Der Kanonen Song
Bertolt Brecht| Traduzione inglese di Marc Blitzstein per la versione inglese... | |
| THE CANNONS SONG 1. Johnny and Jimmy were both on the scene And George had his promotion order For the Army doesn't ask what a man has been: They were all marching north to the border. The Army's story1 Is guns and glory From the Cape to Cutch Behar. When they are at a loss And chance to come across New and unruly races With brown or yellow faces They chop them into little bits of beefsteak tartare! 2. Warm whiskey went to Johnny's head And Jimmy was cold every night, But George took them both by the arm and said: The Army lasts forever, and might is right. The Army's story Is guns and glory From the Cape to Cutch Behar. When they are at a loss And chance to come across New and unruly races With brown or yellow faces They chop them into little bits of beefsteak tartare! 3. Now Jim is missing and George is dead And whiskey has sent Johnny barmy But blood is blood and still runs red-- They're recruiting again for the army!! [they all sit there, marching with their feet]2 The Army's story Is guns and glory From the Cape to Cutch Behar. When they are at a loss And chance to come across New and unruly races With brown or yellow faces They chop them into little bits of beefsteak tartare! | THE CANNON SONG John was all present and Jim was all there And Georgie was up for promotion Not that the Army gave a bugger who they were When confronting some heathen commotion The troops live under the cannon's thunder From Sind to Cooch Behar Moving from place to place When they come face to face With a different breed of fellow Whose skin is black or yellow they quick as winking chop them into beefsteak tartar Johnny found his whiskey too warm And Jimmy found the weather too balmy But Georgie took them both by the arm and said Don't ever "disappoint the Army" The troops live under the cannon's thunder From Sind to Cooch Behar Moving from place to place When they come face to face With a different breed of fellow Whose skin is black or yellow they quick as winking chop them into beefsteak tartar Johnny's a write-off and Jimmy is dead And Georgie was shot for looting But young men's blood goes on being red And the army goes ahead recruiting The troops live under the cannon's thunder From Sind to Cooch Behar Moving from place to place When they come face to face With a different breed of fellow Whose skin is black or yellow they quick as winking chop them into beefsteak tartar |
1) This is a rhyming translation, not a precisely literal translation. The first line of the original German really does read "Soldiers live on the Cannons", hence the name "Kanonen-Song". My dad assures me that the English translation does emote the same feeling that a German would feel upon hearing the phrase "Soldiers live on the cannons".
2) The additional line in verse 3 is a Stage Direction for the actors singing the Kanonen Song.