Freedom Tango Танго Освенцима Jewish Songs. For All Russian text: Olga Anikina Project producer: Walter J. Kin https://jewishhit.com/create/freedom-tango/ ABOUT THIS WORKING TEXT All 32 written lines from the cited Russian text, including four chorus appearances and their wording differences. English is explanatory, not singable. STORY Prisoners remember the dances they loved before the war. Music becomes a fragile meeting place for memory and the longing for freedom. RIGLI's recording notes connect Anikina's Russian adaptation to Niewolnicze tango and its later Yiddish version. RUSSIAN / LITERAL ENGLISH 1. Фокстрот и танго среди других мелодий Foxtrot and tango, among the other melodies 2. Мы больше всех любили до войны Were the ones we loved most before the war 3. Их грусть была тогда как будто в моде Their sadness seemed to be fashionable then 4. А их слова наивны и нежны And their words were naive and tender 5. Но позади остался тихий город But the quiet city is left behind 6. Где мы с тобой бродили у реки Where you and I once wandered by the river 7. Так спой мне мейдл за лагерным забором So sing to me, girl, behind the camp fence 8. Про выстрелы про печи и штыки About the gunshots, the ovens, and the bayonets 9. Это наше танго играй под чёрным дулом This is our tango; play it under the black gun barrel 10. Наше танго пой в Освенцинском бараке Sing our tango in the Auschwitz barrack 11. Чтоб наконец-то в дыму и мраке So that at last, in the smoke and darkness 12. Свобода белой птицею мелькнула Freedom might flash past like a white bird 13. Это наше танго играй под чёрным дулом This is our tango; play it under the black gun barrel 14. Наше танго в Освенцинском бараке Our tango in the Auschwitz barrack 15. Чтоб наконец-то в дыму и мраке So that at last, in the smoke and darkness 16. Свобода белой птицею мелькнула Freedom might flash past like a white bird 17. И вспомнит негр как брал он мандолину And the Black man will remember taking up his mandolin 18. И прозвенит неслышно пара нот And a couple of notes will ring out inaudibly 19. Француз подхватит и расправит спину The Frenchman will join in and straighten his back 20. А третьим англичанин подпоёт And an Englishman will be the third to sing along 21. Поляк возьми же маленькую флейту Polish man, take up the little flute 22. Она давно охрипла от тоски It has long been hoarse from longing 23. Сыграй про вёсны сыграй про лето Play about springs, play about summer 24. Сыграй ещё про город у реки Play once more about the city by the river 25. Это наше танго играй под чёрным дулом This is our tango; play it under the black gun barrel 26. Наше танго в Освенцинском бараке Our tango in the Auschwitz barrack 27. Чтоб наконец-то в дыму и мраке So that at last, in the smoke and darkness 28. Свобода белой птицею мелькнула Freedom might flash past like a white bird 29. Это наше танго играй под чёрным дулом This is our tango; play it under the black gun barrel 30. Наше танго пой в Освенцинском бараке Sing our tango in the Auschwitz barrack 31. Чтоб наконец-то в дыму и мраке So that at last, in the smoke and darkness 32. Свобода белой птицею мелькнула Freedom might flash past like a white bird IDIOMS AND MEANING Мейдл Literal: Girl, in Yiddish. The singer addresses a girl or young woman. It is a retained Yiddish word, not a person's name. Играй под чёрным дулом Literal: Play under the black gun barrel. The phrase places the music under armed threat. Do not translate the barrel as a musical instrument or soften the coercion into ordinary stage fright. И прозвенит неслышно пара нот Literal: And a couple of notes will ring out inaudibly. The paradox allows the music to exist in memory or imagination. 'Barely audible' is a possible reading, but the Russian literally says it cannot be heard. И вспомнит негр Literal: And the Black man will remember. The Russian source uses a racial label. The explanatory English uses 'Black man'; importing a harsher English slur would distort its force. Preserve the source wording when quoting Russian. Она давно охрипла от тоски Literal: It has long been hoarse from longing. The flute is personified as having a voice exhausted by sorrow. The line does not state that a particular musician is ill. Свобода белой птицею мелькнула Literal: Freedom flashed past like a white bird. Within 'so that,' this is a hoped-for glimpse of freedom, not a report that the prisoners escaped. YOUR BRIEF Hear our current English version, then help write a stronger adaptation of Olga Anikina's Russian text. Keep pre-war tenderness, music under threat and freedom's white-bird image. These notes explain meaning; they are not a finished English lyric. Confirm permissions separately. SOURCES Freedom Tango: Russian recording https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iglG6Y3Upd4 World ORT: Der tango fun Oshvientshim, cited by the recording https://holocaustmusic.ort.org/places/camps/death-camps/auschwitz/der-tango-fun-oshvie/ Share only a public-page link for review: https://jewishhit.com/create/#submit Review is not acceptance, a payment promise or a rights transfer. Work-for-hire terms and permissions are agreed separately. OUR SOURCE AND APPROACH Olga Anikina’s Russian texts can substantially reimagine earlier Yiddish, Hebrew, Polish or other sources while preserving their spirit and central idea. Adapt her Russian text, not the earlier original anew. Stay close to her images, word meanings, expressions and structure; make the English sing without replacing her story. The producer confirms exclusive rights to these Russian lyrics; underlying music and recording rights are separate. TAKE PART IN YOUR OWN WAY Write, sing, produce, collaborate, or combine roles. Video or audio-only recordings are welcome: solo, duet, band, choir or another ensemble; live, with collaborators, Suno or other permitted tools. Clear song, backing-track and tool permissions before publishing. Recording links must be YouTube, Spotify or YouTube Music only; no other platforms or files. Lyric-only submissions still use your own public webpage. Strong original versions may be featured on JewishHit.com and possibly RIGLI's music channel with credit and permission. A strong performer may be invited for separately paid recordings even if their lyric is not accepted. Recording fees are agreed separately, not covered automatically by writing fees. Creative choices are partly subjective, not an objective talent ranking. Show us your strengths; we welcome a conversation about collaboration. https://jewishhit.com/create/#perform OUR EXISTING ENGLISH VERSION Freedom Tango https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=sERBWiNdm9M You may improve our English draft or create an independent adaptation from the Russian. Accepted English-draft improvements: $100–150, with the amount agreed before acceptance. Independent adaptations: $200 if accepted unchanged; $100 if accepted with substantial team revision. No payment for rejected lyrics. Separate signed agreement required. https://jewishhit.com/create/#draft-terms