A song of the Vilna ghetto. An 11-year old boy Alexander Volkoviski wrote this prize-winning melody in a ghetto contest. Shmerke Kaczerginski then set words to the tune, and Chava Alberstein's version is the best.
Quiet, quiet, letโs be silent,
Dead are growing here.
They were planted by the tyrant,
See their bloom appear.
AII the roads lead to Ponar now,
There are no roads back,
And our father too has vanished,
And with him our luck.
Still, my child, donโt cry, my jewel,
Tears no help commands,
Our pain callous people
Never understand.
Seas and oceans have their order.
Prison also has its border,
But to our plight
There is no light.
There is no light.
Spring has come, the earth receives her
Bui to us brings fall.
And the day is filled with flowers,
To us darkness calls.
Autumn leaves with gold are softened,
In us grow deep scars,
And a mother somewhere orphaned
Her child in Ponar.
Now the river too is prisoner-
Is enmeshed in pain-
While the blocks of ice tear through her,
To the ocean strain.
Still, things frozen melt, remember,
And cold winds to warmth surrender-
Future bring a smile-
So calls your child,
So calls your child.
Quiet, quiet, wells grow stronger
Deep within our hearts,
Till the gates are there no longer.
No sound must impart.
Child, rejoice not, itโs your smiling
That is not allowed,
Let the foe encounter springtime
As an autumn cloud.
Let the well flow gently onward,
Silent be and dream . . .
Coming freedom brings your father,
Slumber, child serene.
As the river liberated,
Springtime green is celebrated
Kindle freedomโs light,
It is your right,
It is your right.
ืฉืืืืขืจ, ืฉืืืืขืจ, ืืึธืืืจ ืฉืฐืฒึทืื,
ืงืึฟืจืื ืฐืึทืงืกื ืืึธ.
ืกืณืืึธืื ืืฒ ืคึฟืึทืจืคึฟืืึทื ืฆื ืื ืฉืืื ืืื:
ืืจืื ืขื ืืฒ ืฆืื ืืืึธ.
ืกืณืคึฟืืจื ืฐืขืื ืฆื ืคึผืึธื ืึทืจ ืฆื,
ืกืณืคึฟืืจื ืงืฒื ืฐืขื ืฆืืจืืง,
ืืื ืืขืจ ืืึทืืข ืฐืึผ ืคึฟืึทืจืฉืฐืึผื ืื,
ืืื ืืื ืืื ืืึธืก ืืืืง.
ืฉืืืืขืจ, ืงืื ื ืืฒึทื ืก, ืฐืฒื ื ืื, ืืืฆืจ,
ืกืณืืขืืคึฟื ื ืื ืงืฒื ืืขืฐืฒื,
ืืื ืืืขืจ ืืืืืืืง ืฐืขืื ืฉืืื ืืื,
ืกืฒึท ืฐื ื ืื ืคึฟืึทืจืฉืืฒื.
ืกืณืืึธืื ืืจืขืืขืก ืืฑื ืื ืืืขื,
ืกืณืืึธืื ืชึผืคึฟืืกืืช ืืฑืืขื ืฆืึทืืขื,
ื ืึธืจ ืฆื ืืื ืืืขืจ ืคึผืฒึทื
ืงืฒื ืืืกื ืฉืฒึทื,
ืงืฒื ืืืกื ืฉืฒึทื.
ืคึฟืจืืืื ื ืืฑืคึฟื ืืึทื ื ืืขืงืืืขื, โ
ืืื ืืื ืื ืืึทืจืืกื ืืขืืจืึทืื.
ืืื ืืขืจ ืืึธื ืืฒึทื ื ืคึฟืื ืืื ืืืืืขื, โ
ืืื ืื ืืขื ื ืึธืจ ืื ื ืึทืื.
ืืึธืืืืงื ืฉืฑื ืืขืจ ืืึทืจืืกื ืืฑืฃ ืฉืืึทืืขื, โ
ืืืื ืืื ืืื ืื ืืขืจ ืฆืขืจ:
ืืืฒึทืื ืคึฟืึทืจืืชืืื ืฐืึผ ืึท ืืึทืืข;
ืกืณืงืื ื ืืฒื ืืฑืฃ ืคึผืึธื ืึทืจ.
ืฐื ืื ืฐืืืึดืข ืึท ืืขืฉืืืืืข โ
ืืณืืฑื ืืขืืึธืื ืืื ืคึผืฒึทื, โ
ืฆืึดืขื ืงืจืึดืขืก ืืฒึทื ืืืจื ืืืืข
ืืืฆื ืืื ืื ืึทืจืฒึทื.
ืกืณืฐืขืจื ืืขืจ ืืืฉื ืฐืึผ ืฆืขืจืื ืขื,
ืคึฟืื ืืขืจ ืคึฟืื ืฆืืขืจ ืืฒึทืืื ืืื ืขื โ
ืจืฒึทืืขืจ, ืงืื ืืขืฉืฐืื ื, โ
ืืื ืจืืคึฟื ืืฒึทื ืงืื ื,
ืืื ืจืืคึฟื ืืฒึทื ืงืื ื.
ืฉืืืืขืจ, ืฉืืืืขืจ, ืกืณืงืฐืขืื ืงืฐืึทืื
ืืื ืื ืืื ืืึทืจืฅ ืึทืจืื,
ืืื ืืขืจ ืืฑืขืจ ืฐืขื ื ืื ืคึฟืึทืื
ืืฒึทื ืืืจ ืืืื ืฉืืื.
ืคึฟืจืฒ ื ืื, ืงืื ื, ืืื, ืกืณืืื ืืฒึทื ืฉืืฒืื
ืืืฆื ืคึฟืึทืจ ืืื ืื ืคึฟืึทืจืจืึทื,
ืืขื ืืขื ืคึฟืจืืืื ื ืืึธื ืืขืจ ืฉืืื ื
ืฐื ืืื ืืึทืจืืกื ืึท ืืืึทื.
ืืึธื ืืขืจ ืงืฐืึทื ืืื ืจืืึดืง ืคึฟืืืกื,
ืฉืืืืขืจ ืืฒึท ืืื ืืึธืฃ. . .
ืืื ืืขืจ ืคึฟืจืฒึทืืฒื ืงืืื ืจืขืจ ืืึทืืข,
ืฉืืึธืฃ ืืฉืข, ืงืื ื ืืฒึทื, ืฉืืึธืฃ,
ืฐื ืื ืฐืืืึดืข ืึท ืืึทืคึฟืจืฒึทืืข,
ืฐื ืื ืืฒืืขืจ ืืจืืึพืืึทื ืฒึทืืข
ืืฒึทืื ืืึทืื ืคึฟืจืฒึทืืฒืืกึพืืืื
ืืฑืฃ ืืฒึทื ืืขืืืื,
ืืฑืฃ ืืฒึทื ืืขืืืื