“In Ale Gasn” / “Hey Hey Daloy Politsey”
About the song
In ale gasn was originally conceived as a parody of a labor song, but over time it became a non-ironic workers’ song. Daloy politsey, on the other hand, is the closest Yiddish comes to its own “F—- Tha Police.” “It’s the equivalent of a projectile paving stone,” says Daniel Kahn. “I performed it once at a Moscow Yiddish Fest and I think that has something to do with why I’ve never been invited back.” Indeed, Kahn turned Geoff Berner onto the original song, and Berner came up with this anarchic modern version.
Lyrics
אין אַלע גאַסן, וווּ מען גייט,
הערט מען זאַבאַסטאָווקעס.
ייִנגלעך, מיידלעך, קינד־און־קייט,
שמועסן פֿון נאַבאָווקעס.
גענוג שוין, ברידער, האָרעווען,
גענוג שוין באָרגן־לײַען,
מאַכט אַ זאַבאַסטאָווקע,
לאָמיר, ברידער, זיך באַפֿרײַען!
ברידער און שוועסטער,
לאָמיר זיך געבן די הענט,
לאָמיר מיקאָלײַקעלען
צעברעכן די ווענט!
היי, היי, דאָלוי פּאָליציי,
דאָלוי סאַמאָדערזשאַוויע וו׳ראָסיי!
ברידער און שוועסטער,
לאָמיר גיין צוזאַמען.
לאָמיר מיקאָלײַקעלען
באַגראָבן מיט דער מאַמען!
היי, היי, דאָלוי פּאָליציי,
דאָלוי סאַמאָדערזשאַוויע וו׳ראָסיי!
נעכטן האָט ער געפֿירט
אַ וועגעלע מיסט,
הײַנט איז ער געוואָרן
אַ קאַפּיטאַליסט.
היי, היי, דאָלוי פּאָליציי,
דאָלוי סאַמאָדערזשאַוויע וו׳ראָסיי!
Transliteration
In ale gasn/hey hey daloy politsey
In ale gasen vu men geyt
Hert men zabastovkes.
Yinglech, meydlech, kind-un-keyt
Shmuesn fun nabovkes.
Genug shoyn brider horeven,
Genug shoyn borgen-layen,
Macht a zabastovke,
Lomir brider zich bafrayen!
Brider un shvester,
Lomir zich geben di hent,
Lomir Nikolaykelen
Tzebrechen di vent!
Hey, hey, daloy politzey,
Daloy samoderzhavyetz v Rasey!
Brider un shvester,
Lomir zich lit irtzen,
Lomir Nikolaykelen
Di yorelech farkirtzen!
Hey, hey, daloy politzey,
Daloy samoderzhavyetz v Rasey!
Nechten hot er gefirt
A vegele mist,
Haynt iz er gevorn
A kapitalist!
Hey, hey, daloy politzey,
Daloy samoderzhavyetz v Rasey!
Brider un shvester,
Lomir geyn tzuzamen.
Lomir Nikolaykelen
Bagroben mit der mamen!
Hey, hey, daloy politzey,
Daloy samoderzhavyetz v Rasey!
Kozaken, zhandarmen,
Arop fun di ferd!
Der rusisher keyser
Ligt shoyn in dr’erd!
Hey, hey, daloy politzey,
Daloy samoderzhavyetz v Rasey!
Translation
In the Streets/Down with the Police)
On ev’ry road Thou goest,
Rumblings Thou hearest.
Men, women, children, families
Speak of strikes.
Brothers, enough of Thy drudgery,
Enough of borrowing and lending,
We’re going on strike,
Brothers, let ourselves free!
Brothers and sisters,
Let us join hands,
Let us raze
Little Tsar Nikolay’s walls!
𝄆 Hey, hey! Fuck the police!
Fuck Russia’s hierarchy!
Brothers and sisters,
Let’s expunge the red tapes,
Let us curtail
Little Nikolay’s years!
𝄆 Hey, hey! Fuck the police!
Fuck Russia’s hierarchy!
Yesterday he was dragging
A little wagon full of shit,
Today he’s become
A capitalist!
𝄆 Hey, hey! Fuck the police!
Fuck Russia’s hierarchy!
Brothers and sisters,
Let us get together,
Little Nikolay we shall inter
’Long with his mother!
𝄆 Hey, hey! Fuck the police!
Fuck Russia’s hierarchy!