Text & Translation
Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib?
German source:
Bertolt Brecht
aus der alten Hauptstadt Prag?
Aus Prag bekam sie die Stöckelschuh,
einen Gruß und dazu die Stöckelschuh
das bekam sie aus der Stadt Prag.
Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib
aus Oslo über dem Sund?
Aus Oslo bekam sie das Kräglein aus Pelz,
hoffentlich gefällt's, das Kräglein aus Pelz,
das bekam sie aus Oslo am Sund.
Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib
aus dem reichen Amsterdam?
Aus Amsterdam bekam sie den Hut
und er steht ihr gut,
der holländische Hut
den bekam sie aus Amsterdam.
Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib
aus Brüssel im belgischen Land?
Aus Brüssel bekam sie die seltenen Spitzen,
ach, das zu besitzen, die belgischen Spitzen,
die bekam sie aus belgischem Land.
Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib
aus der Lichterstadt Paris?
Aus Paris bekam sie das seidene Kleid.
zu der Nachbarin Neid das seidene Kleid
das bekam sie aus Paris.
Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib
aus den südlichen Bukarest?
Aus Bukarest bekam sie das Hemd
so bunt und so fremd,
das rumänische Hemd,
das bekam sie aus Bukarest.
Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib
aus dem weiten Russenland?
Aus Russenland bekam
Sie den Witwenschleier,
zu der Totenfeider den Witwenschleier,
das bekam sie aus Russenland.
And what did the soldier’s wife get?
English translation ©
George Robarts
From the old metropolis of Prague?
From Prague she got the high-heeled shoe,
And greetings too with the high-heeled shoe
That she got from the city of Prague.
And what did the soldier’s wife get
From Oslo upon the sound?
From Oslo she got the muffler of fur,
And hopefully the fur was good enough for her,
That she got from Oslo on the sound.
And what did the soldier’s wife get
From affluent Amsterdam?
From Amsterdam she got the hat
And how well it sat, the fetching Dutch hat
That she got from Amsterdam.
And what did the soldier’s wife get
From Brussels in the land of Belgium?
From Brussels she got the lace so rare,
And oh, to wear the lace so rare
That she got from the land of Belgium.
And what did the soldier’s wife get
From Paris, the city of lights?
From Paris she got the silken dress,
And the neighbours liked her less when they saw her in the dress
That she got from the city of lights.
And what did the soldier’s wife get
From southerly Bucharest?
From Bucharest she got the shirt
So exotically overt, the Romanian shirt
That she got from Bucharest.
And what did the soldier’s wife get
From the far-flung Russian lands?
From Russia she got the widow’s veil,
And the funeral mail with the widow’s veil
That she got from the Russian lands.
Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib?
German source:
Bertolt Brecht
And what did the soldier’s wife get?
English source:
George Robarts
Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib
And what did the soldier’s wife get
aus der alten Hauptstadt Prag?
From the old metropolis of Prague?
Aus Prag bekam sie die Stöckelschuh,
From Prague she got the high-heeled shoe,
einen Gruß und dazu die Stöckelschuh
And greetings too with the high-heeled shoe
das bekam sie aus der Stadt Prag.
That she got from the city of Prague.
Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib
And what did the soldier’s wife get
aus Oslo über dem Sund?
From Oslo upon the sound?
Aus Oslo bekam sie das Kräglein aus Pelz,
From Oslo she got the muffler of fur,
hoffentlich gefällt's, das Kräglein aus Pelz,
And hopefully the fur was good enough for her,
das bekam sie aus Oslo am Sund.
That she got from Oslo on the sound.
Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib
And what did the soldier’s wife get
aus dem reichen Amsterdam?
From affluent Amsterdam?
Aus Amsterdam bekam sie den Hut
From Amsterdam she got the hat
und er steht ihr gut,
And how well it sat, the fetching Dutch hat
der holländische Hut
That she got from Amsterdam.
den bekam sie aus Amsterdam.
Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib
And what did the soldier’s wife get
aus Brüssel im belgischen Land?
From Brussels in the land of Belgium?
Aus Brüssel bekam sie die seltenen Spitzen,
From Brussels she got the lace so rare,
ach, das zu besitzen, die belgischen Spitzen,
And oh, to wear the lace so rare
die bekam sie aus belgischem Land.
That she got from the land of Belgium.
Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib
And what did the soldier’s wife get
aus der Lichterstadt Paris?
From Paris, the city of lights?
Aus Paris bekam sie das seidene Kleid.
From Paris she got the silken dress,
zu der Nachbarin Neid das seidene Kleid
And the neighbours liked her less when they saw her in the dress
das bekam sie aus Paris.
That she got from the city of lights.
Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib
And what did the soldier’s wife get
aus den südlichen Bukarest?
From southerly Bucharest?
Aus Bukarest bekam sie das Hemd
From Bucharest she got the shirt
so bunt und so fremd,
So exotically overt, the Romanian shirt
das rumänische Hemd,
That she got from Bucharest.
das bekam sie aus Bukarest.
Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib
And what did the soldier’s wife get
aus dem weiten Russenland?
From the far-flung Russian lands?
Aus Russenland bekam
From Russia she got the widow’s veil,
Sie den Witwenschleier,
And the funeral mail with the widow’s veil
zu der Totenfeider den Witwenschleier,
That she got from the Russian lands.
das bekam sie aus Russenland.
Composer
Kurt Weill
Kurt Julian Weill was a German Jewish composer best known for his collaborations with Bertolt Brecht. He studied under Ferruccio Busoni in the 1920s, at the Preußische Akademie der Künste in Berlin. He was part of the Novembergruppe, a leftist group…
Poet
Bertolt Brecht
Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Living in Munich during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes with…