David Beigelman (1887-1945) was born into a large musical family. A
violinist, conductor, composer, and theater critic from Lodz, Poland, he
toured Europe and even came to the U.S. as a member of a theater orchestra.
In the spring of 1940, the Germans declared part of Lodz a ghetto and moved
all Jews and Gypsies to that area. The ghetto became a slave labor camp with
more than 75,000 workers.Beigelman was an active participant in the cultural life of the ghetto, writing orchestra works and songs describing life there, many of which were censored by the authorities and sung in secret. Secret diaries found underground after the war mention Beigelman conducting the first symphonic concert there March 1, 1941, followed by a concert for chorus and orchestra on March 13th. Deported to Auschwitz in 1944, he was then sent to a slave labor camp, where he died of exhaustion in February, 1945. Tsigaynerlid is a tribute to some of the Gypsies in the Lodz ghetto attempting to drown their sorrows in song and dance. Some 500,000 Gypsies were liquidated during World War II. Tsigaynerlid (voices and piano), audio samples MP3 (:58) and MP3 (:15) from Leonarda CD #LE342.
"Makh Tsi Di Eygelakh"Bill and Gillian whisper to each other during the eerie opening of the second act, which is set in Poland during the Nazi occupation. Violinist Steven Greenman (and the rest of the orchestra) accompanies. - Music by David Beigelman
- Arranged by Alan Bern
- Yiddish lyrics by Isaiah Shpigl
- English lyrics by Jenny Levison
Ot kumen feygelekh (Birds are flying nigh,)
Un krayzn do arum (And circle all around)
Tsukopns fun dayn vig. (Aflutter above your crib).
Dos pekl in der hant (A bundle ready in hand,)
Dos hoyz iz ash un brand; (The house by fire rent)
Mir lozn zikh, mayn kind, (We are off, my child,)
Zukhn glik (To seek good luck.)
Di velt hot Got farmakht, (God has shut our world so bright)
Un umetum iz nakht (And everywhere is dark, dark night,)
Zi vart oyf undz (And waits for us right here)
Mit shoyder un mit shrek, (With horror and with fear.)
Mir shteyen beyde do (We are both standing there)
In shverer, shverer sho (In this dreadful, dreadful hour)
Un veysn nit vuhin (Not knowing where)
S'firt der veg. (The road will lead.)
Men hot undz naket bloyz (Naked, of everything bereft)
Faryogt un undzer hoyz (Chased, our homes we left),
In finsternish (In the pitch of night)
Getribn undz in feld (Pursued into the field),
Un shturem, hogl, vint (And storm, hail, and wind,)
Hot undz bagleyt, mayn kind (My child, escorted us)
Bagleyt undz inem opgrunt (To the fathomless void)
Fun der velt. (From the world.)
Words & Music by David Beyglman
English translation and arrangement
[c] 2002 Jerry Silverman
Jerry Silverman writes, "David Beyglman, himself trapped in the Lodz ghetto along with his fellow Jews, was nevertheless moved by the plight of the thousands of Austrian gypsies who were transported there by the Germans in 1941. He had been a concert violinist before the war, touring Europe and, as a member of a theater orchestra, played in the United States. The musical center of his life, however, remained in Lodz, where he actively took part in that city's cultural and literary life. He continued his activities as best he could in the ghetto until he was transported to Auschwitz in May 1944. It was there he perished in February 1945. 500,000 Gypsies were murdered in the Holocaust."
This song and 109 others are included in the book and CD set The
Undying Flame: Ballads And Songs Of The Holocaust (Syracuse University
Press, ISBN: 0815607083; available from 621 Skytop Road, Suite 110,
Syracuse, NY 13244, Web:
Finster di nakht, vi koyln shvarts, Nor trakht un trakht, un s'klapt mayn harts. Mir tsigayner lebn vi keyner! Mir laydn noyt, genug koym oyf broyt. CHORUS: Dzum, dzum, dzum, dzum dzum, dzum, dzum Mir flien arum vi di tshaykes Dzum, dzum, dzum, dzum, dzum, dzum Mir shpiln oyf di balalay kes Nit vu men togt, nit vu men nakht; A yeder sikh plogt, nor kh'trakht un trakht. Mir tsigayner leben vi keyner Mir laydn noyt, genug koym oyf broyt. CHORUS ... SINGABLE TRANSLATION Pitch-black the night, darker than coal. I sit and think; pain in my soul. Gypsies suffer, live like no other. Soon we'll be dead, we even lack bread. CHORUS Dzum, dzum, dzum, dzum dzum, dzum, dzum Like seagulls, forever we're straying Dzum, dzum, dzum, dzum, dzum, dzum On our balalaikas we're playing Nowhere to stay, daytime or night, Others resist, I think of my plight Gypsies suffer, live like no other. Soon we'll be dead, we even lack bread. CHORUS ...