This song was sung in the Kaunas and Vilno ghettos. as well as Transnistria. It was adapted from an earlier Yiddish song about the Spanish Civil War as well as from a worker’s song. Author and composer unknown
Sleep, my child, sleep quietly this time,
Til the night allows the moon to shine.
In the sky the stars appear,
Child, don’t look upon my tears,
Sleep, my child, sleep quietly this time.
Your dear father is forever lost,
Taken from us, bitter is the cost.
On a street was dragged and tied,
In a gas chamber he died.
Sleep, my child, sleep quietly this time.
High you’ll hold our flag one fine day,
With conviction you will lead the way,
Say that people must be free,
Rouse mankind and let them see
That there is a better, freer world.
Sleep, my child, sleep quietly this time.
Til the night allows the moon to shine.
In the sky the stars appear,
Child, don’t look upon my tears,
Sleep, my child, sleep quietly this time.
Shlof, mayn kind, shlof vider ruik ayn,
Biz di nakht un di levone shaynt.
Af dem himl glantsn shtern,
Kuk nit, kind, af mayne trern,
Shlof, mayn kind, shlof vider ruik ayn.
Der tate vet shoyn mer nit kumen,
Men hot im fun undz tsugenumen.
lber gasn im geshlept,
In gazkamern im dershtikt,
Shlof, mayn kind, shlof vider ruik ayn.
Du zolst di fonen hoykh heybn,
Geyn foroys mit festn gloybn.
Az men muz bafrayen shklafn,
Firn tsu a nayem hafn,
Firn tsu a nayer, frayer velt.
Shlof, mayn kind, shlof vider ruik ayn,
Biz di nakht un di levone shaynt.
Af dem himl glantsn shtern,
Kuk nit, kind, af mayne trern,
Shlof, mayn kind, shlof vider ruik ayn.
שלאָף, מײַן קינד, שלאָף װידער רויִק אײַן,
ביז די נאַכט און די לבֿנה שײַנט.
אױף דעם הימל גלאַנצן שטערן,
קוק ניט, קינד, אױף מײַנע טרערן,
שלאָף, מײַן קינד, שלאָף װידער רויִק אײַן.
דער טאַטע װעט שױן מער ניט קומען,
מען האָט אים פֿון אונדז צוגענומען.
איבער גאָסן אים געשלעפּט,
אין גאַזקאַמערן אים דערשטיקט.
שלאָף, מײַן קינד, שלאָף װידער רויִק אײַן.
דו זאָלסט די פֿאָנען הױך הײבן,
גײן פֿאָרױס מיט פֿעסטן גלױבן,
אַז מען מוז באַפֿרײַען שקלאַפֿן,
פֿירן צו אַ נײַעם האַפֿן,
פֿירן צו אַ נײַער, פֿרײַער װעלט.
שלאָף, מײַן קינד, שלאָף װידער רויִק אײַן,
ביז די נאַכט און די לבֿנה שײַנט.
אױף דעם הימל גלאַנצן שטערן,
קוק ניט, קינד, אױף מײַנע טרערן,
שלאָף, מײַן קינד, שלאָף װידער רויִק אײַן.
Song Title: Lid Fun Umbakantn Partizan
Compiled by sisters Malke Gottleib and Chana Mlotek, this collection of 40 songs, issued on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, reflects the suffering, despair, longing, as well as the strength, hope and courage that led the last remnant of enfeebled Jews to take up arms against the mammoth Nazi war-machine. Save for five songs, this compilation comprises songs that were actually written or sung in the ghettos and concentration camps. Four exceptions written after the war: “Babi Yar,” “Moyshelekh un Shloymelekh,” “Kadish,” and “Mayn mame hot gevolt zayn oyf mayn khasene” are often presented at commemorative gatherings and were therefore included. The fifth song “Am Yisroel Khay” was written in a D.P. camp and is an affirmation of the will of the survivors to build new lives for themselves, holding high their belief in the endurance of the Jewish people. To enable readers and singers not conversant with the Yiddish alphabet to utilize this collection, We Are Here! Songs of the Holocaust provides parallel transliterations and singable English translations by Roslyn Bresnick Perry.
