Zwischentöne: Ich Nenne Mich Paul [English translation]

I call myself Paul under my breath, the name suits me brilliantly

The train moves quickly, the countryside passes me by

I let myself drift, wasting some days as a dream

Despite it being 3rd class, I feel rich and free

I imagine, how I will exit the main station

In Leipzig the whole world will be open to me

I want to only show my best side

I’ll not let any day be wasted

I don’t want to postpone the good stuff any longer

I’m moving forward from today and I’m not going back

I think to myself, today could be a day I fall in love

Maybe that great happiness awaits me there?

Possibly the first women I encounter?

I smile, and I swear, I will be open

I don’t mind if it rains in Leipzig today

Because where ever I go, from now on sunshine will prevail

And the Anhalter Bahnhof1 is long gone

In my mind it’s already plunged to the other end of this world

The hours melt away so fast in dozing

But I will be awake when the train finally stops

1. A train stop in Berlin which existed when this story took place, 1919