These and other parts of the song were published in Yidisher Folklor in 1955 and 1962. This song refers to the pogrom in Kishinev in 1903. Other variants of the same song refer to pogroms in Bialystok and Volodarka.
The first day of Passover
we Jews spent happily,
and the last day of “their holiday”*
Kishinev was destroyed.
Kishinev was surrounded
like the hoops around a barrel.
Fathers, mothers and children
fell in the streets.
Oh, God in heaven,
look down at us
take heed of the chaos and uproar,
how the goyim are avenging themselves on us.
*Easter
Dem ershtn tog peysakh
Hobn yidelekh gants freylekh farbrakht,
Un dem letstn tog khoge
Hot men keshenev khorev gemakht.
Keshenev arumgeringlt
Azoy vi a bonder di fas,
Tates un mames un kinder
Zaynen gefaln in gas.
Oy, du got in himl,
Kuk shoyn arop tsu undz,
Batrakht nor dem rash mit dem tuml,
Vi di goyim zenen zikh noykem in undz.
דעם ערשטן טאָג פּסח
האָבן ייִדעלעך גאַנץ פֿרײלעך פֿאַרבראַכט,
און דעם לעצטן טאָג חגא
האָט מען קעשענעװ חרובֿ געמאַכט.
קעשענעװ אַרומגערינגלט
אַזױ װי אַ באָנדער די פֿאַס,
טאַטעס און מאַמעס און קינדער
זײַנען געפֿאַלן אין גאַס.
אױ, דו גאָט אין הימל,
קוק שױן אַראָפּ צו אונדז,
באַטראַכט נאָר דעם רעש מיט דעם טומל,
װי די גױים זענען זיך נוקם אין אונדז.
Song Title: Keshenever Pogrom
First published in 1972, Mir Trogn A Gezang: Favorite Yiddish Songs was reprinted six more times (in 1977, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000) due to popular demand. The songs in this anthology represent a sampling of beloved folk and well-known Yiddish songs, many of which are scattered in various song collections; some appear in very rare and inaccessible collections; and some were never before published. Folk songs comprise about a third of this volume and were selected mainly on the basis of popularity and sometimes for their historic significance. Needless to say, they are only representative of the vast, rich treasure of Yiddish folk material. The selection was made not only on the basis of personal preference, but in the knowledge they are favorites of many who sing these songs. Most of the songs represent the repertoire that was sung at Yiddish summer camps, May 1st demonstrations and at social gatherings. Many songs were introduced to American Jewry by Jewish immigrants who came to the United States after World War II, for whom these songs had been favorites in Poland and other East European communities destroyed by the Nazis.
