The Man From Vilna

C F I met a man last sunday, C Am who was on his way back home C F From a wedding in Chicago, G Bm and was traveling alone G Am He said he came from Vilna, F Dm a survivor I could tell Gm F And I helped him with his suitcase, Eb C he could not walk very well C F A steward gave us coffee C Am as we settled on the plane C F And I asked him why he bothers, G Bm at his age there'd be no blame G Am He said "no simcha is a burden, F Dm though I miss my dear late wife" Gm F And then he shared with me a story Eb Gm that has changed my view of life: Bb Gsus2 "We danced round and round in circles Bb C as if the world had done no wrong Bb Gsus2 From evening until morning, Bb Am filling up the shul with song Bb Gsus2 Though we had no sifrei Torah Bb C to clutch close to our hearts Bb Gsus2 In their place we held the future Bb Dm of a past so torn apart C F I remember liberation, C Am joy and fear both intertwined C F Where to go and what to do, G Bm and how to leave the pain behind? G Am My heart said 'go to vilna', F Dm dare I pray yet once again Gm F For the chance to find a loved one, Eb C or perhaps a childhood friend? C F It took many months to get there, C Am from the late spring to the fall C F And as I, many others, G Bm close to four hundred in all G Am And slowly there was healing, F Dm darkened souls now mixed with light Gm F When someone proudly cried out, Eb Gm 'simchas Torah is tonight!' Bb Gsus2 "We danced round and round in circles Bb C as if the world had done no wrong Bb Gm From evening until morning, Bb Am filling up the shul with song Bb Gsus2 Though we had no sifrei Torah Bb C to clutch close to our hearts Bb Gm In their place we held the future Bb Dm of a past so torn apart C F We ran as one towards the shul, C Am our spirits in a trance C F And we tore apart the barricade, G Bm in defiance we would dance G Am But the scene before our eyes F Dm shook us to the core Gm F Scraps of siddur, bullet holes, Eb C bloodstains on the floor C F Turning to the eastern wall, C Am we looked on in despair C F There'd be no scrolls to dance with, G Bm the holy ark was bare G Am Then we heard two children crying, F Dm a boy and girl whom no one knew Gm F And we realized that no children Eb Gm were among us but those two Bb Gsus2 "We danced round and round in circles Bb C as if the world had done no wrong Bb Gm From evening until morning, Bb Am filling up the shul with song Bb Gsus2 Though we had no sifrei Torah Bb C to gather in our arms Bb Gm In their place we held those children, Bb Dm the Jewish people would live on Bb Gsus2 "We danced round and round in circles Bb C as if the world had done no wrong Bb Gm From evening until morning, Bb Am filling up the shul with song Bb Gsus2 Though we had no sifrei Torah Bb C to clutch and hold up high Bb Gm In their place we held those children, Bb Dm am yisrael chai" Bb Gsus2 "We danced round and round in circles Bb C as if the world had done no wrong Bb Gm From evening until morning, Bb Am filling up the shul with song Bb Gsus2 Though we had no sifrei Torah Bb C to gather in our arms Bb Gm In their place we held those children, Bb Dm the Jewish people would live on F Eb Am yisrael chai Bb Dm The Jewish people would live on Am F Eb The Jewish people WILL live on