Hei héiert der déi geschwate Versioun.

 

 

Wann den Aarbechter hier Suergen an hir Dreem déif bannendran

Seelen och dee Mann erreechen, dee sech alles leeschte kann

Ginn et awer och Momenter, wou him d'Freed um Geld vergeet

An da revoltéiert hie sech géint all Ongerechtegkeet,

An op eemol kënnt seng besser Säit zum Virschäin, onerwaart,

Sou wéi fir en Doudgeweiten d'Hand vun enger gudder Fra.

 

't ass de Glaf un eppes Besseres als wéi gëschter oder haut —

't ass de Wonsch no eppes Besseres, deem mir bis zulescht vertraut —

Dee mam Alter nach méi staark gëtt — 't ass eng himmlesch Hoffnung dran

't ass de Glaf un eppes Besseres, deen eis schliisslech rette kann.

 

Gëff dem Mënsch all Gléck op Äerden – gëff him richteg Léift a Geld

Hei'nsdo wäert en awer d'Flemm hunn – mat sech selwer an der Welt.

Hei'nsdo, wa säi schlecht Gewëssen hien net schlofe léisst am Bett

Dreemt e vun der Welt wou alles grad sou ass, wéi hien 't gär hätt

Ebe vun där Aart ze liewen, déi bis elo "utopesch" wor

A grad dat gesäit hie vru sech — ganz wäit fort, an dach ganz kloer.

 

't ass de Glaf un eppes Besseres als wéi gëschter oder haut —

't ass de Wonsch no eppes Besseres — deem mir bis zulescht vertraut

D'Hoffnung, et rëm gutt ze maachen, éier eis Séil ernidder geet

't ass de Glaf un eppes Besseres, deen eis schliisslech rette wäert.

 

 

Dëst kuerzt Gedicht, dat wéi e Gebiet klengt, huet eng interessant Entstehungsgeschicht. Et stellt eng Iddi an de Mëttelpunkt, déi d'Zäitalter vun der Auswanderung villäicht besser wéi all aner resuméiert. Den Henry Lawson war — grad ewéi seng Mamm Louisa Lawson, déi hir Zäitschrëft The Dawn ("De Sonnenopgank") trotz dem Widderstand vun der männlech dominéierter Medielandschaft erfollegräich gefouert huet — e liewenslaange Bewonnerer vun Eegeninitiativ an Onofhängegkeet. Um Enn vum 19. Joerhonnert hunn ëmmer méi Leit sech zesummegedou, fir déi agefuere politesch Landschaft ze veränneren an e méi selbstbestëmmt Liewe féieren ze kënnen. Dës Revendicatiounen hu sech, an Australie grad ewéi an Europa an Nordamerika, um Widderstand vun de Machthaber gestouss, wat dozou gefouert huet, dass verschidden unternehmungslëschteg Mënschen hier Hoffnung erëm an d'Auswanderung gesat hunn.

 

No kuerzen Openthalter a Kanada an zu Detroit ass de jonken englesche Journalist William Lane an Australie komm, wou hie sech der Aarbechterbeweegung ugeschloss huet. An de fréien 1890er Joren war hien de Kapp vun enger Grupp vun e puer Honnert Australier, déi déi lokal politesch Strukturen als onflexibel an ongerecht empfonnt hunn an eng nei, egalitär Gesellschaft a Südamerika grënne wollten. Eng Rei bekannt Aktiviste ware mat vun der Partie, ënnert anerem d'Schrëftstellerin Mary Gilmore, déi zu där Zäit mam Henry Lawson zesumme war. Hie selwer huet zuguer och eng Zäit laang mam Gedanke gespillt, sech der Grupp unzeschléissen. Tëscht 1892 an 1894 huet d' "New Australia kooperativ Siidlungsassociatioun" zu Sydney eng Zeitung erausginn. Dem Lawson säi Gedicht Eppes Besseres ass de 24. Mäerz 1894 am New Australia erauskomm. Ee Joer virdrun war de William Lane effektiv mat gutt 200 Matstreider aus Sydney fortgefuer fir d'Siidlung New Australia um Río Tebicuary a Südparaguay ze grënnen. Opgrond vu Meenungsverschiddenheeten tëscht den Auswanderer ass d'Duerf allerdéngs no kuerzer Zäit erëm opgeléist ginn.

 

Mä de Kampf fir eng méi grouss sozial Gerechtegkeet ass viru gaang, an Australien esou gutt ewéi op anere Plazen. Vill vun dem Lawson senge Gedichter handele vun dësem Thema, esou zum Beispill The Shearers ("D'Schofschierer") a sengem Gedichtband When I Was King and Other Verses vun 1905. Heiranner erzielt de Lawson vun der "Komerodschaft, a karge Landschafte gebuer", vun den Aarbechter, "déi hir Kap viru kengem zéien" an déi "déif an hirem Häerz / de Glaf vun eppes Besseres" droen.

 

 

 

 

Though the workers' bitter struggle for a better state of things

May not touch the man in reach of all the joys that money brings,

There are times, and very often, when such joys begin to pall,

And his better nature rises in revolt against it all,

Stirring up the nobler manhood that is in him even now,

Like the hand of some pure woman on a dying blackguard's brow.

 

'Tis the hope of something better than the present or the past —

'Tis the wish for something better strong within us till the last —

Stronger still in dissipation — 'tis the longing to ascend —

'Tis the hope of something better that will save us in the end.

 

Give a man all earthly treasures – give him genuine love and pelf —

Yet at times he'll get disgusted with the world and with himself;

And at times there comes a vision in his conscience-stricken nights,

Of a land where "Vice" is cleanly, of a land of pure delights;

And the better state of living which we sneer at as "ideal",

Seems before him in the distance — very far, but very real.

 

'Tis the hope of something better than the present or the past —

'Tis the wish for something better — strong within us till the last.

'Tis the longing for redemption as our ruined souls descend;

'Tis the hope of something better that will save us in the end.

 

 

The origins of this short poem, melodious like a prayer, make for an interesting story. The poem reflects on an idea that summarises, perhaps more than anything else, the century of immigration. Like his mother Louisa Lawson, who successfully ran her journal The Dawn against the staunch opposition of the male-dominated media establishment, Henry Lawson was a life-long admirer of self-reliance and independence. The turn of the twentieth century was a time when more and more people joined forces and actively worked to change the political landscape in order to lead a more self-determined life. In Australia as in Europe and Northern America, such social claims clashed with the interests of the establishment, and some enterprising spirits again turned their hopes to emigration.

 

After stints in Canada and Detroit, a young English journalist by the name of William Lane moved to Australia, where he joined the nascent labour movement. In the early 1890s, he headed a group of several hundred Australians who, frustrated by the seemingly rigid and unfair power structures back home, had decided to found a new egalitarian society in South America. Among them were such renowned activists as the writer Mary Gilmore, who at this time was romantically involved with Henry Lawson. The poet himself seems to have only shortly entertained the notion of joining the group. From 1892 to 1894, the New Australia Co-operative Settlement Association circulated a journal in Sydney. The present poem, Something Better, was published in the March 24, 1894 edition of the New Australia. The year before, William Lane and some two hundred like-minded individuals had left Sydney to found the settlement New Australia on the Tebicuary River in southern Paraguay. Due to disagreements among the settlers, the town was however soon disbanded.

 

But the battle for more justice went on, in Australia as elsewhere. Many of Lawson's poems echo the same sentiment. To mention but one, in his poetry collection from 1905 with the title When I Was King and Other Verses, Lawson sings in The Shearers of "the mateship born of barren lands", of the steadfast workers who "touch their hats to no man" and who carry, "deep down in their hearts / the hope of something better".