The Song Remains – דאָס ליד איז געבליבן

The Song Remains

People of the Warsaw Ghetto merged with a map of the Nazi occupation of Poland

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.

  • Borekh Gelman

    Like a sinking ship in a deep wavy sea
    my little home sank unsteady and alone
    and like hungry dogs in an empty market
    mice ran around crying steadily at night

    (more…)

  • Motl Kozlovski

    The birch tree in the corner of my yard
    trembles with every leaf ashamed
    every branch longs for sun and dew
    in the shade of big locked doors

    (more…)

  • Sholem Zhirman

    Little children mischief makers
    on your tip-toes come right here
    let your old grandma sleep
    I have a story about a bear…

    (more…)

  • Hershele (Hersh Danielewicz)

    By the clear waters
    stands a crooked cottage
    there in that little place
    is lovely Zlatke’s home

    Her cheeks – little roses
    her smile is dimpled
    her eyes so alive
    tender and loving

    (more…)

  • Borekh Olitsky (Baruch Olitsky)

    Not prophets, apostles
    not extinguished suns
    not unfortunate mountains and valleys
    have come to warn, to tell –
    quiet, simple folk representations
    brothers with hammers, sheers, awls
    have printed the warning signs
    and posted them on streets and corners
    brothers probably stand now behind bars
    like stunned pale statues
    and may be mistaken
    their bones are already overgrown with grass
    let’s not go there

    (more…)

  • Ber Horovits

    Tonight, in a dream
    there came to me
    a young lover
    who tenderly look me by the hand

    (more…)

  • Moyshe Shimel (Maurycy Szymel)

    A fiddle is playing in a country green
    Where I am not and will never be

    A sunny house is blossoming in a white land
    Where I am not and will never be

    (more…)

  • Borekh Gelman

    Every day, every plain day
    my blood shivers in my body
    every day, every ordinary day
    my blood responds to a call

    A wave inside echoes in my blood
    like a bell – in the night – so bright
    the world hangs in troubled pain of the world
    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

    (more…)

  • Mordkhe (Mordechai) Gebirtig

    Oh, poor foolish singer
    you are not yet good at your work
    Does your song echo there?
    you crawl only to wealthy yards

    (more…)

  • Borekh Olitzki (Baruch Olitzky)

    A

    Like fish with mother of pearl
    clouds swim in the cool sky
    and from their feathers flow
    drip drops clouded with the sun
    into the dark mouth of earth
    A bright lit swallow circles quietly up and up
    hooked on a circling whirlwind
    Every tree is loaded with green earth
    with blue joy and secrets from the West.

    Spring-life! Look, look:
    You are being welcomed by White Russian towns
    with pails empty to their bottom
    Unemployment greets you keeping track
    with froth on mouth where hungry children
    with blistered skin and dark worms’ nest
    stick into the walls of the closets

    B

    A loud radio delivers to the open palms of leaves
    through air and streets throughout the world
    with grey sacks behind eyes with fevered fingers
    to choke someone’s neck…
    Young folks drink every evening on this street, the wine
    from Barcelona and sing Yiddish folk songs in Minsk

    And the last bit of joy jumps out of
    naked skin and runs barefoot on steps
    to peacock ends of flying stars, bursting suddenly
    filled with provocation
    with bloody terror
    and with the sparkle of a leper’s eye.

    Zdziecioł (Zhetl / Dyatlovo) 1937

    (more…)