Tzena, Tzena, Tzena
Encyclopedia
"Tzena, Tzena, Tzena" is a song
, originally written in Hebrew
by Issachar Miron (a.k.a. Stefan Michrovsky), a Polish
emigrant to what was then The British Mandate of Palestine but is now Israel
, and Jehiel Hagges (Yechiel Chagiz).
of the British
forces, he composed the melody for lyrics written by Chagiz. The song became popular in Palestine and was played on the Israeli radio.
Julius Grossman, who did not know who composed the song, wrote the so-called third part of 'Tzena' about November 1946. Gordon Jenkins
made an arrangement of the song for The Weavers
, who sang it with Jenkins' orchestra as backing. The Jenkins/Weavers version, released by Decca Records
under catalog number 27077, was one side of a two-sided hit, reaching #2 on the Billboard magazine charts while the flip side, "Goodnight Irene," reached #1.
Cromwell Music Inc., a subsidiary of Richmond/TRO, claimed the rights to the song, and had licensed the Decca release. They alleged the music to have been composed by a person named Spencer Ross, though in reality this was a fictitious persona constructed to hide the melody's true authorship. Mills Music, Inc., Miron's publisher, sued Cromwell (TRO) and won. The presiding judge also dismissed Cromwell's claim that the melody was based on a traditional folk song and was thus in the public domain
.
Arounds the '80s, Israeli folk star Ron (Ran) Eliran recorded the song along with 14 more songs by Miron to make a CD together called, Sing to Me Eretz Yisrael.
The original English lyric, written by Mitchell Parish
, was greatly altered in the version recorded by The Weavers
. Other charting versions were recorded by Vic Damone
and Mitch Miller
's Orchestra.
אל נא אל נא אל נא אל נא אל נא תתחבאנה מבן חייל איש צבא
Hebrew transliteration:
Tzena, tzena, tzena, tzena ha-banot u-r’ena ħayalim ba-mosheva
Al na, Al na, Al na, Al na, al na titħabena Mi ben ħayil, ish tzava
Translation:
Go out, go out, go out girls and see soldiers in the moshava
(farming community).
Do not, do not, do not hide yourself away from a virtuous man [a pun on the word for "soldier"], an army man.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, originally written in Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
by Issachar Miron (a.k.a. Stefan Michrovsky), a Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
emigrant to what was then The British Mandate of Palestine but is now Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, and Jehiel Hagges (Yechiel Chagiz).
History and development
Miron, born in 1919, left Poland at the age of 19, thus avoiding the Holocaust. In 1941, while serving in the Jewish BrigadeJewish Brigade
The Jewish Infantry Brigade Group was a military formation of the British Army that served in Europe during the Second World War. The brigade was formed in late 1944, and its personnel fought the Germans in Italy...
of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
forces, he composed the melody for lyrics written by Chagiz. The song became popular in Palestine and was played on the Israeli radio.
Julius Grossman, who did not know who composed the song, wrote the so-called third part of 'Tzena' about November 1946. Gordon Jenkins
Gordon Jenkins
Gordon Hill Jenkins was an American arranger, composer and pianist who was an influential figure in popular music in the 1940s and 1950s, renowned for his lush string arrangements...
made an arrangement of the song for The Weavers
The Weavers
The Weavers were an American folk music quartet based in the Greenwich Village area of New York City. They sang traditional folk songs from around the world, as well as blues, gospel music, children's songs, labor songs, and American ballads, and selling millions of records at the height of their...
, who sang it with Jenkins' orchestra as backing. The Jenkins/Weavers version, released by Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
under catalog number 27077, was one side of a two-sided hit, reaching #2 on the Billboard magazine charts while the flip side, "Goodnight Irene," reached #1.
Cromwell Music Inc., a subsidiary of Richmond/TRO, claimed the rights to the song, and had licensed the Decca release. They alleged the music to have been composed by a person named Spencer Ross, though in reality this was a fictitious persona constructed to hide the melody's true authorship. Mills Music, Inc., Miron's publisher, sued Cromwell (TRO) and won. The presiding judge also dismissed Cromwell's claim that the melody was based on a traditional folk song and was thus in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
.
Arounds the '80s, Israeli folk star Ron (Ran) Eliran recorded the song along with 14 more songs by Miron to make a CD together called, Sing to Me Eretz Yisrael.
The original English lyric, written by Mitchell Parish
Mitchell Parish
Mitchell Parish was an American lyricist.-Early life:Parish was born Michael Hyman Pashelinsky to a Jewish family in Lithuania. His family emigrated to the United States, arriving on February 3, 1901 on the SS Dresden when he was less than a year old...
, was greatly altered in the version recorded by The Weavers
The Weavers
The Weavers were an American folk music quartet based in the Greenwich Village area of New York City. They sang traditional folk songs from around the world, as well as blues, gospel music, children's songs, labor songs, and American ballads, and selling millions of records at the height of their...
. Other charting versions were recorded by Vic Damone
Vic Damone
Vic Damone is an American singer and entertainer.- Early life :Damone was born Vito Rocco Farinola in Brooklyn, New York to French-Italian immigrants based in Bari, Italy—Rocco and Mamie Farinola. His father was an electrician; and his mother taught piano. His cousin was the actress and singer...
and Mitch Miller
Mitch Miller
Mitchell William "Mitch" Miller was an American musician, singer, conductor, record producer, A&R man and record company executive...
's Orchestra.
Lyrics
צאנה צאנה צאנה צאנה הבנות וראינה חיילים במושבהאל נא אל נא אל נא אל נא אל נא תתחבאנה מבן חייל איש צבא
Hebrew transliteration:
Tzena, tzena, tzena, tzena ha-banot u-r’ena ħayalim ba-mosheva
Al na, Al na, Al na, Al na, al na titħabena Mi ben ħayil, ish tzava
Translation:
Go out, go out, go out girls and see soldiers in the moshava
Moshava
A moshava , plural: Moshavot is a form of rural settlement in Israel.In a moshava, as opposed to communal settlements like the kibbutz and the moshav, all the land and property are privately-owned. The first moshavot, described as "colonies" in professional literature, were established by...
(farming community).
Do not, do not, do not hide yourself away from a virtuous man [a pun on the word for "soldier"], an army man.
External links
- History of the song, Hebrew and original English lyrics, and for listening (Hebrew version)
- Legal opinion on authorship
- Ari Y. Kelman: Hear Israel. When the Weavers recorded the popular Israeli folk song ‘Tzena Tzena’ in 1950, they did more than legitimize a strain of musical culture; they introduced Israel to a generation of young Americans. Tablet MagazineTablet MagazineTablet Magazine is a two-time National Magazine Award-winning online publication of Jewish life, arts, and ideas. Sponsored by Nextbook, it was launched in June 2009. Its Editor in Chief is Alana Newhouse....
, January 7, 2011