Bertolt Brecht "The Burning of the Books" translationA Poem by Michael R. BurchDie Bücherverbrennung ("The Burning of the Books") When the Regime Then a banished writer, one of the best, He rushed to his desk, full of contemptuous wrath, Published by Poetry Super Highway, The Tory, The Hindu, Poetry on Demand, Poemist and Convivium The original German poem appears below Bertolt Brecht’s bio. Bertolt Brecht [1898-1956] was a major German playwright, poet, novelist, humorist, essayist, theater director and songwriter. He was also a highly influential pioneer of modern epic theater, or dialectical theater, with its "alienation effect" (also known as the "distancing effect" or "estrangement effect"). Brecht is highly regarded today for his poetry and for plays such as Antigone, Life of Galileo, Mother Courage and Her Children, The Threepenny Opera and Drums in the Night. He also wrote the lyrics to the song "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer" ("Mack the Knife"), which became a number one hit for Bobby Darin. Brecht fled Germany in 1933, when Hitler assumed power. A number of Brecht's poems were written from the perspective of a man who sees his country becoming increasingly fascist, xenophobic and militaristic. For instance, “Die Bücherverbrennung” (“The Burning of the Books”) was written by Brecht about the Nazi book burnings orchestrated by Hitler's propaganda-meister Joseph Goebbels. The Nazis burned the books of writers they considered to be "decadent," including those of Thomas Mann, Ernest Hemingway and even Helen Keller. Also among the books burned were those of the great German-Jewish poet Heinrich Heine, who in his 1820-1821 play Almansor accurately predicted, “Dort, wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man am Ende auch Menschen." ("Where they burn books, they will also ultimately burn people.") German text: Die Bücherverbrennung Bertolt Brecht Epigrams and Quotations These are my modern English translations of epigrams and quotations by Bertolt Brecht. Everyone chases the way happiness feels, unaware how it nips at their heels. " loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch The world of learning takes a crazy turn when teachers are taught to discern! " loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch Unhappy, the land that lacks heroes. " loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch Hungry man, reach for the book: it's a hook, a harpoon. " loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch Because things are the way they are, things can never stay as they were. " loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch War is like love; true ... it finds a way through. " loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch What happens to the hole when the cheese is no longer whole? " loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch It is easier to rob by setting up a bank than by threatening the poor clerk. " loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch Do not fear death so much, or strife, but rather fear the inadequate life. " loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch Keywords/Tags: Bertolt Brecht, translation, translations, German, modern English, epigram, epigrams, quote, quotes, quotations © 2023 Michael R. Burch |
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Added on March 11, 2020 Last Updated on March 14, 2023 Tags: Bertolt Brecht, German, translation, Holocaust poem, burning, books, banned, harmful, unlawful, illegal, censored, Nazi, regime, fires, bonfires, oxen, carts, cartloads, Adolph Hitler, Joseph Goebbels Author
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