Dona Dona Music by Sholom Secunda Lyric by Aaron Zeitlin

Oyfn firl ligt dos kelbl                       On a wagon lies a little calf

Ligt gebundn mit a shtrik                  Lies bound with a rope

Hoykh in himl flit dos shvelbl           High in the heavens flies a little swallow

Freyt zikh, dreyt zikh hin un krik     Happily wheeling to and fro

Chorus:

Lakht der vint in korn                         The wind laughs in the grain

Lakht un lakht un lakht                       Laughs and laughs and laughs

Lakht er op a tog a gantsn                 Laughs a whole day through

Mit a halber nakht                             And half the night

Dona, dona…

Shrayt dos kelbl, zogt der poyer           The little calf cries out. The farmer says,

Ver zhe heyst dir zayn a kalb?               “Who told you to be a calf?

Volst gekert tsu zayn a foygl                After all, you would have made a good bird

Volst gekert tsu zayn a shvalb               You could have become a swallow

Chorus

Bidne kelber tut men bindn                     Poor calves people bind,

Un men shlept zey, un men shekht         And transport, and slaughter

Ver s’hot fligl, flit aroyf-tsu                    The one who has wings flies high

Iz bay keynem nit keyn knekht                 And is a slave to no one.