You'll go down if you don't stand up for yourself
[Originally published at the now defunct group blog explananda.com]
And I Always Thought
And I always thought: the very simplest words must be enough. When I say what things are like everyone’s heart must be torn to shreds. That you’ll go down if you don’t stand up for yourself. Surely you see that.
Und ich dachte immer
Und ich dachte immer, die allereinfachsten Worte Müssen genügen. Wenn ich sage, was ist Muß jedem das Herz zerfleischt sein. Daß du untergehst, wenn du dich nicht wehrst. Das wirst du doch einsehn.
I don’t know much about Brecht at all, and I’m not one for interpreting poetry. But for what it’s worth, I notice that most of the poem is in the past tense. [UPDATE: Or rather, the first verb (thought/dachte) is in the past tense. The following three lines are in the present, but I originally described them as in the past since they describe what he thought. Thanks, DC.] I imagine that matters. Perhaps Brecht means to suggest that he once thought this, but now isn’t sure. Because, of course, not everyone’s heart has been torn to shreds when he’s said what things are like. In that case, perhaps the final line of the poem suggests a certain impatience with people, a sense of incredulity at their failure to respond properly to a clear statement of the ways things are, and perhaps a hope that they will respond at some point. ((I notice that in the German the last line of the poem is in the future tense, whereas the English translation renders the line in the present tense. My German really sucks, so it’s entirely possible that the future tense is idiomatic here for a thought that an English speaker would put into the present tense. But I’m not sure.)) And I don’t think that Brecht immodestly implies in the second and third line that everyone’s hearts must be torn to shreds as a result of some magnificent eloquence on his part. After all, the way things are can be stated in the simplest language: just that you’ll go down if you don’t stand up for yourself.
And you will, you know. You will.
Comments
Author: DC
Date: 2007-10-29
Isn’t most of the poem in the present tense? Unless you mean in German?
I do like it though.
Author: Chris
Date: 2007-10-29
I was unclear. I meant that “thought” is in the past tense, both in German and English (isn’t it?). Then what follows is in the present, but it’s reporting what he always thought. That’s consistent with his no longer thinking it. That’s all I meant.
Author: DC
Date: 2007-10-30
Oh yes in that case I agree that it does seem significant. I think it’s perhaps what gives the poewm its sense of disillusion and tragedy. I imagine it relates to the rise to power of the Nazis, or more directly the failure of their opponents to stop them. Reminds me of Chaplin’s speech at the end of The Great Dictator. That’s a great fim that makes me sad too.
Author: Chris
Date: 2007-10-30
I’m glad you pointed that out, since that’s a pretty glaring error on my part. I would correct the post if I wasn’t so lazy. Ho hum.
By the way, what the hell is it with you and my spam filter? The filter has a perfect record of catching spam and allowing real comments through - except when it comes to nearly every comment you’ve posted on this blog. I wonder if it’s the obviously phony email. On the other hand, I’ve never seen you in the same room as a spam bot, so perhaps it’s on to something.
Author: DC
Date: 2007-10-31
I seem to recall the same thing at the Virtual Stoa and I think it was fixed when I used my real email - so voila?
Author: Chris
Date: 2007-10-31
It worked! And now I can add your email to the list I periodically sell to spammers.
Joking!
Author: DC
Date: 2007-10-31
It occurs to me that my comments have therfore been a double pain-in-the-neck for you! Sorry about that, I should have copped that before and saved you some hassle. Can’t do anything to avoid the more substantial problem though, I’m afraid.
Author: Chris
Date: 2007-10-31
And yet somehow I carry on, DC.