Carefully, it is kept concealed,
One does not wish it to be discovered.
For if it is found, my friend, believe it,
Then one would really be in trouble.
Yes, everything said here
Does not please the German rulers.
The OWC tells boldly
Always and forever, what it’s like,
Uninfluenced by censorship
And subject to no government.
It does not bow to Seyss-Inquart‘s thumb
It is free from NSB filth,
It is independent and free
And everything is the same to it.
It is colored in shades of liberty,
Yes, it is rather inclined towards red,
It is a messenger of a new era,
Which it awaits eagerly.
The readership, for which it works,
Is currently quite small and limited.
But it is understood, it is not the time
For too much publicity.
Yet those who are subscribers so far,
Are content with the OWC.
It is well known, another newspaper,
Wherever it may be in the Netherlands,
Cannot offer its readers
What the OWC offers you.
And yet I hope very soon,
That its existence comes to an end,
For when peace finally arrives,
The OWC immediately disappears.
Naturally, therefore, it is desired
That it be liquidated soon,
Willingly, then with much pleasure,
The Underwater Cabaret shall die.
Post-Editing: Sylvia Stawski, Ernst Sittig
Did you notice an error in this transcription or translation, and would you like to send us a corrected version? Or have you created a lyrical translation that captures rhyme and rhythm of the original? Please feel free to send us your version. We appreciate voluntary support for this memorial project, and we regularly review the messages we receive.