4
Noch gār in Ānhēb, var ganz langer Zeit,
As mir senen gewesen noch Stücklech Leut,
Wie Balebatim in der Hēim nor gesessen
Un' in fremde Haüser kēin Täg' nit gegessen,
Densmāl noch, ach! soll dās nit treffen Kēinem
Wās mir hāben ausgelitten vun unsere Schcheenim!
Wer red't schōn dernāch, wēh unsere Jāhren!
As die Schcheenim seinen Balebatim gewor'en....
Un' mir hāben gemust nit geren, beōnes,
Areinziehen wōhnen bei see in Schcheenes
Wie hāben mir gelebt, wie senen mir gelegen?
Ach, ihr wollt't schōn besser gār nit frägen!
Wie Köpplech Kraut, wie a Haufen Rüben,
Mit der hēiliger Tōre, auf Parmet geschrieben.
5
Zwēitausend Jāhr, a Klēinigkeit zu sāgen!
Zwēitausend Jāhr gemattert, geschlāgen!
3
Come, dear brethren, come quickly! Come, let us open the historical books! What does history tell? What do the chronicles write? Nothing but tales of robbers, stories of highwaymen! Our history, as large as earth, has been written, not with a pen, but with a sword; not with ink, but with blood and tears; has been printed, not in Leipsic, but in heavy exile; is bound, not in gold carving, but in chains and iron. Let a man come and show me where they have not persecuted us and expelled us for the holy Law written upon parchment!
4
In the very beginning, a long time ago, when we still were of some importance, when we were sitting at home and did not lodge in strangers' homes—alas, may that not befall any one, what we have suffered from our neighbors! Not to mention later—woe unto our years!—when our neighbors became our masters.... And we were compelled against our will to take lodgings in their homes. How did we live, how did we rest? Oh, you had better not ask at all! Like cabbage heads, like turnip heaps, with our holy Law written upon parchment.
5