Dona, Dona
"Dona Dona" (דאָנאַ דאָנאַ "Dana Dana", דאָס קעלבל "Dos Kelbl") was a very popular song in America, and also in a number of other countries, for example, in Japan it has long been sung in schools.
History
The song was written as "Dana Dana" in Yiddish, for the musical play "Esterke" (1940-1941); words written by Aaron Zeitlin, music written by Sholom Secunda. Both of them were Jews, and the song was written in days of Nazism. The song was prohibited in South Korea as a communist song [1].
The original is 2/4, in G minor for a duo of a man and a woman, choral with the orchestral accompaniment. Secunda wrote "Dana-" for the orchestral score and "Dana Dana" for the vocal scores. The Yiddish text was written with roman alphabet. He wrote for the choral score "andantino" (some slowly) and "sempre staccato" (play staccato always). The melody of the introduction was also used at the end of the song. He wrote "piu mosso" (more rapidly) for the refrain and some passages that emphasize the winds. First, a woman (Secunda wrote "she") sings four bars and then the man (Secunda wrote "he") sings the next four. They sing together from the refrain. Although singing the third part of "Dana Dana" (="Dana Dana Dana Dana...") the man sometimes sings lower than the melody using disjunct motions. The melody is refrained. Then "he" sings the melody, and "she" sometimes sings "Dana", other times sings "Ah" with a high voice or technical passage. Secunda wrote "molto rit." (gradually very slowly) for the ending of the first verse. There are some difference between the original and the melody that are well known. Secunda wrote "ha ha ha" for the choral score with the broken chords.
The first translation into English was made by Secunda himself but did not become popular. The song in English became well known as "Donna Donna" when it was translated approximately in 1956 by Arthur Kevess and Teddi Schwartz. The song became especially popular after the performance of Joan Baez in 1960 and Donovan in 1965, and was even featured on "More Chad & Jeremy", a Capitol Records compilation of standards sung by the British duo.
The song has been translated into many other languages including German, French, Japanese, Hebrew, and Russian.
The song has been sung by many singers including André Zweig, Joan Baez, Donovan, Chava Alberstein, Esther Ofarim, Theodore Bikel, Karsten Troyke, Hélène Rollès in duet with Dorothée, Claude François, and Russian ensemble of the Jewish songs on Yiddish "Dona". Lisa Fishman also commands an amazing opera version aired on the Jewish Entertainment Hour. Which is a cable show broadcast out of New York City, in 2001. It can also be found on the soundtrack to the anime "Revolutionary Girl Utena".
Lyrics
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Original Yiddish אױפֿן פֿורל ליגט דאָס קעלבל, כאָר: שרײַט דאָס קעלבל, זאָגט דער פּױער: כאָר בלינדע קעלבער טוט מען בינדן כאָר
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Yiddish transliteration Oyfn furl ligt dos kelbl, Chorus: Shrayt dos kelbl, zogt der poyer: Chorus Bidne kelber tut men bindn Chorus
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Translation by Secunda On a wagon bound and helpless Chorus: Now the calf is softly crying Chorus Calves are born and soon are slaughtered Chorus |
Translation by Kevess & Schwartz On a wagon bound for market Chorus: "Stop complaining," said the farmer, Chorus Calves are easily bound and slaughtered Chorus |
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In Popular Culture
- Soe Hok Gie, an Indonesian activist quote the english lyric on his diary. Donna-donna also sang by a female character on Indonesian movie, Gie, an adaptation of Gie's diary.