A song about the complicity of Western societies in the third and possibly final stage of the ethnic cleansing of Palestine.
Es spitzten sich die Grausamkeiten zu,
Da war längst klar, sie meinten was sie sagten,
Und passten zu den Worten auch die Taten.
Und wo warst Du?
Rechtfertigungen gab es auch im Nu:
Es müssten die Besatzer sich doch wehren
Da wäre gar kein Grund, sich zu empören.
Was dachtest Du?
So raubte es kaum einem seine Ruh,
Als sie den schmalen Streifen ganz zerstörten,
Regierungen im Westen assistierten
Schwiegst da auch Du?
Es nahmen auch die Repressionen zu:
War manchen schon der Arbeitsplatz gekündigt,
Die hatten gegen Staatsraison gesündigt.
Was tatest Du?
Ich frag mich, wenn ich raten soll wozu.
Zum Weiterleben muss man manchmal schweigen
Und wird vielleicht am Ende übrig bleiben.
Doch ewig kann man nicht die Frage meiden:
Wo warst Du?
Da war längst klar, sie meinten was sie sagten,
Und passten zu den Worten auch die Taten.
Und wo warst Du?
Rechtfertigungen gab es auch im Nu:
Es müssten die Besatzer sich doch wehren
Da wäre gar kein Grund, sich zu empören.
Was dachtest Du?
So raubte es kaum einem seine Ruh,
Als sie den schmalen Streifen ganz zerstörten,
Regierungen im Westen assistierten
Schwiegst da auch Du?
Es nahmen auch die Repressionen zu:
War manchen schon der Arbeitsplatz gekündigt,
Die hatten gegen Staatsraison gesündigt.
Was tatest Du?
Ich frag mich, wenn ich raten soll wozu.
Zum Weiterleben muss man manchmal schweigen
Und wird vielleicht am Ende übrig bleiben.
Doch ewig kann man nicht die Frage meiden:
Wo warst Du?
Contributed by Krysztof Daletski - 2025/6/8 - 11:14
Language: English
Verbose, not singable English translation
When the cruelties escalated
It had long since become clear that they meant what they said,
And their actions matched their words.
And where were you?
Justifications came instantly:
The occupiers have to defend themselves.
There is no reason to be outraged.
What did you think?
Hardly anyone was bothered
When they completely destroyed the narrow strip.
Western governments provided assistance.
Were you silent, too?
Repression also increased:
Some had already lost their jobs,
Because they had sinned against the raison d'etat.
What did you do?
I wonder, if asked, what to recommend.
To go on living, you sometimes have to be quiet,
And maybe you will be left in the basket.
But you cannot avoid the question forever:
Where were you?
It had long since become clear that they meant what they said,
And their actions matched their words.
And where were you?
Justifications came instantly:
The occupiers have to defend themselves.
There is no reason to be outraged.
What did you think?
Hardly anyone was bothered
When they completely destroyed the narrow strip.
Western governments provided assistance.
Were you silent, too?
Repression also increased:
Some had already lost their jobs,
Because they had sinned against the raison d'etat.
What did you do?
I wonder, if asked, what to recommend.
To go on living, you sometimes have to be quiet,
And maybe you will be left in the basket.
But you cannot avoid the question forever:
Where were you?
Contributed by Krysztof Daletski - 2025/6/8 - 11:19
Language: Italian
Traduzione italiana / Italian translation / Traduction italienne / Italiankielinen käännös:
Riccardo Venturi, 9-6-2025 08:21
Riccardo Venturi, 9-6-2025 08:21
Tacevi anche tu?
Aumentavano le inumane scelleratezze,
Chiaro era da tanto, che pensavano quel che dicevano
E che le loro parole corrispondevano ai fatti.
E tu dov’eri?
Ci furono all’istante le giustificazioni:
Gli occupanti, insomma, devono difendersi.
Non c’era proprio alcun motivo d’indignarsi.
E tu cosa pensavi?
E così quasi nessuno smosse un dito
Quando rasero al suolo quell’esigua Striscia,
Mentre i governi occidentali assistevano.
Allora tacevi anche tu?
S’accrescevano anche le repressioni:
Parecchi avevan già perso il posto di lavoro
Per aver commesso peccato contro la ragion di stato.
E tu che facevi?
Se devo dare un consiglio, mi chiedo quale.
Per sopravvivere, non di rado occorre tacere,
E forse, alla fine, tutto resta com’è.
Ma non si può scansare la domanda in eterno:
Tu, dov’eri?
Aumentavano le inumane scelleratezze,
Chiaro era da tanto, che pensavano quel che dicevano
E che le loro parole corrispondevano ai fatti.
E tu dov’eri?
Ci furono all’istante le giustificazioni:
Gli occupanti, insomma, devono difendersi.
Non c’era proprio alcun motivo d’indignarsi.
E tu cosa pensavi?
E così quasi nessuno smosse un dito
Quando rasero al suolo quell’esigua Striscia,
Mentre i governi occidentali assistevano.
Allora tacevi anche tu?
S’accrescevano anche le repressioni:
Parecchi avevan già perso il posto di lavoro
Per aver commesso peccato contro la ragion di stato.
E tu che facevi?
Se devo dare un consiglio, mi chiedo quale.
Per sopravvivere, non di rado occorre tacere,
E forse, alla fine, tutto resta com’è.
Ma non si può scansare la domanda in eterno:
Tu, dov’eri?
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