Song written in the Vilno ghetto by Abraham Sutzkever (b. 1913), a well-known poet before the war. It was first presented in the play Di Yogenish in Fas in the ghetto theatre. After the liquidation of the ghetto, Sutzkever joined the partisan fighters. He survived the war and migrated to Israel where he edited the literary quarterly Di Goldene Keyt. Music is by Abraham Brudno (See Friling).
Under your white starry heaven
Offer me your pale white hand.
All my words are flowing teardrops.
I would place them in your hand.
Gone the luster from their brightness,
Seen through morbid cellar view –
And I no longer have my own space
To reflect them back to you.
My devoted God I offer
Everything that I possess.
As the fire that I suffer
Fills each fiery day I pass.
Only in the holes and cellars
With deadly rest my days I share.
I run higher – over spire
Searching where are you, oh where?
I am chased by phantom beings
Stairs and courtyards goad me too.
There I hang a broken bowstring –
And I sing once more to you:
Under your white starry heaven
Offer me your pale white hand.
All my words are flowing teardrops,
I would place them in your hand.
Unter dayne vayse shtern
Shtrek tsu mir dayn vayse hant.
Mayne verter zaynen trern
Viln ruen in dayn hant.
Ze, es tunklt zeyer finkl
In mayn kelerdikn blik.
Un ikh hob gornit keyn vinkl
Zey tsu shenken dir tsurik.
Un ikh vii dokh, got getrayer,
Dir fartroyen mayn farmeg.
Vayl es mont in mir a fayer
Un in fayer — mayne teg.
Nor in kelern un lekher
Veynt di merderishe ru.
Loyf ikh hekher, iber dekher
Un ikh zukh: vu bistu, vu?
Nemen yogn mikh meshune
Trep un hoyfn mit gevoy.
Heng ikh — a geplatste strune
Un ikh zing tsu dir azoy:
Unter dayne vayse shtern
Shtrek tsu mir dayn vayse hant.
Mayne verter zaynen trern
Viln ruen in dayn hant.
אונטער דײַנע װײַסע שטערן
שטרעק צו מיר דײַן װײַסע האַנט.
מײַנע װערטער זײַנען טרערן
װילן רוען אין דײַן האַנט.
זע, עס טונקלט זײער פֿינקל
אין מײַן קעלערדיקן בליק,
און איך האָב גאָרניט קײן װינקל
זײ צו שענקען דיר צוריק.
און איך װיל דאָך, גאָט געטרײַער,
דיר פֿאַרטרױען מײַן פֿאַרמעג.
װײַל עס מאָנט אין מיר אַ פֿײַער,
און אין פֿײַער — מײַנע טעג.
נאָר אין קעלערן און לעכער
װײנט די מערדערישע רו.
לױף איך העכער, איבער דעכער
און איך זוך: װוּ ביסטו, װוּ?
נעמען יאָגן מיך משונה
טרעפּ און הױפֿן מיט געװױ.
הענג איך — אַ געפּלאַצטע סטרונע
און איך זינג צו דיר אַזױ:
אונטער דײַנע װײַסע שטערן
שטרעק צו מיר דײַן װײַסע האַנט.
מײַנע װערטער זײַנען טרערן
װילן רוען אין דײַן האַנט.
Song Title: Unter Dayne Vayse Shtern
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.
