Dona Dona Music by Sholom Secunda Lyric by Aaron Zeitlin
Oyfn firl ligt dos kelbl On a wagon lies a little calf
Ligt gebundn mit a shtrik Lies bound with a rope
Hoykh in himl flit dos shvelbl High in the heavens flies a little swallow
Freyt zikh, dreyt zikh hin un krik Happily wheeling to and fro
Chorus:
Lakht der vint in korn The wind laughs in the grain
Lakht un lakht un lakht Laughs and laughs and laughs
Lakht er op a tog a gantsn Laughs a whole day through
Mit a halber nakht And half the night
Dona, dona…
Shrayt dos kelbl, zogt der poyer The little calf cries out. The farmer says,
Ver zhe heyst dir zayn a kalb? “Who told you to be a calf?
Volst gekert tsu zayn a foygl After all, you would have made a good bird
Volst gekert tsu zayn a shvalb You could have become a swallow
Chorus
Bidne kelber tut men bindn Poor calves people bind,
Un men shlept zey, un men shekht And transport, and slaughter
Ver s’hot fligl, flit aroyf-tsu The one who has wings flies high
Iz bay keynem nit keyn knekht And is a slave to no one.