Lyr Req: We Died in Hell - Passchendaele album

Subject: Lyr Req: We Died in Hell - Passchendaele album
From: GUEST,GUEST.elfshot
Date: 02 Oct 24 - 01:19 AM

Hi, everyone!

I am trying to find the lyrics to the following songs from the album "We Died in Hell — They Called It Passchendaele," put out in 1993 by MAP Records and featuring June Tabor, Shoshana Kalisch, Marwan Zoueini, and Kristien Dehollander:

- Ma mère et la fête (Zoueini)
- Nabwaina owtal el mochwar (Zoueini)
- Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib? (Tabor, Kalisch, Dehollander) - this version has some verses in what sounds like Dutch or potentially Flemish?
- Lwein Raïhine (Zoueini)
- Dos yingl vet zey firn (Kalisch)
- A Nign (Kalisch)

If anyone can help me out with these, it'd be very much appreciated :).

Subject: ADD: I died in hell. They called it Passchendaele
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Oct 24 - 01:42 AM

I'm not sure how this fits in, but I thought it might have value.

Memorial Tablet
(GREAT WAR)

Squire nagged and bullied till I went to fight,
(Under Lord Derby's Scheme). I died in hell --
(They called it Passchendaele). My wound was slight,
And I was hobbling back; and then a shell
Burst slick upon the duck-boards: so I fell
Into the bottomless mud, and lost the light.

At sermon-time, while Squire is in his pew,
He gives my gilded name a thoughtful stare;
For, though low down upon the list, I'm there;
"In proud and glorious memory " . . . that's my due.
Two bleeding years I fought in France, for Squire:
I suffered anguish that he's never guessed.
Once I came home on leave: and then went west . . .
What greater glory could a man desire?
November 1918

Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967)

Source: https://net.lib.byu.edu/english/wwi/children/memorial.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m26FC6sSAqw

Also see https://fatheredwardbarlow.wordpress.com/2020/11/08/siegfried-sassoon-three-poems-for-remembrance/

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Died in Hell - Passchendaele album
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Oct 24 - 02:05 AM

Ma mère et la fête: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75ACMA00zX4 - lyrics appear to be in Arabic, and are available on the recording.

Nabwaina owtal el mochwar - can't find it - possibly Arabic

Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib - lyrics by Bertolt Brecht, music by Kurt Weill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxGla2m6NGg

Lwein Raïhine - don't find anything - possibly Arabic.

Dos yingl vet zey firn - probably Yiddish

A Nign - A nigun or niggun is a form of Jewish religious song or tune sung by groups. It is vocal music, often with repetitive sounds such as "Bim-Bim-Bam", "Lai-Lai-Lai", "Yai-Yai-Yai" or "Ai-Ai-Ai" instead of formal lyrics.



Recordings available for listening here: https://lokeren.bibliotheek.be/en/catalog/june-tabor/we-died-hell-they-called-it-passchendaele/cd/wise-oostvlaanderen_671481#details-tab-issue

"Mainly Norfolk" page on this album: https://mainlynorfolk.info/june.tabor/records/wediedinhell.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Died in Hell - Passchendaele album
From: DaveRo
Date: 02 Oct 24 - 02:11 AM

This is the CD
We Died in Hell—They Called it Passchendaele

I saw this selling in Ypres when I was there some years ago. There's a copy on ebay.uk - I see it has a booklet.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Died in Hell - Passchendaele album
From: GUEST,elfshot
Date: 02 Oct 24 - 02:26 AM

Yeah, all of Zoueini's performances on the album are in Arabic. He wrote the songs himself.

"Dos yingl vet zey firn" is in Yiddish, and it's a version of the song also sung as "Un a yingele vet zey firn" or "A yingele ligt farbrent". The words are slightly different to the versions I can find online, though.

I did actually just now find the words for A Nign - https://yiddishsongs.org/a-nign/.

Once there was a poor man who would only quarrel with God. Wonders upon wonders happened to him when he sang a tune like this: Tshiri-bim, bam, bam. Wine flowed from the melody he swallowed gulp after gulp. Wonders upon wonders happened to him when he sang, sang just like this: Tshiri-bim, bam, bam. The Jew sang and bliss poured forth until he jumped for joy Wonders upon wonders happened to him when he sang, sang just like this: Tshiri-bim, bam, bam!

Iz a kabtsn a mol gevezn, Flegt er nor mit got zikh krign. Vunder iber vunder hot mit im getrofn, Ven er hot gezungen ot aza min nign: Tshiri-bim, bam, bam. Hot fun nign zikh vayn gegosn, Hot er zup nokh geshlungen, Vunder iber vunder hot mit im getrofn, Ven er got gezungen, ot azoy gezungen; Tshiri-bim, bam, bam. Zingt der yid un s’gist zikh mesikes, Iz er azh fun freyd geshprungen, Vunder iber vunder hot mit im getrofn, Ven er hot gezungen, ot azoy gezungen: Tshiri-bim, bam, bam.

Keep dreaming, great prophet, your dream. Show yourself again above the ruined walls. Never mind that he who is calling you sits, weary, he is mourning a little boy who lies, incinerated. A wolf shall lie together with a sheep, and a little boy will lead them by the hand. Meanwhile, come, prophet, console his mother, who wails, mourning her little boy who lies, incinerated. A leopard shall be embraced by a kid– they will have recognized each other; the mother rocks an empty cradle, lulls and lulls, the little boy lies dead, burnt to ashes. A cow shall walk with a bear to pasture, a snake shall approach a child with kindness, but up to now we have been bad guardians – the little boy lies dead, burnt to ashes. His mother climbs out from the bunker’s depths turning to you with her swaying hands, oh, prophet, prophet bring the End of Days, resurrect the little boy who lies, incinerated.

Dayn kholem groyser novi, kholem vider, Bavayz zikh vider iber khorevdike vent, Nit kuk vos der vos ruft dikh zitst a mider — Dos klogt er oyfn yingele vos ligt farbrent. A volf dart voynen mit a sheps tsuzamen, Dos yingele darf firn zey mit zayne hent,­ — Dervayl kum, novi, brengen treyst der mamen, Vos klogt-baklogt ir yingele vos ligt farbrent. Tsum lempert darf a tsigele zikh tulyen — Zey zoln hobn beyde zikh derkent; Di mame vigt a puste vig, tut lulyen, lulyen, Dos yingele ligt toyt, oyf ash farbrent. A ku darf shprayzn mit a ber oyf fiter, Mit gutskeyt tsu a kind zol zayn a shlang genent, Nor mir zaynen geven biz itster shlekhte hiter — Dos yingele ligt toyt, oyf ash farbrent. Di mame shtaygt aroyf fun bunker-t’homen Mit ire vigndike hent tsu dir gevendt; O novi ,novi, breng dem akhris hayomim Makh lebedik dos yingele vos ligt farbrent.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Died in Hell - Passchendaele album
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 02 Oct 24 - 10:27 AM

You can listen to the CD here;

Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/18-no-mans-land-june-tabor/03+Ma+M%C3%A8re+et+la+F%C3%AAte.mp3
We died in hell

Lokeren Library has a copy that you can borrow, if you are passing. But I don't think that you can listen on line.

I can't find the notes on line.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Died in Hell - Passchendaele album
From: Reinhard
Date: 03 Oct 24 - 05:59 AM

These are the Yiddish songs with their English translations from the We Died in Hell booklet:

DI NAKHT
Mikhl Gelbart - Aaron Domnits

S’iz keyner mit mir in der nakht,
Di nakht nor aleyn iz mit mir.
Oyf vegn farkhmuret un shtum,
Di shtilkeyt aleyn vandert urn.

Ikh gey, s’iz a vayter der veg,
Farvolknt un toyb iz di nkht.
Vuhin, vuhin, freg dem ritm fun di trit.
Zey gibn keyn entfer mir nit.

S’iz keyner mit mir in der nakht;
Di nakht nor aleyn iz mit mir.
Vos vayter un vayter ahin—
Vuhin, shtile vegn vuhin?

THE NIGHT

There’s no one with me in the night.
Darkness alone is with me.
On roads obscured by darkness dense,
Hollow stillness all that I can sense.

I go: long is my way.
The clouded night does not hear.
Where? Where? Ask the rhythm of your steps.
No answer comes to my ear.

There's no one with me in the night;
Darkness alone is with me.
On and on in lonely despair—
But where, silent roads, where?


TSEN BRIDER
trad.— Rosebery D’Arguto

Tsen brider zenen mir geven;
Hobn mir gehandlt mit vayn.
Eyner iz geshtorbn—
Zenen mir geblibn nayn.
Oy, oy, oy, oy.

Yidi mitn fidl,
Moyshe mitn bas,
Shpil-zhe mir a lidl.
Men firt undz in dem gas.

Eyn bruder nor bin ikh geblibn,
Met vem zol ikh veynen?
Di andere hot men derharget—
Tsi gedenkt ir zeyer neymen.
Oy, oy, oy, oy.

Yidl mitn fidl,
Moyshe mitn bas,
Hert mayn lest lidl
Men firt mikh oykh tsum gas.

Tsen brider zenen mir geven—
Mir hobn keynem nit vey geton.

TEN HAPPY BROTHERS

Ten happy brothers were we together.
We lived by dealing in wine.
One of us died early—
And so we remained nine.
Oy, oy, oy, oy.

Yidl with the fiddle,
Moyshe with the bass,
Play for us a little,
The gas chamber we face.

One brother only I remain.
With whom shall I sigh?
All the others coldly killed—
Remember them and cry.
Oy, oy, oy, oy.

Yidl with the fiddle,
Moyshe with the bass.
Let me sing my last song,
The gas chamber I face.

Ten brothers were we together—
We hurt no one and did no wrong.


DOS YINGL VET ZEY FIRN
H. Leivick—Blume Mushkes-Saubel

Dayn kholem groyser novi kholem vider,
Bavayz zikh in di khurevdike vent.
Nit kuk vos der vos ruft dikh zitst a mider
Dos yingele dervayle ligt farbrent.

A volf vet voynen miy a sheps tsusamen
Dos yingl vet zey firn mit di hent.
Nor haynt kum novi brengen trest der mamen,
Dos yingele dervayle ligt farbrent.

Tsu a lempert vet a tsigele zikh tulen,
Zey zoln hobn beyde zikh derkent.
Di mame ober veynt halt in eyn lulien,
Dos yingele dervayle ligt farbrent.

A ku vet shprayzn mit a ber ouf vuter,
Tsu an oyfele a shlang vet zayn genent,
Nor mir zenen bis itster shlekhte hiter,
Dos yingele dervayle ligt farbrent.

THE LITTLE BOY

Your dream, great Prophet, dream again.
Come within these war-ravaged walls!
Don't look at this tired survivor calling you,
While the little boy lies burned.

A wolf will live together with the sheep,
The boy will lead them with his hands.
But today, Prophet, come to comfort his mother,
While the little boy lies burned.

With a leopard a kid will snuggle,
They come to know each other well.
But the mother cries herself to sleep
While the little boy lies burned.

A cow will share its fodder with a bear,
To a little fowl a snake will be assigned.
Only we, are bad brother's keepers,
While the little boy lies burned.


A NIGN
L. Magister—Lazar Weiner

Iz a kaptsn amol gevezn
Flegt er nor mit Got zikh krign.
Vunder iber vunder hot mit im getrofn,
Ven er hot gezüngen ot aza min nign:

Tshiri bimbam bam...

Hot hun nign zikh vayn gegosn,
Hot er zup nokh zup geshlungen
Vunder iber vunder hot mit im getrofn,
Ven er hot gezüngen ot aza min nign:

Tshiri bimbam bam...

Zingt der yid un s'gist zikh mesikes,
Iz er azsh fun freyd geshprungen.
Vunder iber vunder hot mit im getrofn,
Ven er hot gezüngen ot aza min nign:
Tshiri bimbam bam...

A NIGN

Once there was a beggar
Who used to quarrel with God.
Wonder upon wonder befell him
When he sang this tune:

Tshiri bimbam bam...

From the song wine poured:
He swallowed it sip by sip.
Wonder upon wonder befell him
When he sang this tune:

Tshiri bimbam bam...

So sings the Jew and sweetness pours forth
'til he almost jumped for joy.
Wonder upon wonder befell him
When he sang this tune:

Tshiri bimbam bam...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We Died in Hell - Passchendaele album
From: GUEST,elfshot
Date: 04 Oct 24 - 12:24 AM

Oh, wow -- thank you, Reinhard!