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Mein junger Sohn fragt mich: Soll ich Mathematik lernen? Wozu, möchte ich sagen. Daß zwei Stück Brot mehr ist als eines, Das wirst du auch so merken. Mein junger Sohn fragt mich: Soll ich Französisch lernen? Wozu, möchte ich sagen. Dieses Reich geht unter. Und Reibe du nur mit der Hand den Bauch und stöhne Und man wird dich schon verstehen. Mein junger Sohn fragt mich: Soll ich Geschichte lernen? Wozu, möchte ich sagen. Lerne du deinen Kopf in die Erde stecken, Da wirst du vielleicht übrigbleiben. Ja, lerne Mathematik, sage ich, Lerne Französisch, lerne Geschichte!
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View text with all available footnotesConfirmed with Die Gedichte von Bertolt Brecht in einem Band, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 1981 (Neunte Auflage 1997), page 818
Text Authorship:
- by Bertolt Brecht (1898 - 1956), "Der Sohn II", appears in Steffinische Sammlung, in 1940, no. 6 [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]
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Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 110
My young son asks me: Should I study mathematics? What for? I'd like to say. That two pieces of bread are more than one, That you will notice anyway. My young son asks me: Should I study French? What for? I'd like to say. This state will fall, and If you just rub your stomach with your hand and groan, People will understand you. My young son asks me: Should I study history? What for? I'd like to say. You learn to stick your head into the sand Then you might possibly be spared. Yes! Study mathematics, I say, Study French, study history!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2010 by Sharon Krebs, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Bertolt Brecht (1898 - 1956), "Der Sohn II", appears in Steffinische Sammlung, in 1940, no. 6
Go to the general view
This text was added to the website: 2010-10-11
Line count: 12
Word count: 112