What Did the Soldier's Wife Receive?

by Bertolt Brecht

And what did the soldier’s wife receive
From the ancient capital, Prague?
From Prague she received her high-heeled shoes,
Greetings, good news, and her high-heeled shoes
She received from the capital, Prague.

And what did the soldier’s wife receive
From Oslo beyond the sound?
She received from Oslo a little fur piece,
And the hope it might please, a little fur piece
She received from beyond the sound.

And what did the soldier’s wife receive
From wealthy Amsterdam?
From Amsterdam she received a hat,
She looked well in that, the pretty Dutch hat
She received from Amsterdam.

And what did the soldier‘s wife receive
From Brussels, the Belgian town?
She received from Brussels the rarest of lace,
What a joy to possess the rarest of lace
She received from the Belgian town.

And what did the soldier’s wife receive
From Paris the city of light?
She received from Paris a silken gown,
‘Twas the talk of the town, the silken gown
She received from the city of light.

And what did the soldier’s wife receive
From the south, from Bucharest?
From Bucharest she received a smock,
A strange gay frock, the Rumanian smock
She received from Bucharest.

And what did the soldier’s wife receive
From the Russian land of snow?
She received from Russia her widow’s weeds,
For her grief she had need of those widow’s weeds
She received from the land of snow.

Translated by H. R. Hays