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Vaudeville
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Original lyrics
ס'ליגט ערגעץ פֿאַרטײַעטס'ליגט ערגעץ פֿאַרטײַעט דער פֿײַנד, װי אַ חיה דער מאַוזער ער װאַכט אין מײַן האַנט;צעשניטן נאָר פלוצעם – געשטאַפאָ! עס פֿירט אַ געשמידטן דורך פֿינסטערניש דעם קאָמענדאַנט די נאַכט האָט מיט בליצן דאָס געטאָ צעריסן: געפאַר!, שרײַכ אַ טױער, אַ װאַנט חברים געטרײַע פֿון קײטן באַפֿרײַען פאַרשװינדן מיט דעם קאָמענדאַנט... די נאַכט איז פֿאַרפֿלױגן דער טױט – פֿאַר די אױגן דאָס געטאָ עס פֿיבערט אין בראַנד; אין אומרו דאָס געטאָ - עס דראָט די געשטאַפאָ: טױט, אָדער דעם קאָטענדאַנט. געזאָעט האָט דאַן איציק און דורך, װי אַ בליץ איז: - איך װיל ניט, איר זאָלט צוליב מיר דאַרפֿן דאָס לעבן דעם שׂונא אָפגעבן!... צום טױט גײט שטאָלץ דער קאָמאַנדיר ליבט װידער פֿאַרטײַעט דער פֿײַנט, װי אַ חיה װאַכסט װידער מײַן מאַוזער אין האַנט: איצט ביסט מיר טײַער זײַ דו מײַן באַפֿרײַער, זײַ דו איצטער מײַן קאָמענדאַנט 1. S'ligt ergets fartayet Der faynt, vi a khaye, Der mauzer er vakht in maynt hant; Nor plutsem - gestapo! Me firt a geshmidtn durkh fintsternish dem komendant 2. Di nakht hot mit blitsn Dos geto tseshnitn: "Gefar!" Shrayt a toyer, a vant Khaveyrim getraye Fun keytn bafrayen Farshvindn mit dem komendant... 3. Di nakht iz farfloygn Der toyt- far di oygn Dos geto es fibert in brand; In umru dos geto - Es drot di gestapo: "Toyt, oder dem komendant" 4. Gezogt hot dan Itsik Un durkh, vi a blits iz: -"Ikh vil nit, ir zolt tsulib mir Darfn dos lebn Dem soyne opgebn!"... Tsum toyt geyt shtolts der komendant 5. Ligt vider fartayet Der faynt, vi a khaye Kh'halt vider mayn mauzer in hant: "Du bist bay mir tayer, Zay du mayn bafrayer, Zay du itster mayn komendant!"
Translated lyrics
1. Somewhere the enemy Lies hidden like a beast The Mauser in my hand is alert But suddenly - the Gestapo - Leading our Commandant in chains Through the darkness 2. Night in the Ghetto Was torn by lightning "Beware!" shrieks a buidling, a wall Faithful comrades Freed from chains Vanished with the Commandant 3. Night has flown by Death hovered before us The Ghetto is shaken as with fever" Restless the Ghetto As Gestapo threatens: "Your commandant, or Death!" 4. Itzik then spoke up - Words that struck like lightning "I do not want that because of me Your lives are to be put in the hands of the foe..." Proudly to his death went our Commandant! 5 Again, somewhere the enemy Lurks like a beast; The Mauser is alert in my hand No, my Mauser, Be you the liberator Be you my Commandant now.
Notes
Itsik Wittenberg was the commander of the United Partisan Organization in Vilna during the World War II. He was betrayed to the Gestapo by Jacob Gens, head of the Jewish Council. The partisans managed to free him, but the Gestapo threatened massive retaliation if Wittenberg was not found. Wittenberg turned himself in, and committed suicide rather than risk being tortured into betraying his comrades. The music by Blanter was originally "The Partisan Zheleznyak"; Kaczerginsky, who wrote the words to this song, was another partisan leader.
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