"Sha, Shtil, Makht Nisht Keyn Gerider!" (Shh, hush, don’t make any noise; Yiddish: שאַ, שטיל, מאַכט נישט קײן גערידער) is a Yiddish folk song, written and composed by unknown authors.[1][2] In World War II, the song was adapted and sung during the Holocaust.
| "Sha Shtil" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Language | Yiddish |
| Songwriter(s) | unknown |
Lyrics and translation
| Yiddish | Transliteration | Translation |
|---|---|---|
שאַ, שטיל, מאַכט נישט קײן גערידער | Sha, shtil, makht nisht keyn gerider, | Shh, hush, don’t make any noise. |
The song depicts the atmosphere in a hasidic community. The melody starts with an augmented second, which is typical of the so-called gypsy scale.
History
According to an eye-witness account, the words to the original melody were adapted during police actions in the Holocaust as follows: “Sha, shtil, makh nit keyn gerider,/ S’iz in lager a kontrol vider./ Sha, shtil, makh nit keyn gevald,/ Di kontrol kumt aher bald./ Un az di kontrol kumt iz dokh vey un vind, / Men darf in lager nit zen keyn kind.” (Shh, hush, don't make any noise, the guard is coming again; shh, hush, don't make a clamor, the guard is coming soon. And when the guard comes, it's woe to us — no child in the camp should be seen.)[3]
The Israeli Yiddish metal band Gevolt has recorded Sha, shtil on its album AlefBase.[4]
References
External links
- Sha, Shtil, Makht Nisht Keyn Gerider! The Yosl and Chana Mlotek Ciddish Song Collection
- Beth's notes
- The Burning Bush
- Version for balalaika and orchestra with Anastasiya Tyurina