Much has been made recently of the translation of the Star Spangled Banner in Spanish. It's nice to know that, among all the crises he has to deal with, our Commander in Chief found the time to oppose this Latino gesture of patriotism.

I thought you might appreciate this 1943 translation of the Star Spangled Banner into Yiddish by Dr. Abraham Asen, described as "the foremost Yiddish adapter of English poetry," was proudly presented in commemoration of the one hundred anniversary of the death of Francis Scott Key:

O, zog, kenstu sehn,

wen bagin licht dervacht,
Vos mir hoben bagrist

in farnachtigen glihen?

Die shtreifen un shtern,

durch shreklicher nacht,
Oif festung zich hoiben

galant un zich tsein?

Yeder blitz fun rocket,

yeder knal fun kanon,
Hot bawizen durch nacht:

az mir halten die Fohn!

O, zog, tzi der "Star Spangled Banner" flatert in roim,
Ueber land fun die freie, fun brave die he

Submitted by Lori Lippitz