[In unserem Lande]1
Dürfte es trübe Abende nicht geben,
Auch hohe Brücken über die Flüsse.
Selbst die [Stunde]2 zwischen Nacht und Morgen
Und die ganze Winterzeit dazu, das ist gefährlich!
Denn angesichts des Elends
[Genügt ein Weniges,
Und die Menschen werfen
Das unerträgliche Leben fort]3

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Confirmed with Die Gedichte von Bertolt Brecht in einem Band, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 1981 (Neunte Auflage 1997), page 1200

¹ Eisler: "In diesem Lande und in dieser Zeit"
² Eisler: "Stunden"
³ Eisler: "Werfen die Menschen in einem Augenblick / Ihr unerträgliches Leben fort."

Text Authorship:

• by Bertolt Brecht (1898 - 1956), no title, appears in Der gute Mensch von Sezuan [author's text checked 1 time 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 Hanns Eisler (1898 - 1962), "Über den Selbstmord", 1942-3, from Hollywooder Liederbuch, no. 8 [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

• ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Auditorium du Louvre , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 9
Word count: 48

In [our country,]1
Dreary evenings should not be allowed;
Also high bridges over the rivers.
Even the [hour]2 between night and morning,
And the whole wintertime as well. That is dangerous!
Because, in view of this misery,
[It only take a little,
And people throw away
Their unendurable life.]3