Seit wann, Soehne der Wahrheit, seid ihr Brueder der Nacht?
Was hat eure Haende blutrot gemacht?
Der Ausbruch in der Nacht ist die Bluete des Leids,
mit ihr kann nichts entschuldigt sein.
Nicht zerschlagen laesst sich der Luegenaltar, der Altar
der die Form vervielfacht immerdar.
Unbeflecktes Bildnis, Lichter ohne Pein,
schauriger Naechte Schutz allein
Des Geistes Kinder sind wir und Brueder der Nacht,
deren Versprechen nicht zustande gebracht.
Wir sind schwarze Geister von dieser Welt,
besingen des Kummers verrueckte Gestalt
Die Erlaeuterung ist die Peitsche, und du tropfest Blut:
Zum hundertsten Male zersplittert der Spiegel der Welt,
eure Mueh' ist vergeblich; wir haben die Nacht ueberwunden.
Unsre Schuld ist beglichen
und unser das Licht
(Laibach Apology
Since when, sons of Truth, are you brothers of the Night?
What has made your hands blood red?
The outbreak in the night is the flower of pain ,
nothing can be excused by that.
The altar of lies will not be broken, the altar
that multiplies the form forever.
Immaculate portrait, bringer of light without pain,
only protection for horrible nights
We are children of the ghost and brothers of the Night,
that does not keep its promises.
We are black spirits of this world,
we extol the mad shape of sorrow
The explanation is the whip, and you drip of blood:
Break the mirror of the world for the hundredth time,
your hardship is in vain; we have defeated the Night.
Our debt is paid
and ours is the light)
("Laibach-Apologie" (or "Apologija Laibach" as the Slovenian original
version is called) was written in 1982 by then frontman of the band, Tomaz
Hostnik, who committed suicide in December that year. I believe it was his
suicide note. It doesn't appear as a song on this album, only as a poem
(translated into German) in the CD booklet, but it appears on at least
three other Laibach albums. A live version is found on "Baptism - Krst Pod
Triglavom" (their score for a theatre production). A studio version is
found on "Trans Slovenia Express", a 1994 collection of Slovenian bands
covering Kraftwerk songs, and on the 1987 album "Slovenska Akropola",
released in former Yugoslavia only.)
(There is a much better English translation in the book "Neue Slowenische
Kunst", but I don't have it.)