Brecht poems pdf

Translated by Lee Baxandall. Translated by Bentley and Desmond Vesey. About IBS. Brecht Yearbook. IBS Blog. Contact Us. Home Brecht in English. Brecht in English Digital Bibliography. Performance Rights. Brecht Chronology Biographies in English. Brecht in English Translation The list below includes most of the Brecht volumes currently available in English translation. The Trial of Lucullus Vol. Remember me Forgot password. Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software. If the lowly do not Think about what's low They will never rise.

Useless The pouring out of the people's sweat. The laurel groves have been Lopped down. From the chimneys of the arms factories Rises smoke. The fields still bear The cities still stand.

The people still breathe. One of those days Is going to be marked with a cross. The unemployed were hungry. The employed Are hungry now. The hands that lay folded are busy again.

They are making shells. Those for whom the contribution is destined Demand sacrifice. Those who eat their fill speak to the hungry Of wonderful times to come. Those who lead the country into the abyss Call ruling too difficult For ordinary men. When the leaders curse war The mobilization order is already written out.

But their peace and their war Are like wind and storm. War grows from their peace Like son from his mother He bears Her frightful features. Their war kills Whatever their peace Has left over. The man who wrote it Has already fallen. Those down below say: This way to the grave.

There were Other wars before it. When the last one came to an end There were conquerors and conquered. Among the conquered the common people Starved. Among the conquerors The common people starved too. The truth of this is seen In the cookhouse. In their hearts should be The selfsame courage. But On their plates Are two kinds of rations. The voice which gives them their orders Is their enemy's voice and The man who speaks of the enemy Is the enemy himself.

The fact is: they have Already eaten. The lowly must leave this earth Without having tasted Any good meat. For wondering where they come from and Where they are going The fine evenings find them Too exhausted. They have not yet seen The mountains and the great sea When their time is already up.

If the lowly do not Think about what's low They will never rise. Useless The pouring out of the people's sweat. The laurel groves have been Lopped down. From the chimneys of the arms factories Rises smoke. The fields still bear The cities still stand. The people still breathe. One of those days Is going to be marked with a cross.

The unemployed were hungry. The employed Are hungry now. The hands that lay folded are busy again. They are making shells. Those for whom the contribution is destined Demand sacrifice. Those who eat their fill speak to the hungry Of wonderful times to come. Those who lead the country into the abyss Call ruling too difficult For ordinary men.

When the leaders curse war The mobilization order is already written out. But their peace and their war Are like wind and storm. War grows from their peace Like son from his mother He bears Her frightful features. Their war kills Whatever their peace Has left over. The man who wrote it Has already fallen. Those down below say: This way to the grave. There were Other wars before it. When the last one came to an end There were conquerors and conquered.

Among the conquered the common people Starved. Among the conquerors The common people starved too. The truth of this is seen In the cookhouse. In their hearts should be The selfsame courage. But On their plates Are two kinds of rations. The voice which gives them their orders Is their enemy's voice and The man who speaks of the enemy Is the enemy himself.

The young women Will bear orphans. But it has one defect: It needs a driver. General, your bomber is powerful. It flies faster than a storm and carries more than an elephant. But it has one defect: It needs a mechanic. General, man is very useful. He can fly and he can kill. But he has one defect: He can think. Like 31 8 Nicely penned Keep writing Enjoyable Like Related poets: William Shakespeare.