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

Aber auch ich auf dem letzten Boot
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
Aber auch ich auf dem letzten Boot
Sah noch den Frohsinn des Frührots im Tackelzeug
Und der Delphine graulichte Leiber tauchen
Aus der [japanischen]1 See.
[Und]2 die Pferdewäglein mit dem Goldbeschlag
[Und]2 die rosa Armschleier der Matronen
In den Gassen des gezeichneten Manila
Sah auch der Flüchtling mit Freude.
[Die Öltürme und die durstenden]3 Gärten von Los Angeles
Und die abendlichen Schluchten Kaliforniens [und die Obstmärkte]2
Ließen den Boten des Unglücks
Nicht kalt.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   H. Eisler 

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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 830

1 Eisler: "chinesischen"
2 omitted by Eisler (3 omissions)
3 Eisler: "Und die Öltürme und die duftenden"

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 (Sharon Krebs) , "The landscape of exile", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 78

The landscape of exile
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
But I too, on the last boat
Still saw the cheerfulness of the early light of dawn in the tackle,
And [saw] the dolphins' grey shiny bodies diving up
Out of the [Japanese]1 Sea.
[And]2 The little horse carts with gold fittings,
[And]2 the pink gauzy sleeves of the matrons
In the streets of ill-fated Manila,
Were also perceived with joy by the fugitive.
[And the oil towers and the thirsting]3 gardens of Los Angeles
And the canyons of California, shaded by evening, [and the fruit markets]2
Did not leave the messenger of doom
Cold.

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Eisler: "Chinese"
2 omitted by Eisler (3 omissions)
3 Eisler: " And the oil towers and the scented"

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2011 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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This text was added to the website: 2012-01-08
Line count: 12
Word count: 100