전쟁에 참여한 사람이 아니라 뒤에 남겨진 사람들에게는 무슨 의미가 있던 것인지, 특히나 남편을 전쟁에 보내고 기다리는 아내의 모습을 그린 영화들도 많이 볼 수 있는데, 이 곡은 그 한 단면을 보여주고 있는 곡입니다. 브레히트가 쓴 시에 쿠르트 바일이 곡을 붙였고, 최초의 녹음은 쿠르트 바일의 아내였던 로테 레냐가 불렀습니다. 가사는 간단해서, 독일군이 진군한 곳에서 아내에게 무엇인가를 보내주지만 결국 마지막에 보내진것은 미망인들이 사용하는 베일이라는 내용입니다.

위의 영상은 September Song이라는 쿠르트 바일에 대한 다큐멘타리 영화의 한 장면인데, 그의 작품을 다양한 음악가들이 자신의 방식대로 연주를 해 줘서 쿠르트 바일의 작품을 즐길 수 있도록 해 주는 꽤 괜찮은 영화입니다.

아래는 로테 레냐가 1943년경에 녹음한것을 복원한건데, 워낙에 음질 상태가 열악하네요.




What was sent to the soldier's wife
From the ancient city of Prague ?
From Prague came a pair of high heeled shoes,
With a kiss or two came the high heeled shoes
From the ancient city of Prague.

What was sent to the soldier's wife
From Oslo over the sound ?
From Oslo he sent her a collar of fur,
How it pleases her, the little collar of fur
From Oslo over the sound.

What was sent to the soldier's wife
From the wealth of Amsterdam ?
From Amsterdam, he got her a hat,
She looked sweet in that,
In her little Dutch hat
From the wealth of Amsterdam.

What was sent to the soldier's wife
From Brussels in Belgian land ?
From Brussels he sent her the laces so rare
To have and to wear,
All those laces so rare
From Brussels in Belgian land.

What was sent to the soldier's wife
From Paris, city of light ?
From Paris he sent her a silken gown,
It was ended in town, that silken gown,
From Paris, city of light.

What was sent to the soldier's wife
From the South, from Bucharest ?
From Bucharest he got her this shirt
Embroidered and pert, that Rumanian shirt
From the South, from Bucharest.

What was sent to the soldier's wife
From the far-off Russian land ?
From Russia he sent her a widow's veil
For her dead to bewail in her widow's veil
From the far-off Russian land,
From the far-off Russian land.