The son II | My young son asks me: Should I study mathematics?

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by Bertolt Brecht (1898 - 1956)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Der Sohn II

(Sung text for setting by H. Eisler)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Mein junger Sohn fragt mich: Soll ich Mathematik lernen?
Wozu, möchte ich fragen. Daß zwei Stück Brot mehr ist als eines,
Das wirst du auch so merken.
Mein junger Sohn fragt mich: Soll ich Englisch lernen?
Wozu, möchte ich fragen. Dieses Reich geht unter. Und
Reibe du nur mit der Flachen Hand den Bauch und stöhne
Und man wird dich schon verstehen.
Mein junger Sohn fragt mich: Soll ich Geschichte lernen?
Wozu, möchte ich fragen. Lerne nur deinen Kopf in die Erde zu stecken,
Dann wirst du vielleicht übrigbleiben.
 
Ja, lerne Mathematik, sage ich,
Lerne Englisch, ja, lerne Geschichte!

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Composition:

Hanns Eisler

Hollywooder Liederbuch

Text Authorship:

by Bertolt Brecht (1898 - 1956), "Der Sohn II", appears in Steffinische Sammlung, in 1940, no. 6

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The son II", 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: 12
Word count: 110

The son II

(Sung text translation for setting by H. Eisler)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

My young son asks me:  Should I study mathematics?
What for? I'd like to ask That two pieces of bread are more than one,
That you will notice anyway.
My young son asks me:  Should I study English?
What for? I'd like to ask  This state will fall, and
If you just rub your stomach with the flat of your hand and groan,
People will understand you.
My young son asks me:  Should I study history?
What for? I'd like to ask Just learn to stick your head into the sand
Then you might possibly be spared.
 
Yes!  Study mathematics, I say,
Study English, yes, learn 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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

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 text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2010-10-11
Line count: 12
Word count: 112