Some miser was there once, who had no end of money

Some miser was there once, who had no end of money,
And as he used to tell it, he had grown rich
Without dealing crookedly,
Without plundering or ruining anyone,
No, he swore to it,
That God had sent him such wealth into his house
And that he was not at all afraid
Of being convicted of any wrong against his neighbour.
And so as to please the Lord for his mercy
And to incline Him to mercy in future too,
Or, perhaps, in truth, to set his conscience at rest,
The miser took it into his head to build a house for the poor.

The house is built and is almost finished.
My miser, looking at it,
Is beside himself, consoles himself,

And reasons with himself
What a service he has done to the poor,
That he has ordered a shelter to be built for them.
So inwardly my miser rejoices over the house,
When one of his acquaintances was passing by,
The miser said to the acquaintance with rapture:
"Enough poor folk will find room here, I think?"
"Certainly, a great number could live here;
But you will not, however, find room for all of them
Whom you have made go begging about the world."

The rich miser hoards his money, and the devil sews sacks for his money.

"If only I could save up this one thousand,
And then I shall live contented," —
Said the miser, who had had thousands long since.

The miser's wish came true,
He saved up that thousand;
Yet the miser was still dissatisfied.
"No, one more thousand; and when I get that,
I shall truly wish for no more."
We shall see. He got that thousand too,
But he did not keep his word
And wants yet another thousand;
But this is the last, of that he assures us for certain.

Now he spoke the truth:
Today he saved up this thousand as well,
And tomorrow he died; and all his property
Passed after him to others to be squandered.

If only some other miser,
Increasing his income,
Would take it into his head today
And try to enjoy it!

Literal translation

Verses by Ivan Khemnitser, lubok "The Miser and His Wish", early 19th century