This song written by Shmerke Kaczerginski (see note about author in Friling). was dedicated to the children’s and youth club in the Vilno ghetto. Composer is Bayse Rubin who is believed to have survived the war.
Our song is filled with grieving,
Bold our step, we march along,
Though the foe the gateway’s watching,
Youth comes storming with their song:
Young are they, are they, are they
Whose age won’t bind them,
Years don’t really mean a thing,
Elders also, also, also, can be children
In a newer, freer spring.
Those who roam upon the highways,
Those whose step with hope is strong,
From the ghetto youth salutes them
And their greetings send along.
Young are they. . .
We remember all our tyrants,
We remember all our friends,
And we pledge that in the future
Our past and present blend.
Young are they. . .
So we’re girding our muscles,
In our ranks we’re planting steel,
Where a blacksmith, builder marches,
We will join them with our zeal!
Young are they. . .
Undzer lid iz ful mit troyer,
Dreyst is undzer muntergang.
Khotsh der soyne vakht baym toyer, —
Shturemt yugnt mit gezang:
Yung iz yeder, yeder, yeder ver es vil nor,
Yorn hobn keyn batayt,
Alte kenen, kenen, kenen oykh zayn kinder
Fun a nayer, frayer tsayt.
Ver es voglt um af vegn,
Ver mit dreystkeyt s’shtelt zayn fus
Brengt di yugnt zey antkegn
Funem geto a gerus.
Yung iz yeder. . .
Mir gedenken ale sonim.
Mir dermonen ale fraynd.
Eybik veln mir farbindn
Undzer nekhtn mitn haynt.
Yung iz yeder. . .
Klaybn mir tsunoyf di glider.
Vider shtoln mir di rey.
Geyt a boyer, geyt a shmider, —
Lomir ale geyn mit zey!
Yung iz yeder. . .
אונדזער ליד איז פֿול מיט טרױער,
דרײסט איז אונדזער מונטער גאַנג.
כאָטש דער שׂונא װאַכט בײַם טױער, —
שטורעמט יוגנט מיט געזאַנג:
יונג איז יעדער, יעדער, יעדער װער עס װיל נאָר,
יאָרן האָבן קײן באַטײַט,
אַלטע קענען, קענען, קענען אױך זײַן קינדער
פֿון אַ נײַער, פֿרײַער, צײַט.
װער עס װאָגלט אום אױף װעגן,
װער מיט דרײסטקײט ס׳שטעלט זײַן פֿוס,
ברענגט די יוגנט זײ אַנטקעגן
פֿונעם געטאָ אַ גערוס.
יונג איז יעדער. . .
מיר געדענקען אַלע שׂונאים,
מיר דערמאָנען אַלע פֿרײַנד.
אײביק װעלן מיר פֿאַרבינדן
אונדזער נעכטן מיטן הײַנט.
יונג איז יעדער. . .
קלײַבן מיר צונױף די גלידער,
װידער שטאָלן מיר די רײ.
גײט אַ בױער, גײט אַ שמידער, —
לאָמיר אַלע גײן מיט זײ. . .
יונג איז יעדער. . .
Song Title: Yugnt Hymn
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.
