When plastered billboards scream with slogans
'fight for your country, go to battle'
When media's print assaults your senses,
'Support our leaders' shrieks and rattles…
And fools who don't know any better
Believe the old, eternal lie
That we must march and shoot and kill
Murder, and burn, and bomb, and grill…
When press begins the battle-cry
That nation needs to unify
And for your country you must die…
Dear brainwashed friend, my neighbor dear
Brother from this, or other nation
Know that the cries of anger, fear,
Are nothing but manipulation
by fat-cats, kings who covet riches,
And feed off your sweat and blood - the leeches!
When call to arms engulfs the land
It means that somewhere oil was found,
Shooting 'blackgold' from underground!
It means they found a sneaky way
To make more money, grab more gold
But this is not what you are told!
Don't spill your blood for bucks or oil
Break, burn your rifle, shout: 'NO DEAL!'
Let the rich scoundrels, kings, and bankers
Send their own children to get killed!
May your loud voice be amplified
By roar of other common men
The battle-weary of all nations:
WE WON'T BE CONNED TO WAR AGAIN!
Leave a guest comment (subject to review)
Comments
1 - 6 of 6
-
From guest danny (contact)
sorry ,perhaps someone could explain, how is a poem translated from polish able to rhyme in english?
GUEST CONTACTED -
-
To guest Danny and others
There are a number of ways to translate a poem.
A line by line literal translation as is done by the computerised babelfish method.
A line by line literal translation adjusted for grammatical differences
An overall translation that attempts as far as possible to stick to the poets thoughts using the best phrases from the new language where a choice exists and, if the poet was noted for rhyme and rhythm, trying to choose phrases that carry that over into the new language.
The latter is by far the most common method and it relies on a sympathetic writer which is why you will often find the whole of a poets output is sometimes translated by the same person so as to give a common style to that work in the new language.
As you can see from some of my earlier comments on this poem we would appreciate an accurate Polish text and clarification if needed of any errors people see in the translation given. A translation which could possibly be the poets own work since he lived in English speaking areas for a length of time!
-
-
<
To guest P.
Clearly as Tuwom was a Pole and proud of it he would write in that language, however this is a translation and suffers from all the inadequacies of any translation but it must suffice until upgraded. If you have a copy of the original and the more accurate translation you mention then please get in touch. -
-
<
To guest P
Could you please be more specific. It looks OK to me. -
Julian Tuwim certainly was a voice of his time...as amplified with strong conviction in his verse..."The Common Man" Truism with great impact...an honourable read.
-
-
Male
Yes Tuwim had strong convictions but he was not female.
please check the author page here.
-
-
It's a bit different (mostly the meaning of few last lines), but still awsome translation.
-
I would be glad to find out who was the translator onto the English or if Tuwim translated in on this own.
-
Who translated that?
Author! Author!
Im waiting for you
I really like it!
Adding your comment:
1 - 6 of 6
