Pochod neutrálů

Analysis and contextual notes by D. Zisl Slepovitch.
All songs transcribed, translated, scored, arranged, and produced by Dmitri Zisl Slepovitch.

Biography

Miriam A. was born in Suchdol, Czechoslovakia (presently the Czech Republic) in 1923. During the Holocaust, Miriam was first deported to Terezin (Theresienstadt), then sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau, and later transferred to Bergen-Belsen. Together with her fellow female camp prisoners, Miriam was scrambling to survive scarce food, exhausting slave labor at the factory, and frequent bombings by the allies. She recounts how the group of Czechoslovakian inmates boosted their morale by singing Czech songs of resistance, songs of struggle and peace.

Pochod neutrálů (The March of the Neutral)

Music and lyrics: Yechezkel From the revue Sever proti jihu (North against South).
Music: Jaroslav Ježek; Lyrics: Voskovec & Werich. Arranged by D. Zisl Slepovitch.
Performed by Miriam A., testimony hvt.3835, tape 11.

Miriam A. was born in Suchdol, Czechoslovakia (presently the Czech Republic) in 1923. During the Holocaust, Miriam was first deported to Terezin (Theresienstadt), then sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau, and later transferred to Bergen-Belsen. Together with her fellow female camp prisoners, Miriam was scrambling to survive scarce food, exhausting slave labor at the factory, and frequent bombings by the allies. She recounts how the group of Czechoslovakian inmates boosted their morale by singing Czech songs of resistance, songs of struggle and peace.

One such song that Miriam remembered and performed in her testimony originated in Sever proti Jihu, a 1930 theatre review production by Jan Werich and Jiří Voskovec (born Jiří Wachsmann), scored by Jaroslav Ježek, for Osvobozené divadlo (Prague Free Theatre). The song was recorded several times, both vocally, performed by the authors, and instrumentally, by Columbia Dance Orchestra (London).

Nic není horši než býti sám ve dne, v noci.
V bouři, ohni, krupobití, sám, bez pomoci.
Horší je jenom válka, kdo by se jí nebál?
Války by se nebál jenom neutrál!

Máme všichni války dost.
At’ mi někdo řekne, proč se válka vede.
Z války může mít radost,
Ten, jenom který tu válku sám nevede.

Kdyby každý zůstal neutrálem,
Zhynula by válka, byl by mír!
Válka ať se nevede,
At’ máme stále mír!

Máme všichni války dost.
At’ mi někdo řekne, proč se válka vede.
Z války může mít radost,
Ten, jenom který tu válku sám nevede.

There is nothing worse than being alone day and night.
In a storm, fire, hail, alone, without help.
The only thing worse is the war, who wouldn’t be afraid of it?
He wouldn’t just be afraid of war in neutral!

We all have enough wars.
Let someone tell me why the war is going on.
He can be happy with the war,
The only one who doesn’t lead the war himself.

If everyone remained neutral,
War would die, there would be peace!
Let there be no war,
May we still have peace!
We all have enough wars.

Let someone tell me why the war is going on.
He can be happy with the war,
The only one who doesn’t lead the war himself.