The Ring in the Wall

Under the arch of Titus, they marched us in chains The Temple's lamp carried high through the Roman rain But we stayed, by the river, we prayed in the old stone streets Roma, madre antica… You took us, and kept us, in your heat In Venosa we carved our names on the stones of the dead Hebrew and Latin together, "peace on their bed" In Lucca the scholars sang till the candles burned low Then an emperor called from the north… And we had to go Tee por-teh-ROH kon meh Over the mountains, through the snow Tee por-teh-ROH kon meh Wherever the river and the long roads go La LOO-cheh non see SPEN-yeh Not in Rome, not on the Rhine Tee por-teh-ROH kon meh… Your heart inside of mine Mainz and Worms and Speyer, three cities on the Rhine We built our shuls of sandstone, we pressed the Rhenish wine And there by the river a new tongue was born Half German, half the Torah, our Yiddish, worn and warm Mine TIE-eh-reh… mine harts… In Yiddish now I love you… In Yiddish now we start Then crosses came down the river, an army sworn to God "Convert or die," they shouted, and they stained the Rhineland sod In Mainz the mothers chose the sky, the Sh'-MAH on their breath Far-GESS nit… far-GESS nit… They would not bow to death Ikh vel dikh MIT-neh-men Over the mountains, through the snow Ikh vel dikh MIT-neh-men Wherever the river and the long roads go Doss likht far-LESHT zikh nit Not in Rome, not on the Rhine Ikh vel dikh MIT-neh-men… Your heart inside of mine The plague came over the mountains… and they said it was our wells In Strasbourg on Saint Valentine's… they burned us while they rang the bells Shteel… shteel… mine TIE-eh-reh… The mob is in the square Then take my wedding ring, my love… And hide it in the stair… In dehr vahnt… in dehr vahnt… Six hundred years… They won't find it at all… Tee por-teh-ROH kon meh Ikh vel dikh MIT-neh-men Away to the east, where the candles glow La LOO-cheh non see SPEN-yeh Doss likht far-LESHT zikh nit They found our ring… six hundred years… And your heart is still in mine… Ikh vel dikh MIT-neh-men! Zai geh-ZOONT… zai geh-ZOONT…