Words: Yekhezkel Levit
Sung in Yiddish
I love you, America,
I love your holy ground;
I love your freedom
And your people,
Who work and who think.
And your flag, which I hold high,
Will always be dear to me.
I will always defend it
And die for it too.
Here there is opportunity
For anyone who has the courage.
You say to your noble children:
“Live freely and grow and accomplish!”
I love you, America,
And I will pray for you,
Heartfully and constantly,
My dear, dear land!
Additional Stanzas:
[I love you, America,
You land of the free and the brave.
You have replaced slavery
With the laws of the Union.
Laws that apply the same for everyone:
A man, who comes here
From barbaric lands
Is no longer a slave.]
ikh hob dikh lib amerike,
kh’ob lib dayn heylig erd.
kh’ob lib dayn frayhayt un dayn folk,
vos arbet un vos klert.
un shtendik vet mir tayer zayn
dayn fon ikh halt im hoykh.
kh’vel tomid im fartaydikn
un shtarbn far im oykh.
es iz do a gelegenhayt
far yedn vos hot mut.
tsu dayne nob’le kinder zogst:
“lebt fray un vakst un tut!”
ikh hob dikh lib, amerike,
un hartsig nokhanand
vel ikh mispalel zayn far dir,
mayn tayer, tayer land!
Additional Stanzas:
[ikh hob dikh lib amerike,
du land fun fraye, brav.
gezetsn fun farbriderung
hast du derlangt dem shklaf.
gezetsn glaykh far alemen:
a mentsh, vos kumt aher
fun lender bestialishe
iz er keyn shklaf nit mer.]
