Anthems of the Abandoned Perhaps the bravest souls during the Shoah were not the formidable troops on either
side, nor even the rescuers who put their own lives on the line for their friends and strangers,
but the ones who against all odds, without armies or arsenals, worked night and day to
thwart the Axis Powers war efforts; to fight against the Third Reich in its efforts to
commit genocide all over Europe. The Resistance Movement in various countries acted in numerous
ways to stop the German onslaught, including active fighting, espionage, derailing trains,
detouring food and medical supplies, cutting communication lines and so on. The resistance
movement also had members in the killing centers who occasionally helped plan escapes
(see Sobibor) or as in Auschwitz, helped to blow up one of the Krema, or crematoriums and
gas chamber to slow down the number of killings. With little to keep of the morale of the
embattled resistance movement leaders, folksongs and anthems provided a means of instilling
purpose and reminding them of their noble cause; the songs of an expatriated people reminded
them of their national identity. The rich heritage of the resistance movement was that an army
with no resources, and abandoned, ostracized and banished from the countries of Europe for fear
of Nazi Retribution, kept up a noble fight in opposing Nazi troops, deportations, and even staying
thousands of deaths within the camps by intelligence operations and even bombing a krema in Auschwitz.
The Legacy of Music that the Resistance left behind shows a noble and fighting spirit against odds
that were not uncertain---they were very certain: they knew they would not win, but fought both out
of tenacity, protest, and to save whatever Jewish lives they could. Following are the lyrics to several of the most prominent
anthems and folksongs of the resistance movement during the Shoah.
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| Eli, Eli
She lo yigamer leolam Hakhol ve hayam Rishrush shel hamayim Berak hashamayim Tfilat ha'adam Credit: Zemerl Jewish Song Collection "nayn, nayn, |
The Partisan's Song (We Are Here)
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The French Partisan's Song
COMPLAINTE DU PARTISAN Les Allemands étaient chez moi On m'a dit résigne toi Mais je n'ai pas pu Et j'ai repris mon arme. Personne ne m'a demandé D'où je viens et où je vais Vous qui le savez Effacez mon passage. J'ai changé cent fois de nom J'ai perdu femme et enfants Mais j'ai tant d'amis Et j'ai la France entière. Un vieil homme dans un grenier Pour la nuit nous a cachés L¹ennemi l'a su (Les Allemands l'ont pris) Il est mort sans surprise. Hier encore nous étions trois Il ne reste plus que moi Et je tourne en rond Dans la prison des frontières. Le vent souffle sur les tombes La liberté reviendra On nous oubliera Nous rentrerons dans l'ombre Paroles : Emmanuel d'Astier de La Vigerie dit "Bernard". Musique : Anna Marly écrit en 1943, à Londres. |