Folksong, published by Y. L. Cahan in 1912, was in the repertoire of the folk and opera singer Liuba Levitska of Vilna Ghetto. Liuba sang this song during a concert that took place after the murder of 1,500 Jews in the ViIna Ghetto in January 1942. Poet Abraham Sutzkever writes (Vilner geto 1941-1944): “It is impossible to forget that concert. The mood in the hall was like a memorial service. . .” Shoshana Kalisch and Ruth Rubin both describe the role the song played in the heroic life and death of Liuba Levitska who was tortured to death by the Nazis. Kalisch writes that legends arose about Levitska’s death, one of which recounted that on the drive from Vilna to Ponary, when she was led to the bodies on which she was to die, Liuba kept on singing this song.
Two little doves flew over the water
they kissed each other’s beaks;
Cursed be that man
who interfered in our love!
And when you come into a strange city, my love,
may you remember my words
so when you cross the water, my love,
you do not drown yourself from woe.
And wen you come into a far city, my love,
may you remember my words
so when you pass over a fire, my love,
you do not burn yourself from woe.
Two little doves flew over the water
with their wings spread out like so;
May that man come to a bad end
who parted us so swiftly from our love.
Tsvey taybelekh zenen ibern vaser gefloygn,
In di piskelekh hobn zey zikh gekisht (gekusht),
Farsholtn zol vern nor yener mentsh,
Vos hot zikh in undzer libe arayngemisht!
Un az du vest kumen in a fremder shtot, lyubelyu,
Mayne reyd zolstu badenken;
Un az du vest kumen iber a vaser, lyubelyu,
Far tsores zolstu zikh nisht dertrenken.
Un az du vest kumen in a vayter shtot, lyubelyu,
Mayne reyd zolstu bakenen;
Un az du vest kumen iber a fayer, lyubelyu,
Far tsores zolstu zikh nit farbrenen.
Tsvey taybelekh zenen ibern vaser gefloygn
Mit di fligelekh azoy tseshpreyt;
Keyn gutn sof zol der mentsh nit hobn,
Vos hot undz fun der libe azoy gikh tsesheydt!
צװײ טטבעלעך זענען איבערן װאַסער געפֿלױגן,
אין די פֿיסקעלעך האָבן זײ זיך געקישט (געקושט),
פֿאַרשאַלטן זאָל װערן נאָר יענער מענטש,
װאָס האָט זיך אין אונדזער ליבע אַרײַנגעמישט!
און אַז דז װעסט קומען אין אַ פֿרעמדער שטאָט, ליובעליו,
מײַנע רײד זאָלסטו באַדענקען;
און אַז דו װעסט קומען איבער אַ װאַסער, ליובעליו,
פֿאַר צרות זאָלסטו זיך נישט דערטרענקען.
און אַז דז װעסט קומען אין אַ װײַטער שטאָט, ליובעליו,
מײַנע רײד זאָלסטו באַקענען;
און אַז דו װעסט קומען איבער אַ פֿנײַער, ליובעליו,
פֿאַר צרות זאָלסטו זיך ניט פֿאַרברענען.
צװײ טבעלעך זענען איבערן װאַסער געפֿלױגן
מיט די פֿליגעלעך אַזוֹי צעשפּרײיט:
קײן גוטן סוף זאָל דער מענטש ניט האָבן,
װאָס האָט אונדז פֿון דער ליבע אַזוֹי זיך צעשײדט!
Song Title: Tsvey Taybelekh
The Songs of Generations: New Pearls of Yiddish Song anthology comprises songs that were either never printed before or appeared in rare and inaccessible publications — sometimes in different versions and without proper sources. Most of the songs in this book were submitted by readers of Chana and Yosl’s column “Perl fun der yidisher poezye” (Pearls of Yiddish Poetry) in the Yiddish newspaper Der Forverts (The Forward), initiated in October, 1970. Over 25 years, thousands of songs were collected in correspondence and on cassettes from readers throughout the world, and they represent a veritable national Yiddish song archive. Chana Mlotek, in her introduction, writes, “In the course of years the inquiries, contributions and enthusiasm of these readers have kept our own interest unflagging and have reinforced our dedication to this effort. And in recent years our participants have also been augmented by new readers from the former Soviet Russia, who receive our newspaper there or from newly-arrived immigrants in this country and Israel.”
