Song
Moments of Confidence
Original Title: Minutn fun bitokhn!
This piece was written in Krakow on October 2, 1940. Mordecai Gebirtig wrote this song to raise the spirits of the persecuted Jewish community in Krakow. The poet's reference to "Haman" alludes to the ancient Persian enemy of the Jewish people.
Jews, let us be cheerful!
It won't be long, I hope --
The war will soon be over,
And soon their end will come.
Be cheerful and don't worry!
Don't carry on in grief;
Have patience and have confidence --
Take hard times in your stride.
Remember: patience, confidence --
Don't let slip away
Those ancient weapons that unite
Our people to this day!
Revel, dance, you hangmen!
It won't be long, I hope,
Once there was a Haman,
His fate awaits you, too.
Revel, dance, you hangmen,
Jews know what suffering means;
The most demanding labor
Won't tire us in the least.
"Sweep!" you tell us? So we'll sweep!
But as long as you remain,
There is no point to sweeping --
This place will not come clean!
"Wash!" you tell us? So we'll wash!
But Cain's red mark,
And the blood from Abel's heart,
Cannot be washed away.
Drive us from our homes!
Cut away our beards!
Jews, let us be cheerful --
We'll see them go to hell!