Po co wolność? [English translation]

123

A speech on the seventh day of the current year4

Freedom... What do you need freedom for?

Don’t you have television?

Freedom... What do you need freedom for?

Don’t you have Intervision, Eurovision?

Freedom... What do you need freedom for?

Don’t you have lots of money...?

Freedom... What do you need freedom for...?

...And you’ll have more and more...

Let’s march arm in arm

towards the sun of the new world.

We’re building a new bridge

named after our party leader.

Let’s march arm in arm

towards the sun of the new world.

We will build a new bridge

named after our party leader.

Freedom... What do you need freedom for?

Don’t you have buses to get you to work...

Freedom... What do you need freedom for?

...and free allowance of spirits?

Freedom... What do you need freedom for?

You have someone to worship.

Freedom... What do you need freedom for?

You’ve also been given Mundial ’86.5

Let’s march arm in arm

towards the sun of the new world.

We will build a new bridge

named after our party leader.

Let’s march arm in arm

towards the sun of the new world.

We will build a new bridge

named after our party leader.

Freedom... What do you need freedom for?

Don’t you have science-fiction films?6

Freedom... What do you need freedom for?

Sometimes you’re permitted street protests.7

Freedom... What do you need freedom for?

Each shop display bursts with prosperity.

Freedom... What do you need freedom for?

Don’t you have bread and circuses?

March arm in arm

towards the sun of our world.

You’ll all be sacrificed

for the party leader.

Do you hear, do you hear

what’s been going on here for years?

What a high profile this foul world is giving to itself?

What a foul world

divided by borders!

With people you love

you can only „talk” with letters;8

you can only „smell” them with the post-office glue,

only because they live in another country.

In this world everyone is greedy and rapacious.

In this world everyone wants money and corporations.

A few bastards rule this world’s politics;

the most potent of them think about ruling the galactic.

What a foul world...

... a speech on the seventh day...

What a horrible world...

... of the current year.

1. 34 years ago, on 13th December 1981, martial law was imposed in Poland; it was announced in a nighttime speech by the General of the Army Wojciech Jaruzelski; a part of this speech is included in the introductory part of the video; translation: "The State Council, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, today at midnight has introduced martial law throughout the country. We are but a drop in a stream of the history of Poland".2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_law_in_Poland3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wojciech_Jaruzelski4. This line probably has nothing to do with any particular speech; it's just a formula of a communist-style speech that might be delivered by a party official anywhere in Poland and anytime5. in the meaning of being shown on TV6. sounds very ironic, taking into account the circumstances7. which normally ended in "pacification" actions by militia troops8. at the time of martial law, all letters had to go through a censor's office where they were opened and checked