Vaccination in the seraglio

The Sultan’s harem must be vaccinated
and thus preserved against the smallpox.
A sultana with a lush bosom
extends her snow-white, round arm.
Small odalisques, slightly pretentious,
with lingerie and graceful,
how easily they hover behind a screen.
However it is bandaged and vaccinated,
the seraglio must not be profaned.
No, sultana, beware,
for behold, the eunuch is on his guard!
And as vigilant as the dragons of fairy tales,
the Grand Sultan himself guards his treasure.
For the slightest tilt, oh, odalisque,
you can easily run a dangerous risk.
The “life doctor” can only see the arm,
but no sign of décolletage.
Otherwise a prisoner (no, what befalls?)
a silk cord around his neck.
Now the vaccination is over,
with the “sick man” on the imperial throne,
in purple cloak and ermine,
he does not recover from his vaccine.
(Fäderneslandet, Stockholm, 1887)