Babi Yar
Traditional
Unknown
Yiddish Lyrics
Gey ikh mir fun front mit a groyser freyd,
Vos ikh bin geblibn lebn.
Oy, vi ikh gey arayn in shtot un freg op mayne eygene
Entfert men mir keyner z’nit geblibn
Bin ikh geblibn shteyn mit a groys geveyn
Ikh hartsn iz geefnt zikh a vind
Oy, ikh a voser zayt ikh gib a kuk, shteln mir zikh por –
Mayn vayb mit mayn eynuneynsik kind.
Vos iz dos far eyn tsorn af undz gevorn
Vos iz dos far a groyser gzar?
Oy, fun dem groysn tsorn, zaynen fil mentshn avekgeforn
Di farblibene zaynen avek in Babi-Yar.
Baynakht un baytog hobn geklagt avtometn.
Di mentshn hobn gezen far zikh dem toyt
/: Oy, blut hot zikh gegosn fun ale zaytn.
Fun blut iz di erd gevorn royt.
Der groyser veytek iz af eybik farblibn,
Vos der daytsh hot fargosn blut
Oy, mit undzere trern zol di erd farshlosn vern
Az di lebedike zol shoyn vern gut.
Ober undzere soyne zukht vi er nokh azoyne
Er vil mit zey makhn eyn hant,
Oy, vi lang vi zey veln lebn veln zey dos nit derlebn
Zey veln keynmol nit zayn in undzer land.
Translation
am bursting with happiness as I leave the front[lines]
[Overjoyed] that I am still alive
Oh, but when I return to my city and ask about my loved ones
They answer me, “none are left [alive]”
I am left standing still; overcome with grief,
My heart splitting open with sadness
Oh, no matter where I look, I just see that pair
My wife with my one and only child
What hardships we’ve endured!
What kind of great evil decree is this?
Oh, from this misfortune, so many have fled [the city]
The ones left are lying [dead] in Babi-Yar
By night and by day the gunshots shattered
The people saw their own deaths approaching
Oh, blood gushed out from all sides
The earth was stained red from [all the] blood
This terrible pain is with us forever:
That the Germans have spilled so much blood
Oh, the earth will be eternally sealed with our tears
[Our cries:] those [still] living should be safe
But our enemy is searching for yet another [victim]
To wipe away with one swipe
Oh, as long as they are alive they won’t fulfill this
They won’t ever step foot in our land
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Added July 2nd, 1999