Yiddish Penny Songs: Arbeter, vakht oyf! (Worker, Wake Up!) another Jewish Labor Movement song

(Click for a larger view.) I keep thinking I'm done with the Labor Union songs and then up pops another one.

This one was written by Hyman Kaplan to the tune of "Dos emese yidishe herts" by Solomon Smulewitz, Perlmutter & Wohl.

Arbeter vakht uf fun ayer shlof un veyst as ir darft lebn oykh!
Far vos kumt aykh den aza shtrof, tsu arbetn iber dem koyekh
Ir hot keyn tog ir hot keyn nakht, shtendik zayt ir nor farshklaft.
Fun der arbet geyt ir farshmakht un dokh hot dos bay aykh gor nisht keyn hoft
Un fun dem gantsn shtrebn makht ir koym a lebn
Ir arbet shver af dem shtikl broyt
Ir hot nit keyn 'sent' keynmol in di hent
Ven es kumt aykh oys nor in a noyt.

Nor ikh veys nisht far vos tut ir den dos:
Shtendik arbet ir nor far dem Boss
Nisht durkh zayn khokhme un gvure, kraft geyt im azoy gut
Nor ir aleyn hot im dos farshaft mit ayer shveys un blut
Yetst iz shoyn gekumen ayer tsayt, a union hot men gemakht far ir
Geyt un shraybt zikh ayn nokh dem vet ir zayn mit ale mentshn glaykh

Efnt uf ayere oygn un batrakht dos mit gefil
On aykh ken dos Boss nisht toygn dokh makht er imer vos er vil
Ir arbet biter, zeyer shver, es rint fun aykh ayer shveys un blit.
Un ven ir vilt nor epes mer firt er oys un git aykh nit
Er zukht aykh oysnitsn un aleyn vil er zitsn in groyser hayzer vi a magnat
Ir darft nit fargesn az ir hot nit tsu esn dos shtikele broyt keyn mol tsu zat.

Translation after the jump:

Worker, wake up from your sleep and know you, too, must live!
Why are you punished this way, to work beyond your strength?
You have no day, you have no night, you're always enslaved.
You're exhausted by your labor and you have no hope.
And from all your struggles you barely make a living.
You work hard for a bit of bread.
You don't have a penny in your hand when trouble comes.

I just don't know why you do this, then: You always work for the boss.
He doesn't have it good through his wisdom, his prowess or his strength
It's you yourself have created his wealth with your sweat and blood.
Now your time has come, a union has been created for you!
So go sign up! Then you'll be the equal of anyone.

Open your eyes, think: the boss can't manage without you.
You work bitterly, so hard, your sweat and blood are flowing,
And when you want a little bit more, the boss weasels out of it.
He wants to use you up while he sits in a big house like a magnate.
You shouldn't forget: you have nothing to eat
That little bit of bread... you never have enough...

Here's the melody for the song: Dos emese yidishe herts (left) by Smulewitz, Perlmutter, and Wohl, sung by Kalmen Juvelier. The sheet music is at the Library of Congress website under the title Das emese Yidishe harz.

Below, small versions of the pages from my book, Hyman Altman's version, which was printed by B. Spielvogel & Co. printers at 185 Rivington Street. Click for larger view.

There's another announcement here that "Peddlers get the best songs at the cheapest prices. Inquire at the Cafe Salon (or Coffee Saloon?) at 131 Rivingon Street, or by Mr. Sani Shapiro, 20 Delancey Street."

For sheet music and/or performances contact me: jane@mappamundi.com

Labels: history, labor union, travails, workers

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Arbeter, vakht oyf! (Worker, Wake Up!) another Jewish Labor Movement song

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