"Di Shvue" (Yiddish: די שבֿועה, lit. 'The Oath'; also known as "Di Bundishe Shvue") was written by S. Ansky (pseudonym of Shloyme Zanvl Rappoport), in 1902. This Yiddish song became the anthem of the socialist General Jewish Labour Bund in the early 1900s.[1][2][3] The source of its melody is unknown.[4] Bundists sing this song virtually every time they meet.[5] For example, it was sung at the 100th anniversary (1998) of the General Jewish Labour Bund in Paris, Marek Edelman's funeral, and the 50th anniversary (2009) reunion of Camp Hemshekh. The song exhorts Jews to unite, and to commit themselves body and soul to the defeat of the Russian Tsar and of capitalism.[4]
Lyrics
| Yiddish lyrics | Latin transliteration | English translation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First verse | |||
{{Script/Hebrew| | Brider un shvester fun arbet un noyt Ale vos zaynen tsezeyt un tseshpreyt, Tsuzamen, tsuzamen, di fon iz greyt, Zi flatert fun tsorn, fun blut iz zi royt! A shvue, a shvue, af lebn un toyt. | Brothers and sisters in toil and poverty All who are separated and dispersed Together, together, the flag is ready She waves in anger, she is red with blood! An oath, an oath, of life and death! | |
| Second verse | |||
{{Script/Hebrew| | Himl un erd veln undz oyshern Eydes vet zayn di likhtike shtern A shvue fun blut un a shvue fun trern, Mir shvern, mir shvern, mir shvern! | Heaven and earth will hear us, The light stars will bear witness. An oath of blood and an oath of tears, We swear, we swear, we swear! | |
| Third verse | |||
{{Script/Hebrew| | Mir shvern a trayhayt on grenetsn tsum bund. Nor er ken bafrayen di shklafn atsind. Di fon, di royte, iz hoykh un breyt. Zi flatert fun tsorn, fun blut iz zi royt! A shvue, a shvue, af lebn un toyt. | We swear a loyalty without borders to the Bund. Only it can free the slaves now. The flag, the red flag, is high and wide. She waves in anger, she is red with blood! An oath, an oath, of life and death! | |
See also
References
- ^ ""Di Shvue" (The Oath)". Archived from the original on 2010-06-11. Retrieved 2009-09-23.
- ^ "di shvue". zemerl.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-15.
- ^ "Freedman Catalogue lookup: Artist Mlotek, Zalmen"
- ^ "EPYC | Culture | Music"
- ^ "DER YIDDISH-VINKL April 22, 2005 – Forward.com". Archived from the original on 2011-06-06.
External links
- A recording of "Di Shvue" Archived 2010-06-11 at the Wayback Machine
- Music and words of "Di Shvue"
- Yiddish and english of "Di Shvue"
