A SHTUREMVINT - A STORM WIND
Lyrics: Aba Shteinberg, a shoemaker from Berdichev, Uzbekistan, 1942.
Music: Based on the Yiddish folk song “Chiribim Chiribom” and “K’vakoras” (mid-1920s), by Yossele Rosenblatt (1882 – 1933) with instrumental parts and arrangement by Sergei Erdenko.
Without identifying the violence or mentioning Jewish victims or heroes of the
war, the song calls for the eternal end of fascism. The dramatic effect is reached
through weather metaphors: hail, storm and floods are used to describe the
invasion, but ultimately, the song ends with a rainbow, the ultimate symbol
of peace.
The Jewish melody of “Chiribim” was selected because the original tune also
features a miraculous interaction between the rain and the rainbow. Тhe cantorial
fragments hint at the challenges of retaining one’s faith during difficult times.
English
Russian
Yiddish Transliteration
Yiddish
A storm-wind, a storm wind
With thunder and [with] lightning,
A peaceful quiet will fall over the world
When we weed out the fascists
Pouring rain, pouring rain
Drowning all the paths
As long as the fascists are glowing with rage
They will continue fighting
Hail falls, hail falls
[Hail] of fire, pitch and brimstone
As long as Hitler is still breathing
Life cannot be sweet
The deluge floods in, and pours, and pours
The storm clouds thick and tense
When all the wretched is washed away
The rainbow will come out
Свистят шторма, гремят грома,
И буйный ветер злится.
Гроза утихнет лишь когда
Мы выкорчуем фрица.
Разверзлась хлябь небесная,
Дороги затопило.
Пока бесчинствует фашист,
Сражаться будут силы.
Летит на землю страшный град,
Зола, огонь и сера.
Покуда дышит Гитлер-гад,
Не жизнь нам, а холера.
Кругом потоп, кругом потоп,
Сгустилась хмарь сырая,
Но шлаки смоет вод поток,
И радуга взыграет.
A shturem-vint, a shturem-vint
Mit dunern un blitsn,
Af der velt vet vern shtil,
Az m’vet oysgizshen di fritsn.
A shlaksregn, a shlaksregn,
Fartrunken ale vegn.
Vi lang s’vet koyen der fashist,
Veln zayn geshlegn.
A hogl falt, a hogl falt,
Fun fayer, pekh un shvebl,
Bizvanen Hitler otemt nokh,
Nit nikhe iz dos lebn.
Der mabl gist, un gist, un gist,
Di khmares angetsoygn,
Ven s’vet farshvenken ale shlek,
Vet aroys der regnboygn
א שטורעם–ווינט, א שטורעם–ווינט
מיט דונערן און בליצן,
אף דער וועלט וועט ווערן שטיל,
אז מ׳וועט אויסגיזשען די פריצן.
א שלאקסרעגן, א שלאקסרעגן,
פארטרונקען אלע וועגן.
ווי לאנג ס׳וועט קויען דער פאשיסט,
וועלן זײַן געשלעגן.
א האָגל פאלט, א האָגל פאלט
פון פײַער, פּעך און שוועבל,
ביזוואנען היטלער אָטעמט נאָך,
ניט ניכע איז דאָס לעבן.
דער מאבל גיסט, און גיסט, און גיסט,
די כמארעס אנגעצויגן,
ווען ס׳וועט פארשווענקען אלע שלעק,
וועט ארויס דער רעגנבויגן.
Source Documents & Recordings
DEVELOPED BY DUMASTAR
Source: Kupershmid, Sh. Folkslider Vegn Der Foterlendisher Milkhome. Moscow: Melukhe-farlag “Der emes,” 1944, p. 21.