Zog Nit Keynmol
Zog Nit Keyn Mol (Yiddish: זאָג ניט קיין מאָל) (also referred to as Partizaner Lid or "Partisan song") is the name of a Yiddish song considered one of the chief anthems of Holocaust survivors and is sung in memorial services around the world.
The lyrics of the song were written in 1943 by Hirsh Glick, a young Jewish inmate of the Vilna Ghetto. The title means "Never Say", and derives from the first line of the song, "Never say that you have reached the final road." During World War II, "Zog Nit Keynmol" was adopted by a number of Jewish partisan groups operating in Eastern Europe. It became a symbol of resistance against Nazi Germany's persecution of the Jews and the Holocaust.
Hirsch was inspired to write the song by news of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
The lyrics Glick wrote were set to music from a pre-war Soviet song written by Pokrass brothers, Dmitri and Daniel, "Терская походная" (Terek Cossacks' March Song), also known as "То не тучи - грозовые облака" (Those aren't clouds but thunderclouds), originally from the 1937 film I, Son of Working People. The lyrics of the original song were written by Aleksey Surkov. This song was first performed by the well-known Soviet singer Leonid Utyosov.
Lyrics
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Singable English Translation Never say this is the final road for you! |
Yiddish Transliteration zog nit keyn mol, az du geyst dem letstn veg, |
Original Yiddish זאָג ניט קיין מאָל, אַז דו גייסט דעם לעצטן וועג, |
Popular Culture
A musical physical theater work entitled "Leaden Skies," produced in part in the San Francisco Bay area in 2008 and 2009,[1][2] uses the imagery of the song "Zog Nit Keyn Mol" as an anthem and inspirational launching point. The Holocaust themes and inner thoughts of the prisoner characters are explored by using "drama, original music, and physical theatre choreography to explore its thought-provoking subject."[3] Written by author Martin A. David, with original music by Los Angeles based musician Jacob A. Hall.[4]
References
- Fisher, Adam. An Everlasting Name: A Service for Remembering the Shoah. West Orange, NJ: Behrman House, 1991.
- Kalisch, Shoshana and Barbara Meister. Yes, We Sang! Songs of the Ghettos and Concentration Camps. New York: Harper & Row, 1985.
- "Artsopolis.com". Retrieved 21 November 2011.
- "DramaList.com". Retrieved 21 November 2011.
- "BayJews.org". Retrieved 21 November 2011.