Re: Yiddish Labor Songs...

[Susan Lerner <meydele...>]

Here are the Yiddish lyrics that I have collected and use in my classes:

shteyt oyf, ir ale,
  ver, vi shklafn,
fun hunger-lebn, muz un noyt!
der gayst, er kokht,
er ruft tsum vafn:
in shlakht undz firn iz er greyt.
di velt fun gvald-tatn un laydn
tseshtern veln mir-
-un dan: fun frayhayt, glaykh'hayt a gan-eydn,
oyfboyen vet der arbetsman

Chorus:
dos iz shoyn undzer letster
umantsheydener shtrayt;
mit dem internatsyonal,
shteyt oyf, ir arbetslayt.

  The Workmen's Circle recording "Yiddish Songs of Work and Struggle" 
pretty much overlaps with the more recent "In Libshaft un In Gerangl" in 
terms of its songlist.  Mark Levy's "Bin Ikh Mir A Shnayderl:Yiddish Work 
Song" is a very nice album, but not heavy on labor movement songs as 
opposed to folkslider dealing with work and working conditions.

I am doing research, in tandem with anthropologist Martin Cohen, for a 
lecture/performance entitled "Zingen far Sholem: Yiddish Music of the 
Secular Jewish Movements" to be given at Cal.State Northridge here in LA in 
May as part of the up-coming YK2! Yiddishkayt Festival.  The printed 
material we have identified so far is mostly out of print, not limited to 
"movement" or organizing songs, and is from defunct sources such as the 
Jewish Music Alliance and the Jewish Young Fraternalists.  An interesting 
collection of songs still in print, albeit for children, can be found in 
Lomir Kinder Zingen/ Let's Sing A Yiddish Song, published by Kinderbuch 
Publications of the Zhitlowsky Foundation, 1133 Broadway, New York, 
NY  10010.  Numerous songs which our informants have identified to us can 
be found in that collection in the section entitled Ale 
Brider/Brothers.  This book has the distinct advantage of providing musical 
notation, Yiddish lyrics in Yiddish and transliteration, and also full, 
line-by-line English translations.

I have learned from the YIVO Yekies newsletter that a songbook was compiled 
for a recent rteunion of Camp Hemshekh (Bundist children's camp) and hope 
to obtain a copy.  I am also contacting various people involved with the 
music for Camp Kinderland, the far-left progressive children's camp which 
is still in existence, to obtain material from them

I would be very interested in the material which you, Alex, find and would 
be happy to correspond more off-list.

Shira Lerner
Los Angeles, CA





At 11:58 AM 2/17/00 -0800, you wrote:
>I am looking for:
>
>1. Yiddish lyrics for the Internationale.  Published versions of this 
>classic labor/union movement song typically have the lyrics in a bunch of 
>languages, but not Yiddish. German, but not Yiddish.  Are they available 
>anywhere on the Internet, or where else can I find them?
>
>2. I am looking for recordings, preferably not out-of-print of Yiddish 
>labor movement songs in general.  I have the recent recording "In Libshaft 
>un In Gerangl," of Bund songs, put out by the Workmens Circle.  Are there 
>other similar compilations, either recorded or printed?
>
>Thanks
>
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