Shadows - Songs from Testimonies, Vol. 3 audio CD with booklet (liner notes, lyrics with transliterations and translations)
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Side D contains original testimnonies' audio clips from the Fortunoff Video Archive, edited and mastered for this edition.
Includes unlimited streaming of Shadows - Songs from Testimonies, Vol. 3
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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about
Loy luni—לא לנו—Not to Us
Jack M. learned this humorous and, at the same time, didactical song in the prewar period in his hometown of Szydłowiec. It is not entirely clear whether its contents refer to that town or if it has travelled from elsewhere. While there is a significant body of Yiddish song repertoire that was recorded only in one place, it cannot be assumed that the song (or any piece of Jewish music) was originally created there.
The song presents a vivid gallery of characters from a local Jewish community through the lens of various holidays. Jack M. remembered the verses associated with Sukkot (Síkes in Mideastern and Southern dialects), Purim (Pirim), and Sabbath (Shabes). The lyrics portrays various characters, both individuals (rav Sender, Shoshe the charity overseer’s wife, and rav Tsudek) and groups (the Jews celebrating Purim).
The title of this song is based on the first verse from Psalm 115.
Loy luni Adoynoy, loy luni ki-leshimkhu teyn kuved al-khasdekhu al-amitekhu
Not to us, o Lord, not to us, but to Your name bring glory for the sake of Your love and Your faithfulness.
The title also contains a reference to the formulaic text (prayer) traditionally recited at the time of performing the ritual of Kapparot (Kapores) before Yom Kippur, while swinging the chicken above one’s head:
Ze khalipusi, ze kaparusi (khap[a]rusi)
This is my replacement; this is my vindication
The two versions of the full text of the prayer, reads as follows: “This is my exchange, this is my substitute, this is my atonement. This rooster (hen) will go to its death, while I will enter and proceed to a good long life and to peace.” When money is donated to charity, instead of mentioning the rooster (hen), it is said, “this money will go to charity, while I will enter and proceed to a good long life and to peace.”
lyrics
Esreg bentsht dokh yeyderer yid,
ven der Sikes kumt tsu gayn.
Der lilev vert azoy shtark upgehit
in getrayslt fin groys biz klayn.
In shil arayn tit loyfn rav Betsalel, Sikes inderfri.
In er shoklt zikh dort bam Halel,
in zingt zikh deym "Loy luni".
Veyr es iz nor a yid, der shoklt zikh in dermit.
In der zayt bam shtender
dort shoklt zikh rav Sender.
Der ruv, der dayen, ale shrayen:
“Loy luni, loy luni!"
Efsher hot ir geheyert di geshikhte
fun Homen haroshe dem groysn ''held''?
Er hot gevolt imbrengen yidntum
fun der gantser velt.
Gekumen iz a bsire
fin Shishan habire azmehotbafraytaleyidn,
In ven m'hot zakh upgegesn zeyer side,
iz yeyderer geven tsufridn,
az gehongen hot men Homen mit di kinder
in Vayzusu hengt bazinder,
in zey khalipusi, zey khaprusi,
Loy luni, loy luni.
Shoshe di gabete in der shil
loyft zikh yeydn Shabes.
In dortn zingt zi zeyer fil
in der vayberisher shil.
Der khazn er davnt mit groys kavune,
in zingt mit groys gevayn.
Ven es kimt tsi dem Loy Luni,
blaybt tsu nebekh shtayn.
In veyr s’iz nor a yid vos davnt zikh dortn mit.
In Getsl in rav Tsudik zay hakn dort a spodik.
In zey khalipusi, zey khaprusi,
Loy luni, loy luni.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
Every Jew is blessing the etrog,
When Sikkes (Sukkot) arrives.
They guard the lilev (lulav) zealously
And shake it, kids and adults alike.
On the morning of Sukkot,
Rabbi Betsalel is rushing to the synagogue
And he’s “shaking” (praying) there at the time of Hallel prayer
And singing “Not for us.”
Whoever is a Jew, they are praying there together.
And on the side, at the lectern,
Rabbi Sender is praying.
The rabbi, the dayen, everyone is screaming:
“Not for us, not for us!”
Perhaps you have heard the story
Of Haman the wicked man, the great “hero”?
He wanted to kill the Jewry
Around the entire world.
The news has arrived
From the capital city of Shushan,
That they have liberated all the Jews.
They finished their ritual meal,
And everyone was happy,
That they had hung Haman with his children,
And Vayzusu is hanging separately.
This is my replacement, this is my vindication.
Shosha the charity overseer’s wife
Is rushing to the synagogue every Sabbath,
And there she sings a lot,
In the women’s synagogue.
The cantor (khazn) prays with great devotion
And he sings with tears in his voice.
When it’s time to start “Not for us”
He stands there all the time, poor fellow.
Whoever is a Jew,
They are praying there together.
Getsl and Rabbi Tsudek (Tsadik),
they are bothering everyone.
This is my exchange (...) this is my atonement.
Not for us, not for us!
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