Hulyet, hulyet, beyze vintn!
A Yiddish Song of Resilience
"Hulyet, hulyet, beyze vintn!" (Rampage, rampage, raging winds!) stands as one of the most poignant and popular songs among Jewish ghetto inmates during the Holocaust, despite its origins predating the Nazi era. The history and legacy of this remarkable piece of Yiddish literature and music is significant.
The poem that would become "Hulyet, hulyet, beyze vintn!" was originally titled "Tsum vinter" (To winter) and written by renowned Yiddish poet Avrom Reyzen (1875-1953). In his memoirs, "Epizodn fun mayn lebn" (Episodes from My Life), Reyzen recounts how scenes of dire poverty in the winter of 1900 moved him to pen this evocative work.
The poem was set to music by composer Mikhl Gelbart, who published it for mixed chorus. The sheet music was released by Jos. P. Katz in New York in 1916 and by Y. Glatshteyn in Warsaw in 1918.
The song paints a bleak landscape ravaged by relentless winds, originally concluding with the despairing lines, "Winter will last a long time, / Summer is still far off!" However, the song's message evolved over time, reflecting the resilience and hope of its singers.
The leader of the Jewish Labor Bund, A. Litvak, a pseudonym of Khayim Yankl Helfand (1874–1932), recalls that in 1904-1905, workers themselves changed the final lines to express hope that their hardships would end: "Winter will not last long, summer is not far off." This alteration demonstrates how the song became a living, breathing entity, adapting to the needs and aspirations of those who sang it.
In the Warsaw ghetto, "Hulyet, hulyet, beyze vintn!" took on new significance. Chana Krystal-Fryshdorf, a fighter in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, described a cultural gathering in the ghetto where Virovski, a well-known Bundist activist and teacher, recited Reyzen's poem. Notably, Virovski's recitation included the optimistic final lines, showcasing how the song continued to evolve and provide hope even in the direst circumstances.
Moses Pergament composed "A winter song," in 1914 at the outbreak of World War I, after he had completed his studies at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Pergament revised this piece in 1948, after World War II.
The enduring impact of "Hulyet, hulyet, beyze vintn!" is evidenced by its inclusion in "Pearls of Yiddish Poetry," a compendium compiled by Eleanor Gordon Mlotek and Joseph Mlotek. This collection, published by the Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring, records the rich cultural heritage of Yiddish poetry and song. You can listen to a recording of this song performed by Dan Rous and The New Yiddish Chorale on SaveTheMusic.com
"Hulyet, hulyet, beyze vintn!" remains a powerful symbol of Jewish resilience and the enduring strength of Yiddish culture. From its origins in turn-of-the-century poverty to its role as a beacon of hope in the darkest days of the Holocaust, this song continued to move and inspire, bridging generations and preserving a crucial piece of Jewish history and identity.