety

Then twenty two eighty more.

And since the rumor wafted to me on the breeze,

That tongue sausage, pretty reddish brown and rosy,

Is a special favorite of the Jacobsohn’s,

(For Friedl says they’re greedy for food

And she is certainly an honest woman),

I crept though all the mountain crevices,

No valley was too narrow for me - I sought it

Until the lovely one showed herself one day

Calmly, mild as an angel;

And there she lay today

As a corpse,

With the dignity she possessed

She still saw the light.

But now return to our pentameter:

Frugally, 12 francs I paid  for it.

It should do you as well as I hope

(You see I’m starting up again!)

In my mind’s eye I see you slicing them

And layering them on butter-slathered bread,

Which you don't lack.  Oh, we poor city folk,

Once again reduced by twenty one percent,

We are truly, in spite of tongue sausage and liver,

Much worse off than you in your quiet village.

Fearfully we raise our eyes,

From where will help come to us?

Who knows whether the Dommois’ heart

Will be impervious to this pious request?

Don’t think that I write out of pride,

"I obey necessity, not my desire!"

And if you’re not short of food in your home

Don't be unnecessarily cruel:

I am neither maiden nor beautiful,

And can return home with no bread!

And so I sit here, a poor fool,

And am as breadless as before

My plaint to heaven rises up:

Man errs so long as e’er he strives!

But if your answer goes to hit the mark,

Then all my slaves I will declare be free!!!

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