The Judge

Götz: Judge

Kruspe had made a drawing of this scene but the drawing was "unfinished". Schröer writes that the drawing has great similarities with Holbein's judge, but this similarity is not overwhelming in Götz' watercolour (above).

This is the only one of Kruspe's 46 drawings that wasn't reproduced by Schröer; presumably because five sheets with 3 × 3 pictures on each only have space enough for 45.

Der Tod zum Richter:
Du hast in deinem Amt manch Urtheil ausgestellet,
Und nun wird über dich ein solches auch gefället.
Ich lade dich jetzt ein zur Publikation.
Und das ist's Resultat: Du musst noch heut davon.

Death to the Judge:
You have issued many a judgment in your office,
and now one of these will be passed on you.
I now invite you to the publication.
and this is the result: You must leave even today.

Der Richter:
Ich spreche zwar das Recht, doch bind' ich mich nicht d'ran,
Jetzt schaue ich vielmehr die Huld des Heilands an.
Willst du, gestrenger Tod, mich auf den Richtplatz führen,
So muss ich von dem Recht zur Gnade appelliren.

The Judge:
I pronounce the law, but I am not bound by it.
Now I look rather to the grace of the Savior.
Will you, stern Death, lead me to the place of execution,
then I must appeal for mercy from the Court.