[1] While it is unclear who composed the music to the song, the first published version was printed in 1919 by Yankev Glatshteyn in Warsaw, in the book Freiheits Lieder (Yiddish: פרײַהײַטס לידער, lit.
[2] Following The Holocaust, in 1945 the First, Second, Fifth, and Final stanzas were published in Mikhl Gelbart's yiddish song book Zingt mit mir and as such it has become convention to perform only these verses so as to omit criticism of other elements of the Jewish community.
[2] Daniel Kahn however has recorded and performs the full version; such as for the Yoyvls of the Australian Bund (one of the times with Psoy Korolenko; who translated the verses into Russian).
דער העלד װעט די װעלט אי בּעפרייען, אי היילען ער ט'גרייכֿען דעם תּהום בּיז'ן גרונד זאָל לעבּען פון רוסלאַנד, פון ליטאָ און פוילען דער יודישער אַרבּײטער-בּונד In zaltsikn yam fun di mentshlekhe trern Gefint zikh a shreklekher thom, Er ken shoyn nit tifer, nit fintsterer vern, Im tseykhnt a blutiker shtrom.
Di gvirishe kinder, mashkilim, rabonim Zey rufen in Tsiyen dem yid A lidel an' alte fun undzere sonim "A geto deym eybigen Jid!"
So much of the sea has been filled with this sorrow Endured by the suffering Jews But only the tears of the poor ones are bloody The rich cry as clear as the dew
The children of wealthy, enlightened, the clergy — Into Zion they call the Hebrews, We've heard this old story before from our enemies "A ghetto for the Eternal Jew!"
They say that they answer the prayers of our fathers From deep in their graves, hear them call While souls who are living in sorrow and hunger To them they're deaf as the wall.