Today, early on Easter Sunday

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by Bertolt Brecht (1898 - 1956)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Ostersonntag

(Sung text for setting by H. Eisler)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Heute, Ostersonntag früh
Ging ein plötzlicher Schneesturm über die Insel.
Zwischen den grünenden Hecken lag Schnee. Mein junger Sohn
Holte mich zu einem Aprilkosenbäumchen an der Hausmauer
Von einem Verse weg, in dem ich auf diejenigen mit dem Finger deutete,
Die diesen Krieg vorbereiteten, der
Diesen Kontinent, diese Insel, mein Volk, und meine Familie und mich
Vertilgen muß. Schweigend
Legten wir einen Sack
Um den frierenden Baum.

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Composition:

Hanns Eisler

Hollywooder Liederbuch

Text Authorship:

by Bertolt Brecht (1898 - 1956), no title, appears in Steffinische Sammlung, in Frühling 1938, no. 1

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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: 10
Word count: 70

Today, early on Easter Sunday

(Sung text translation for setting by H. Eisler)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Today, early on Easter Sunday,
A sudden snowstorm passed over the island.
Snow lay between the pale green hedges. My young son
Came and led me to a little apricot tree leaning against the wall of the house,
Taking me away from a line of poetry in which I was pointing a finger at those
Who were preparing this war, which must
Destroy this continent, this island, my people, and my family and me.
Silently,
We placed a piece of sacking
Around the freezing tree.

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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), no title, appears in Steffinische Sammlung, in Frühling 1938, no. 1
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2010-10-11
Line count: 10
Word count: 87