In zaltsikn yam fun di mentshlekhe trern
Gefint zikh a shreklekher thom,
(Gefint zikh a shreklekher thom)
Er ken shoyn nit tifer, nit fintsterer vern,
Im tseykhnt a blutiker shtrom.
Dem thom hobn toyznter yorn gegrobn
Emune in sine un payn,
Un toyznter yorn, alts tropn nokh tropn
Es gisn zikh trern arayn.
Beneath the salt sea of humanity's weeping
A terrible chasm abides
It couldn't be darker, it couldn't be deeper
It is stained with a bloody red tide
So much of this sea has been filled with the sorrows
Endured by the suffering Jews
But only the tears of the poor ones are bloody
The rich cry as clear as the dew
Yes, only the worker, the pauper, the beggar
Belong to the bloody abyss
While those you call "brother," the rich and the greedy,
Fly high overhead in their bliss
And thousands of years have created this chasm
Of piety, hatred, and pain
And for thousands of years all humanity's weeping
Flows in like a limitless rain
Un fol iz der thom, dos iz yiddishe trern,
Nor hot nisht keyn toyes in zey
A blutike trer tut dem kapzen geheren,
Dem ____ a vayze vi shney
Nor aykh bal-malokhes, avonim, kapsonim,
Geherr dokh der shreklikher thom
Un ayerer brider, di raykhe gazlonim,
Geherr nor fun oyben den shon
Shoyn fol iz der yam un farflegst ale bregen,
Vu zenen di helden, di layt?
(Vu zenen di helden, di layt?)
Oy vi velche veln zikh mutik dervegen,
Zu varfen in thom zikh un strayt?
(Oy vi velche veln zikh mutik dervegen,
Zu varfen in thom zikh un strayt?)
The ocean flows over and floods out the levees
There isn't a hero in sight
Yes, where are the ones that will stand at the ready
To dive in the chasm and fight?
Der arbeter ver vet endlekh derleyzn
Fun hunger un eybiker layd?
Un ver vet dem veg im tsu frayhayt bavayzn
Tsu brudershaft, glaykhkayt un freyd?
And who will at last free the worker from slavery,
Bring hunger its final relief?
And who will be guiding the pathway to freedom,
To brotherhood, justice and peace?
Di gevirishe kinder, maskhilim, rabonim,
Zey rufen in Tsion dem yid
(Zey rufen in Tsion dem yid)
A lidl, an alte, fun undzere sonim,
A ghetto dem eyvigen zhid
(A lidl, an alte, fun undzere sonim,
A ghetto dem eyvigen zhid)
Zey rufen un zukhen di kaltinker meysim,
Fun veiliger kvorim a land
(Fun veiliger kvorim a land)
Un dos vos iz leiden un zikh zu hakhadoyshim,
Zu dem iz men toyb vi di wand!
The children of wealth, the enlightened, the clergy,
Into Zion they call the Hebrews
We've heard this old story before from our enemies
"A ghetto for the eternal Jew"
They say that they answer the prayers of our fathers
From deep in their graves, hear them call
While those who are living in sorrow and hunger
To them they are deaf as the Wall
Moschiach un yiddentum beyde gestorbn,
Ein andere Moschiach kumt an
(Ein andere Moschiach kumt an)
Der yiddishe arbeter, kvirishe korbn,
Heybt oyf shoyn fun frayhayt di fon!
(Der yiddishe arbeter, kvirishe korbn,
Heybt oyf shoyn fun frayhayt di fon)
Messiah and Jewry are both dead and buried
Another messiah's to come
The new Jewish worker the banner will carry
To signal that justice is done
Der held vet di velt i bafrayen i heyln,
Er bagraykhn dem thom bizn grunt,
(Er bagraykhn dem thom bizn grunt)
Zol leben fun Rusland, fun Lite un Poyln,
Der Yidisher Arbeter Bund!
The world will be freed and be healed by this hero,
Who will dive to the root of its wound.
In Russia, in Poland, in Vilna all hail now:
The Great Jewish Worker's Bund!
Zol leben fun Rusland, fun Lite, un Poyln:
Der Yidisher Arbeter Bund!