by Bertolt Brecht (1898 - 1956)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Du kleiner Kasten, den ich flüchtend...
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG ENG SPA
Du kleiner Kasten, den ich flüchtend trug
Daß [seine]1 Lampen mir auch nicht zerbrächen
Besorgt [von]2 Haus zum Schiff, vom Schiff zum Zug
Daß meine Feinde weiter zu mir sprächen
 
An meinem Lager und zu meiner Pein
Der letzten nachts, der ersten in der Früh
Von ihren Siegen und von meiner Müh:
Versprich mir, nicht auf einmal stumm zu sein!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   H. Eisler 

About the headline (FAQ)

Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Die Gedichte von Bertolt Brecht in einem Band, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 1981 (Neunte Auflage 1997), page 818

1 Eisler: "meine"
2 Eisler: "vom"

Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

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

  • ENG English (Sean Phillip Mabrey) , "To the small radio device", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "To a little radio", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Elisa Rapado) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


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

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 62

To a little radio
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
You little box that I carried as I fled,
Concerned to save [its]1 works from getting broken,
Carefully from house to ship, from ship to train,
So that my enemies could continue to talk to me
 
At my bedside and to my pain,
The last at night, the first in the morning,
[Could continue] to talk about their victories and my efforts:
Promise me, not suddenly to go silent!

View original text (without footnotes)

Translated titles:
"Auf den kleinen Radioapparat" = "[Musings] upon a little radio"
"An den kleinen Radioapparat" = "To the little radio"

1 Eisler: "your"

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:

 

This text was added to the website: 2010-10-11
Line count: 8
Word count: 70