HOMENS MAPOLE - HAMAN'S DEFEAT
Lyrics: Itsik Ingber, from Berdichev, 50 years old, recorded by V. Frenkel, Berdichev, March 1947.
Music: Psoy Korolenko, referencing to Kievan Caves Chant for ‘’Blest is the Man’’ (which has a similar structure and sound to Jewish liturgical chants of the 18th century)* and to the Russian Easter Hymn in “Lesser Znamenny Chant.’’ Arrangement by Psoy Korolenko and Sergei Erdenko.
Unusually rich with Hebrew-derived words, this song celebrates the Soviet
victory in the war and features Stalin as the conqueror of the new “Haman”
(the villainous enemy in the Purim story). Unlike some “fake-lore” Yiddish
songs about Stalin written before the war, this one genuinely praises Stalin in
the spirit of the moment in history. The tune combines Purim-style music and
Russian Orthodox Christian hymns, emphasizing the universal joy of defeating
fascism, hatred and xenophobia.
English
Russian
Yiddish Transliteration
Yiddish
Hitler wanted to kill all the Jews
Empty them out, clear them from the world
[But] the Jews can depend on Stalin
He could not even be bought for money!
The exact opposite occurred / it was to the contrary:
[Hitler] himself had the defeat
A fine and clean atonement / payback
For the people of Israel
Be joyful, Jews
Dance even faster!
Celebrate, be happy
Your lives are now ensured
Hitler has the downfall
Stalin has the power
And the jews have been saved!
Гитлер хотел всех евреев убить,
Стереть их с лица земли,
Сталина из-за евреев погубить,
Даже деньги чтоб не помогли.
Но вышло всё наоборот,
Он же сам и проиграл,
И за народ еврейский
Жертвенною курицею стал!...
Радуйтесь, евреи!
Танцуйте скорее!
Счастливы будьте
И сказать не забудьте:
“Гитлеру конец,
Сталину венец,
Назло врагам,
И на здоровье нам!”
Hitler hot gevolt di yidelekh umbrengen
Oysramen zey fun der velt
Stalinen far yidn gor afhengn
Keyn shum oyskoyfn far gelt.
S’iz farkert gesheen
Er hot di mafole aleyn.
A sheyne reyne khapore
Far dem klal Yisroel.
Tsuzoyg.
Freyt zikh yidn.
Tantst vos gikher!
Zayt tsefridn,
Ir lebt shoyn zikher.
Hitler hot di mafole
Stalin hot di memshole
S’iz far sonem a behole
Un yidn a refole
היטלער האָט געוואָלט די יידעלעך אומברענגען
אויסראמען זיי פון דער וועלט
סטאלינען פאר יידן גאָר אפהענגן
קיין שום אויסקויפן פאר געלט.
ס׳איז פארקערט געשעען
ער האָט די מאפאלע אליין
א שיינע ריינע כאפאָרע
פאר דעם קלאל ייסראָעל.
צוזיוג.
פרייט זיך יידן.
טאנצט וואָס גיכער!
זייט צעפרידן,
איר לעבט שוין זיכער.
היטלער האָט די מאפאָלע
סטאלין האָט די מעמשאָלע
ס׳איז פאר סאָנעם א בעהאָלע
און יידן א רעפאָלע
Source Documents & Recordings
DEVELOPED BY DUMASTAR
*We thank Olga Meerson for the reference and the ethnomusicological analysis of these tunes.
Source: Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine, Manuscript Department, fond 190, delo 162, p.2.