Der Vampir by Heinrich August Ossenfelder

“Der Vampir” (“The Vampire”) is a poem written in 1748 by Heinrich August Ossenfelder. It’s generally considered to be the first German poem about a vampire.

Some sources suggest Ossenfelder may have written the poem for a scientific magazine as a companion piece to an article about concerning reports about vampires. Unfortunatley, I have not been able to confirm if this is true.

As is generally the case with literature that is translated to English, there are slightly different versions of “The Vampire”. The one below is possibly the most common.

Der Vampir (The Vampire)

By Heinrich August Ossenfelder

(Online Text)

My dear young maiden clingeth
Unbending. fast and firm
To all the long-held teaching
Of a mother ever true;
As in vampires unmortal
Folk on the Theyse’s portal
Heyduck-like do believe.
But my Christine thou dost dally,
And wilt my loving parry
Till I myself avenging
To a vampire’s health a-drinking
Him toast in pale tockay.*

And as softly thou art sleeping
To thee shall I come creeping
And thy life’s blood drain away.
And so shalt thou be trembling
For thus shall I be kissing
And death’s threshold thou’ it be crossing
With fear, in my cold arms.
And last shall I thee question
Compared to such instruction
What are a mother’s charms?

Heinrich August Ossenfelder (1725 – 1801)

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* More commonly called Tokaj, Tokay is a sweet Hungarian wine.