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I knew a simple soldier boy Who grinned at life in empty joy, Slept soundly through the lonesome dark, And whistled early with the lark. In winter trenches, cowed and glum, With crumps and lice and lack of rum, He put a bullet through his brain. No one spoke of him again. * * * * * You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye Who cheer when soldier lads march by, Sneak home and pray you'll never know The hell where youth and laughter go.
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Confirmed with Siegfried Sassoon, COUNTER-ATTACK and other poems, E.P .Dutton and company, New York, 1918, page 31
Authorship:
- by Siegfried Lorraine Sassoon (1886 - 1967), "Suicide in the trenches", from Cambridge Magazine, February 1918, revised 1919 [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Harold Blumenfeld (b. 1923), "Suicide in the trenches", published 1971 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from Songs of War [sung text not yet checked]
- by Michael Ippolito (b. 1985), "Suicide in the trenches", 2013 [ baritone, SATB chorus, flute or piccolo, trumpet, percussion, organ, and piano ], from Six Sassoon Songs, no. 3, confirmed with a score [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Michael Ippolito (b. 1985), "Suicide in the trenches", 2006, first performed 2006 [ baritone, SATB quartet or SATB chorus, flute or piccolo, trumpet, percussion, organ, and piano ], from Songbook of the War, no. 7, confirmed with a score [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ian Venables (b. 1955), "Suicide in the Trenches", op. 46 no. 4 (2016) [ voice, viola and piano ], from Through These Pale Cold Days, no. 4, Novello and Co. [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Hugo Weisgall (1912 - 1997), "Suicide in the trenches", published 1953, rev. 1965 [ baritone and piano ], from Soldier Songs for Baritone, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Suicide dans les tranchées", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2008-10-19
Line count: 13
Word count: 84
J'ai connu un simple garçon soldat Qui souriait à la vie avec une joie futile, Qui dormait profondément durant les nuits solitaires, Et sifflait de bonne heure avec l'alouette. Dans les tranchées de l'hiver, effrayantes et tristes, Avec les détonations et les poux et le manque de rhum, Il se tira une balle dans la tête. Plus personne ne parle de lui. * * * * * Vous les foules bien au chaud, aux yeux enflammés, Qui applaudissez quand passent les garçons soldats, Filez chez vous, et priez pour ne jamais connaître L'enfer où vont la jeunesse et les rires.
Authorship:
- Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2017 by Pierre Mathé, (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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in English by Siegfried Lorraine Sassoon (1886 - 1967), "Suicide in the trenches", from Cambridge Magazine, February 1918, revised 1919
This text was added to the website: 2017-01-03
Line count: 13
Word count: 100