Dem arbeters kamf (The Worker's Struggle) - Yiddish Labor Movement anthem
There must be more than a dozen labor union songs in the Morris Rund penny song collection. I think I've waded through almost all of them now.Morris Rund wrote this lyric. The underlying song is very cool, I uploaded a vintage recording of it here: Tsurik keyn Tsiyen.
If you listen to that one and then this one, you'll get a feeling for how I wiggle the "contrafactum" into the designated melody. Here's today's recording:
Transliteration, translation, and song sheets after the jump.
Ir arbeter kemfer ikh zog aykh gants ofn
Ir megt yetst shtoltsirn ir lozt zikh nit blofn
Di bosses zey haltn nokh imer in hofn
Zey veln aykh endlekh bazign!
Getsaygt hot ir zey yetst zey hobn a toes
Eyn boss dem tsveytn rayst shoyn bay der noes
Nor di union zi lebt nokh un zi blaybt balebos
Zi vet shoyn dos rekht far aykh krign!
Nor mut nor mut
Nor kemfn nor kemfn tsum zig nor imer shtrebn
Nor faytn nor shtraytn der boss er muz nokh gebn
Nit raysn keyn prayzn ir muzt dos rekht krign
Opshafn dos shklafn di union zi muz zign.
Avek shoyn di tsaytn fun hershn un shklafn
Es lebt di union nor zi hot tsu shafn
Di bosses zey veln nit lebn vi grafn
Un lakhn fun arbeters laydn!
Der arbeter meg oykh fun a lebn shoyn visn
Nit laydn oft hunger un geyn opgerisn,
Fun zayn shveys, fun zayn pratse, muz er oykh genisn
Er hot rekht oykh lebn in freydn!
Nor mut, nor mut!
Ir megt yetst shtoltsirn ir lozt zikh nit blofn
Di bosses zey haltn nokh imer in hofn
Zey veln aykh endlekh bazign!
Getsaygt hot ir zey yetst zey hobn a toes
Eyn boss dem tsveytn rayst shoyn bay der noes
Nor di union zi lebt nokh un zi blaybt balebos
Zi vet shoyn dos rekht far aykh krign!
Nor mut nor mut
Nor kemfn nor kemfn tsum zig nor imer shtrebn
Nor faytn nor shtraytn der boss er muz nokh gebn
Nit raysn keyn prayzn ir muzt dos rekht krign
Opshafn dos shklafn di union zi muz zign.
Avek shoyn di tsaytn fun hershn un shklafn
Es lebt di union nor zi hot tsu shafn
Di bosses zey veln nit lebn vi grafn
Un lakhn fun arbeters laydn!
Der arbeter meg oykh fun a lebn shoyn visn
Nit laydn oft hunger un geyn opgerisn,
Fun zayn shveys, fun zayn pratse, muz er oykh genisn
Er hot rekht oykh lebn in freydn!
Nor mut, nor mut!
You worker activist/fighter, I tell you often:
You can now be proud. You don't let yourself be bluffed.
The bosses are always hoping they'll triumph over you in the end!
You've shown now that they're mistaken.
One boss is now tearing another around by the nose.
But the union, it lives on, and is in charge
It will get your rights for you!
Just have courage.
Just fight, always strive for victory.
Just fight, just struggle--the boss has to pay more.
Don't tear at prizes, you must receive your rights.
Get rid of slavery, the union must triumph.
The times of masters and slaves are over.
The union lives, it's in charge.
The bosses won't live like nobility
And laugh at workers' suffering!
The worker is also allowed to have a life,
not suffer hunger often and dress in rags.
From his sweat and toil he too must derive enjoyment,
He too has the right to live happily!
Just have courage.
Labels: history, labor union, union
by melinama @ 10:55 PM
Yiddish Ragtime
Ikh bin busy
Opgenarte velt
Vos hot men tsu mir
Der East Side fun amol
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