When the Nazis came for the communists,
起初，納粹抓了共產黨人的時候，
I remained silent;
我沉默了；
—— I was not a communist.
—— 我不是共產黨人。
When they locked up the social democrats,
當他們關了猶太人的時候，
I remained silent;
我沉默了；
—— I was not a social democrat.
—— 我不是猶太人。
When they came for the trade unionists,
當他們抓工會成員的時候，
I did not speak out;
我沒有抗議；
—— I was not a trade unionist. —— 我不是工會成員。
When they came for the Jews,
當他們抓天主教徒的時候，
I remained silent;
我沉默了；
—— I was not a Jew.
—— 我不是天主教徒。
When they came for me,
最後當他們奔向我而來，
there was no one left to speak out.
再也沒有人站起來為我說話了
“First they came …” is a poem written by the German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984). It is about the cowardice of German intellectuals following the Nazis’ rise to power and subsequent incremental purging of their chosen targets, group after group. Many variations and adaptations in the spirit of the original have been published in the English language. It deals with themes of persecution, guilt and responsibility.
“ 起初他們來了…… ”是德國路德教會牧師馬丁·尼莫勒（1892-1984）寫的一首詩。這是關於懦弱的德國知識分子繼納粹 “ 崛起之路和後續的增量清洗的他們所選擇的目標，一批又一批。原版精神的許多變化和改編都以英文出版。它涉及迫害，內疚和責任的主題。