The Song Remains
דאָס ליד איז געבליבן
Welcome to our collection of Yiddish poems with English translations from Nazi German occupied Poland. We’ll be publishing one new poem per week into 2027, so be sure to subscribe to get free weekly updates.
What has happened to my hair
A wonder suddenly happened there!
There was a blond knot cold and hard
and overnight it’s smooth and smart
Sleep my child my dear at rest
your father will no longer sell
raisins and almonds
Aye Liew Liew Liew Liew
On the way he was beaten,
when riding to the village
to buy a little calf and corn –
bloody, beaten he was carried home
Sun is laughing on your cradle
but I close doors and windows tight,
the white sheep ran away in fear
Aye Liew Liew Liew Liew
Crying? Hard for you to sleep
On a little pillow of hard straw?
the feathers haven’t run away
bad hands have made it so
Quietly comes the cow from field
the little sheep makes happy sounds
in evening red I will feed you well today
Aye Liew Liew Liew Liew
Don’t cry, father did not ride far away
though his parting was intense
he only took little with him
to the country mart
Sleep my child my dear at rest
your father will no longer sell
raisins and almonds
Aye Liew Liew Liew Liew
Oo-hoo-hoo wind in the chimney
I hear a sadness time
I hear a black, dark dead long note
The chimney sweeper’s own love song
Did not know of joy to sing
did not know except one thing
Black are hands and black the face
blackened life is in this place
Where eyes can hardly move up there
black are chimney sweepers hands and hair
never smoked when I was with her
The flame of love was grand
How I loved this lovely maiden
loved her day and night
She was pure and lovely
and the flame burned bright
Oh the wind was frightening
sad and hurting from his threat
she sought safety by the fire
and she sits there yet…
Oo-hoo-hoo how wind did rumble
Oo-hoo-hoo blowing with alarm
She, collapsed, sits by the fire
trying to stay warm…
Hey little lambs come here faster
I’ll welcome you with a little song
A shepherd began singing
and a maiden joined him along
Hersh Veber (1904-1943) was born in Jasło (Yaslo). He had a religious upbringing, and later studied mathematics at Kraków University. He published his first poem in 1930, and continued to publish poems in a number of journals and periodicals. During the Nazi occupation he was confined in the Janów ghetto. He was murdered in Drohobycz along with other Jews from neighbouring ghettos.
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