I’ve posted this elsewhere on another thread, but it bears repeating here:
I well remember my Ukrainian-born grandfather looking at me with a wry smile and a shake of the head: “You think you’re such an American. Try asking them what they think.” I just dismissed it as outmoded, Old World thinking, that sense of the Jew as a distinct nationality living among strangers. A vestige of where he came from, where he was classified officially by the government as being of Jewish nationality rather than Russian or Ukrainian. Maybe he was wiser than I knew.
When I was very small, my grandmother had a Russian lullaby that she used to sing to me and my brother at bedtime. The melody has haunted me all these years — I can still hear her voice singing it — but I never knew or understood the words. Through the magic of the Internet, I recently — literally just a few months ago — succeeded in tracking down the words and recovering what my grandmother was conveying to me seventy years ago:
*
Спи, дитя, мой ангел-крошка,
Spi, ditya, moy angel-kroshka,
Sleep, child, my tiny angel,
Спи пока у сни.
Spi poka u sni.
Sleep awhile and dream.
А я тебе пока немножко
A ya tebye poka nemnozhko
And I will for a little while
Расскажу кто ты
Rasskazhu kto tih
Tell you who you are
Я тебе пока немножко
Ya tebye poka nemnozhko
I will for a little while
Расскажу кто ты
Rasskazhu kto tih
Tell you who you are
*
Не забудь, что ты скиталец
Ne zabud’, chto tih skitalyetz
Don’t forget that you are a wanderer
Меж чужих людей.
Mezh chuzhikh lyudei.
Among foreign people.
Не забудь, что ты страдалец
Ne zabud’, chto tih stradalyetz
Don’t forget that you are a sufferer
И что ты Еврей.
I chto tih Yevrei.
And that you are a Jew.
Не забудь, что ты страдалец
Ne zabud’, chto tih stradalyetz
Don’t forget that you are a sufferer
Потому что ты Еврей.
Potomu chto tih Yevrei.
Because you are a Jew.
*
Помни Бога, помни веру,
Pomni Boga, pomni veru,
Remember God, remember faith,
Мать не забывай.
Mat’ ne zabivai.
Mother don’t forget.
А если будет горя чрез меру,
A esli budyet gorya chrez meru,
And if there will be grief beyond measure,
До конца страдай.
Do kontsa stradai.
Suffer to the end.
Если будет горя чрез меру,
Esli budyet gorya chrez meru,
If there will be grief beyond measure,
До конца страдай.
Do kontsa stradai.
Suffer to the end.
*
Если станут над тобой смеяться,
Esli stanut nad toboi smeyat’sya,
If it happens that they mock you,
Скажут: «Жид, пошел скорей!»
Skazhut: “Zhid, poshel skorei!”
Saying: “Yid, hurry and go!”
Скажи, что тебе ничего не страшно,
Skazhi, chto tebye nichego ne strashno,
Tell them that nothing frightens you,
Скажи, что ты Еврей.
Skazhi, chto tih Yevrei.
Tell them you’re a Jew.
Скажи, что тебе ничего не страшно,
Skazhi, chto tebye nichego ne strashno,
Tell them that nothing frightens you,
Потому что ты Еврей!
Potomu chto tih Yevrei!
Because you are a Jew!
