There is a thread of exile that flows through this which makes me wonder if it can be truely understood or felt by the Canadian or American reader, a thread that is well understood by Poles, Germans, Russians and many others from around the world from the Palestians to the Armenians to Chineese who know "Days when we were used to changing countries
More often than shoes".
I know that where I live in Canada this is a totally foreign sentiment, but I am here because of it. My grandmother ofen had the word "Siberia" on here lips......
No, just recognising the fact, that while fighting injustice and oppression one cannot be the gentle caring person, that is invisioned in the last paragraph.
I think it is the sober recognition that the pursuit of Justice, while imperative, nonetheless diminishes and distorts us. It is the zero-sum nature of violence... it costs us all, especially the ‘victim’ and the ‘oppressed’, to make things right.
Heartbreaking in its relevance. Brecht is a human for all time. The Harpers link offers a different version in German and English. I am currently studying German and find it super interesting!
it's simple present. No possibility, just as it is. That's the vision:
"That man support their fellow man." Or "Man aids their fellow man" I am not sure about the nuances here.
We are not there yet, in fact right now we are moving away from it. People in power are sawing resentment and hate and the seed sprouts, leading to violence, murder, terror.
People today feel threatened on an existential level and some feel only violence will savee them, while others who believe that love will salvage humans fear that they must nevertheless arm themselves. Those who love are in Brecht’s quandry.
Like Pablo Neruda, Bertold belonged to a poet generation that kept to communism and its good utopian hopes. Other great poets held on, like the Turkish Hikmet, even after Stalin's show trials. I am saddened that the communist dream has always ended in dictators. Ortega renounced communism to get back into office in Nicaragua. Venezuela is now a dictatorship. Fidel's gone but it,s a one party state. Great poem here. Emma Goldman who went to Russia after Lenin took power and soon left, said it, too much power in the hands of the state.
There is a thread of exile that flows through this which makes me wonder if it can be truely understood or felt by the Canadian or American reader, a thread that is well understood by Poles, Germans, Russians and many others from around the world from the Palestians to the Armenians to Chineese who know "Days when we were used to changing countries
More often than shoes".
I know that where I live in Canada this is a totally foreign sentiment, but I am here because of it. My grandmother ofen had the word "Siberia" on here lips......
“Hatred of oppression still distorts the features,
Anger at injustice still makes voices raised and ugly.”
Cautionary lines for social justice warriors?
No, just recognising the fact, that while fighting injustice and oppression one cannot be the gentle caring person, that is invisioned in the last paragraph.
I think it is the sober recognition that the pursuit of Justice, while imperative, nonetheless diminishes and distorts us. It is the zero-sum nature of violence... it costs us all, especially the ‘victim’ and the ‘oppressed’, to make things right.
Heartbreaking in its relevance. Brecht is a human for all time. The Harpers link offers a different version in German and English. I am currently studying German and find it super interesting!
Just found this in Harper’s https://harpers.org/2008/01/brecht-to-those-who-follow-in-our-wake/
I like this translation best.
The last line though "wenn es soweit sein wird
Dass der Mensch dem Menschen ein Helfer ist" -
it's simple present. No possibility, just as it is. That's the vision:
"That man support their fellow man." Or "Man aids their fellow man" I am not sure about the nuances here.
We are not there yet, in fact right now we are moving away from it. People in power are sawing resentment and hate and the seed sprouts, leading to violence, murder, terror.
People today feel threatened on an existential level and some feel only violence will savee them, while others who believe that love will salvage humans fear that they must nevertheless arm themselves. Those who love are in Brecht’s quandry.
I would love to spend a day discussing this poem!
I would like to know more about this poem- the context and meaning - can anyone help?
Resonates deeply.. Speaks of now!
History repeats itself. . .
I have a Dream!
Injustice without outrage- wow, now that is a low vibration. Reminded me of col jessup: you need me on that wall.
Beautiful!
Like Pablo Neruda, Bertold belonged to a poet generation that kept to communism and its good utopian hopes. Other great poets held on, like the Turkish Hikmet, even after Stalin's show trials. I am saddened that the communist dream has always ended in dictators. Ortega renounced communism to get back into office in Nicaragua. Venezuela is now a dictatorship. Fidel's gone but it,s a one party state. Great poem here. Emma Goldman who went to Russia after Lenin took power and soon left, said it, too much power in the hands of the state.
Most definitely worth all the love, effortlessly expressed in each sunrise and sunset.
Love always
Dave P
Wow! That was then, that is now!!!
Resignation at what has been and is watching history and human behavior blindly cycle back, again and again.
The outrageous, enigmatic, fabulous Bertolt Brecht!
We cannot harvest good fruit from the swamp