Rusland bafrayt! (Russia liberated) another anti-Nicholas II song from Morris Rund
From our vantage point, this song was tragically and mistakenly optimistic, but there have to be some moments of hope in anyone's lifetime...
Click for a larger view of this anti-Nikolai political cartoon from the Varhayt / Warheit December 1914, after the start of World War I. Artist was Samuel Zagat and you can see oodles of his work on my blog devoted to his comic-book hero Gimpel Beynish.
The cover page of Rusland bafrayt! reads: "Sing to the melody of Oyf yener zayt from the show טהרת המשפּחה (Family Purity)" Look at the great cover, and at a very young Jennie Goldstein with Sigmund Mogulesco.
Below, my translation and transliteration. Interestingly (to me) the sheet actually said "Nikolay DI despotisher hund." .
Ver ken gedenken Nikolays makht getsitert far im hot der velt
Fun ale mekhte zikh oysgelakht tiranish kegn folk zikh geshtelt
Yetst hot dos folk plutsim dervakht zey viln keyn hershende makht
Frayhayt iz yetst zeyer geshrey
Nider mit tsar Nikoay! Tsar Nikolay! Tsar Nikolay!
Nikolay der despotisher hund
Dayn sof iz endlekh gekumen atsind!
Fun tron arunter bistu yetst mit shand
Frayhayt un glaykhkayt vet zayn yetst in land
Yo, Nikolay dayn makht iz tsu end!
Nor mit a shtikl tsayt tsurik a yeder gedenkt dos nokh gut
Vi men hot nor gevarfn a blik, gezen hot men umshuldik blut
Geshend, gemordet hostu on shrek reyn vashn kenstu nit dayn flek
Gekrign katsap hostu yetst dayn shtrof
Fun dayn finsterer makht iz a sof, iz a sof! Iz a sof!
Genug getsaygt shoyn merderay hostu di rusisher ber...
Mazhikes, katsapes vos varn dir tray
Farlangen dikh yetst oykh nit mer
Gekumen zaynen zey tsum farshtand
Zey viln yetst a frayem land
Unmekhtik bistu yetst Nikolay
Rusenland iz fun dir fray, fun dir fray!
Fun ale mekhte zikh oysgelakht tiranish kegn folk zikh geshtelt
Yetst hot dos folk plutsim dervakht zey viln keyn hershende makht
Frayhayt iz yetst zeyer geshrey
Nider mit tsar Nikoay! Tsar Nikolay! Tsar Nikolay!
Nikolay der despotisher hund
Dayn sof iz endlekh gekumen atsind!
Fun tron arunter bistu yetst mit shand
Frayhayt un glaykhkayt vet zayn yetst in land
Yo, Nikolay dayn makht iz tsu end!
Nor mit a shtikl tsayt tsurik a yeder gedenkt dos nokh gut
Vi men hot nor gevarfn a blik, gezen hot men umshuldik blut
Geshend, gemordet hostu on shrek reyn vashn kenstu nit dayn flek
Gekrign katsap hostu yetst dayn shtrof
Fun dayn finsterer makht iz a sof, iz a sof! Iz a sof!
Genug getsaygt shoyn merderay hostu di rusisher ber...
Mazhikes, katsapes vos varn dir tray
Farlangen dikh yetst oykh nit mer
Gekumen zaynen zey tsum farshtand
Zey viln yetst a frayem land
Unmekhtik bistu yetst Nikolay
Rusenland iz fun dir fray, fun dir fray!
Who can remember Nikolay's might? He made the world tremble.
He laughed at the powerful, he was a tyrant against the people.
Now the folk have suddenly awakened, they don't want this sort of bully.
"Freedom!" is their cry now, "Down with Czar Nikolay!"
Nikolay the despotic hound! Now your end is finally coming!
Deposed from your throne in shame,
Freedom and equality have come to the land now.
Yes, Nikolay, your power is finished!
Just a little while ago, everyone remembers it well,
Wherever one looked, there was the blood of innocents.
Insouciant, you shamed and murdered. You can't wash your taint away!
Now, here's your punishment, Russian:
Your dark power has ended!
Enough with the murdering, you Russian bear...
Peasants and Russians who were faithful to you
Now they too are saying "no more!"
They've come to understand they now want a free land.
You're impotent now, Nikolay, Russia is free of you!
For sheet music and/or performances contact me: jane@mappamundi.com
Labels: anti-semitism, history, politics, war, World War I
by melinama @ 10:20 AM
Yiddish Ragtime
Ikh bin busy
Opgenarte velt
Vos hot men tsu mir
Der East Side fun amol
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