Then They Came for Me
Disclaimer: a poem about the Holocaust.
The following poem was written about the Holocaust in 1946, by the German pastor, Martin Niemöller:
First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Depois vieram buscar-meThen they came for me
E já não havia ninguém
Para se manifestar por mim
See what it says in English
Click the sentence again to see the Portuguese
The Plus version of this story
Primeiro vieram buscar os comunistasE eu não me manifesteiPorque eu não era comunistaDepois vieram buscar os socialistasE eu não me manifesteiPorque eu não era socialistaDepois vieram buscar os sindicalistasE eu não me manifesteiPorque eu não era sindicalistaDepois vieram buscar os judeusE eu não me manifesteiPorque eu não era judeuDepois vieram buscar-meE já não havia ninguémPara se manifestar por mim
First they came for the CommunistsAnd I did not speak outBecause I was not a communistThen they came for the SocialistsAnd I did not speak outBecause I was not a socialistThen they came for the trade UnionistsAnd I did not speak outBecause I was not a trade unionistThen they came for the JewsAnd I did not speak outBecause I was not a JewThen they came for meAnd there was no one leftTo speak out for me
Words in this story
Comunista (communist) / Socialistas (socialist) / Sindicalistas (unionist)
“-ista” is a suffix (syllable or letters added at the end of a word to modify its meaning) used to form adjectives and nouns that express the notion of follower/supporter (socialista), occupation or trade (jornalista) and specialist (dentista).
This suffix is invariable in gender, meaning it applies to both masculine and feminine subjects. For example: “Ele é capitalista e ela é socialista” (He is a capitalist and she is a socialist).
The word “sindicalista” (unionist) derives from the word “sindicato” (union).
Judeu (jew)
There is a Plus version of this story
The same story, taken further, for DailyNata Plus members. This one works on word formation and suffixes.
- The whole story in Portuguese, and its English
- The words in it, explained, with examples
Written for level B1–B2. Every lesson has its own, anywhere from A1 to B2.
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