Jews and the Spanish Civil War 1937
Source: David Diamant, Combattants Juifs dans l'Armée Républicaine Espagnole. Editions Renouveau, 1979. Paris;
Translated: for marxists.org by Mitch Abidor.
The words of this anthem were written by the Yiddish poet Olek Nuss, who survived wounds from the war in Spain, and was executed in France during the Occupation.
When the earth bleeds and the dynamite explodes,
A song accompanies the floating flags,
The Botwins march singing into combat.
A song of hope and victory of millions,
Who want to live in freedom and justice,
And that guides we brave ones to the final combat.
No Pasaran!
Chorus:
Forward, the brave, we march to the attack, we the Botwins
In the International Brigades
With our people’s army.
We are united in our hatred of the Nazi bandits,
Who want to oppress Spain, this enslaved country,
We'll protect the green-red of the countryside,
With the flag of unity, gun in hand.
In the ranks of brothers of other people and races,
Who henceforth refuse poverty and slavery,
We forge the arms of the masses,
The Front of Freedom, of Peace and of Bread.
No Pasaran!
We won’t let the arms from our hands,
As Botwin the hero taught us,
Until the future belongs to us,
When the liberated world will flower again.
And in that future time without war,
Our efforts will be remembered,
As the Jewish Botwin soldiers,
The fascist plague, they chased away!
No pasaran!