Donna Donna

Donna Donna (דאַנאַ דאַנאַ "Dana Dana", also known as דאָס קעלבל "Dos Kelbl" — The Calf) is a Yiddish theater song about a calf being led to slaughter. The song's title is a variant on Adonai, a Jewish name for God.

History

Dana Dana was written for the Aaron Zeitlin stage production Esterke^[1] (1940–41) with music composed by Sholom Secunda. The lyrics, score, parts, and associated material are available online in the Yiddish Theater Digital Archives^[2]. The lyric sheet is in typewritten Yiddish^[3] and handwritten Yiddish lyrics also appear in the piano score^[4]. The text underlay in the score and parts is otherwise romanized in a phonetic transcription oriented toward stage German.^[5][6].

The orchestra plays the Dana Dana melody at several points in Esterke. 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" (somewhat 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." (suddenly much more 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.

Secunda translated Dana Dana into English (changing the vocalization of dana to dona), but this version failed to gain popularity. The lyrics were translated again in the mid-1950s by Arthur Kevess and Teddi Schwartz, and the song became well known with their text. It became especially popular after being recorded by Joan Baez in 1960, Donovan in 1965 and Patty Duke in 1968.

Dana Dana has been translated into and recorded in many other languages including German, French, Japanese, Hebrew, Russian and Vietnamese. It has been sung by performers including Nechama Hendel, André Zweig, Chava Alberstein, Esther Ofarim, Theodore Bikel, Karsten Troyke, Sumi Jo, Claude François, and Hélène Rollès together with Dorothée.

Lyrics

Original Yiddish1 (דאנא! דאנא! דאנא!) אויפן פירל ליגט דאָס קעלבל, ליגט געבונדן מיט א שטריק, הויך אין הימל פליט דאָס שװעלבל, פרײט זיך, דרײט זיך הין און קריק. לאכט דער װינט און קאָרן, לאכט און לאכט און לאכט, לאכט ער אָפּ א גאַנצן טאָג, מיט אַ האלבער נאכט. דאנא, דאנא, דאנא, דאנא, דאנא, דאנא, דאנא, דאנא, דא, דאנא, דאנא, דאנא, דאנא, דאנא, דאנא, דאנא, דא. שרײַט דאָס קעלבל, יאָגט דער פּויער, װער־זשע הײסט דיך זײן א קאלב, װאָלסט געקענט צו זײן אַ פויגל, װאָלסט געקענט צו זײן א שװאַלב. לאכט דער װינט און קאָרן ...... בידנע קעלבער טוט מען בינדן, און מען שלעפּט זײ און מען שעכט, װער עס האָט פליגל, פליט ארויפצו, איז בײ קײנעם ניט קײן קנעכט.

Phonetic romanization Oyfn firil ligt dos kelbil ligt gebindin mit a shtrik hoich in himil flit dos shvelbil freit sich dreit sich hin un krik. Lacht der vint in korn lacht un lacht un lacht lakht er up a tug a gantsin mit a halber nacht. Dana, dana, dana, dana, Dana, dana, dana, da, Dana, dana, dana, dana, Dana, dana, dana, da. Shreit dos kelbl zogt der poier ver she heist dich zain a kalb volst gekent tzu zain a foigl volst gekent tzu sain a shvalb. Lacht der vint in korn ... Bidne kelber tut men bindn un men shlept zey un men shecht ver s'hot fligl, flit aroiftzu is ba keinem nit kain knecht.

Translation by Secunda On a wagon bound and helpless Lies a calf, who is doomed to die. High above him flies a swallow Soaring gaily through the sky. The wind laughs in the cornfield Laughs with all his might Laughs and laughs the whole day through And half way through the night Dona, dona, dona, dona, Dona, dona, dona, do, Dona, dona, dona, dona, Dona, dona, dona, do. Now the calf is softly crying "Tell me wind, why do you laugh?" Why can’t I fly like the swallow Why did I have to be a calf, The wind laughs in the cornfield ... Calves are born and soon are slaughtered With no hope of being saved. Only those with wing like swallow Will not ever be enslaved.

Translation by Kevess & Schwartz On a wagon bound for market There's a calf with a mournful eye. High above him there's a swallow Winging swiftly through the sky. How the winds are laughing They laugh with all their might Laugh and laugh the whole day through And half the summer's night. Dona, dona, dona, dona, Dona, dona, dona, do, Dona, dona, dona, dona, Dona, dona, dona, do. "Stop complaining," said the farmer, "Who told you a calf to be? Why don't you have wings to fly with Like the swallow so proud and free?" How the winds are laughing ... Calves are easily bound and slaughtered Never knowing the reason why. But whoever treasures freedom, Like the swallow has learned to fly.

¹ This is given as it appears on the lyric sheet cited in the introductory paragraph, including apparent misprints. The following phonetic transcription appears at several points in the score.

References

1. ^ http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0006_0_06094.html
2. ^ http://2ndave.nyu.edu/manakin/handle/123456789/869
3. ^ http://2ndave.nyu.edu/manakin/bitstream/handle/123456789/3199/2ave_3683_large.jpg?sequence=1
4. ^ http://2ndave.nyu.edu/manakin/bitstream/handle/123456789/3087/2ave_3496_large.jpg?sequence=1
5. ^ http://2ndave.nyu.edu/manakin/bitstream/handle/123456789/3201/2ave_3679_large.jpg?sequence=1
6. ^ http://2ndave.nyu.edu/manakin/bitstream/handle/123456789/3202/2ave_3681_large.jpg?sequence=1

In popular culture

• In Ghost in the Shell SAC episode 16 the Tachikomas are heard singing the song "Donna Donna" as they are being led away supposedly to be dismantled. This is only in the original version, another song is sung in the English release. On the opening title screen the textual synopsis reveals the original song.
• In an Episode of Revolutionary Girl Utena this song is also heard.
• Soe Hok Gie, an Indonesian activist quotes the English lyric in his diary. "Donna Donna" is also sung by a female character in the Indonesian movie, Gie, an adaptation of Gie's diary.
• The song has been covered several times, among others by Joan Baez, Los Speakers, Donovan, Claude François, Mary Hopkin, Hélène et Dorothée, Nechama Hendel, Chava Alberstein, Lisa Fishman, Esther & Abi Ofarim.
• In The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya after noting how Mikuru Asahina had the look of "a calf about to be loaded onto a truck", Kyon told the reader that he had to refrain from "bursting into a chorus of 'Donna Donna'..."
• In Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl, Yamada sings this song in the bathroom