I thought some might like a translation of the first song (Zog Nit Keyn Mal):
Never say that there is only death for you
Though leaden clouds may be concealing skies of blue
Because the hour that we have hungered for is near
Beneath our tread the earth shall tremble: We are here!
From land of palm-tree to the far-off land of snow
We shall be coming with our torment and our woe,
And everywhere our blood has sunk into the earth
Shall our bravery, our vigor blossom forth!
We’ll have the morning sun to set our day aglow,
And all our yesterdays shall vanish with the foe,
And if the time is long before the sun appears,
Then let this song go like a signal through the years.
This song was written with our blood and not with lead;
It’s not a song that birds are singing overhead.
It was a people, among toppling barricades,
That sang this song of ours with pistols and grenades.
So never say that there is only death for you
For leaden clouds may be concealing skies of blue
And yet the hour that we have hungered for is near
Beneath our tread the earth shall tremble: We are here!
How beautiful! They are nice to listen to while surfing around and reading as well. Lovely all-purpose songs.
I thought some might like a translation of the first song (Zog Nit Keyn Mal):
Never say that there is only death for you
Though leaden clouds may be concealing skies of blue
Because the hour that we have hungered for is near
Beneath our tread the earth shall tremble: We are here!
From land of palm-tree to the far-off land of snow
We shall be coming with our torment and our woe,
And everywhere our blood has sunk into the earth
Shall our bravery, our vigor blossom forth!
We’ll have the morning sun to set our day aglow,
And all our yesterdays shall vanish with the foe,
And if the time is long before the sun appears,
Then let this song go like a signal through the years.
This song was written with our blood and not with lead;
It’s not a song that birds are singing overhead.
It was a people, among toppling barricades,
That sang this song of ours with pistols and grenades.
So never say that there is only death for you
For leaden clouds may be concealing skies of blue
And yet the hour that we have hungered for is near
Beneath our tread the earth shall tremble: We are here!
— Hirsh Glick
And for “Shtil di Nakht” (also by Hirsh Glick):
Quiet; the night is filled with stars,
And the frost has burned hard.
Do you remember how I taught you
To hold a submachine gun in your hand?
A girl, a fur coat and a beret
Holding a pistol in her hand.
A girl with a velvet skin face
Stops the enemy’s column.
Aim, fire, and hit
Has her tiny pistol.
A truck filled with weapons
She has stopped with one bullet.
Before dawn, having crept out of the woods
With snowflake-garlands on her hair.
Encouraged by a small victory
For our new era of liberty!
Thank you for providing those translations. Interesting songs from difficult times.