A day among the army train

A day among the army train. Swearing, colors, laughing:

the country dazzles with it. Colorful boys come running.

Tussling and yelling. Hussies with purple hats

in their flood of hair. Signaling. Lansquenets come,

iron-black as if the night were afoot.

Hotly grabbing the hussies, so that their dresses are torn up.

Pushing them against the edge of the drum.

And the even wilder resistance of quick hands awakens the drums,

as in a dream they rumble, rumble-.

And in the evening they are holding lanterns for him, strange ones.

Wine, aglow in iron helmets. Wine? Or Blood?

Who can make out the difference?