Lwowska Fala preparing for a performance in Edinburgh.
Budzyński is in the centre in the dark suit.
A R T S
Song “Wrócimy" - "We'll Return"
The image below is of an artefact donated by Zyg Martynowicz from his family’s belongings. (Click here for his brother’s
drawings and story.)
This piece of paper contains the lyrics of a song that expressed the emotions of soldiers who had survived ordeals in Siberia and exodus from the Soviet Union. It was distributed as a souvenir of a performance by a group of entertainers named “Lwowska Fala” (Lwowian Wave). The ensemble had huge success on Polish radio prior to the war. They escaped from Poland in September 1939 across the Romanian border and continued to perform for Polish armed forces in Romania from November 1939 until February 1940 and then in France between March and June 1940.
The song was originally a French tune composed by Charles Helmer and Jacques Krier, adapted and given Polish lyrics under the title "Wizja Szyldwacha”and became popular in pre-war Poland. Following his escape to Romania, Wiktor Budziński, founder of Lwowska Fala, re-wrote these lyrics to reflect the mood of the troops. After the fall of France the entertainers evacuated to Edinburgh and their 1943 recording of the song for the BBC can be heard here (click this link then on the website click on “ZAGRAJ” to play ). A version by Chór Weteranów, also recorded in 1943, is available on the same website page. The uplifting words set to a marching tune were important in raising spirits in demoralised circumstances and it is no wonder that the lyrics were reproduced in the form of a souvenir. This copy survived the remainder of the war and was kept for a lifetime.
Transcript Translation
Na pamiątkę przedstawienia Lwowskiej Fali dla Polaków -Żołnierzy przybyłych z Rosji. W r ó c I m y Jeden nas łączy los i jeden łączy ból Bóg nam pomoc swą da. | A souvenir from the performance given by Lwowska Fala for Poles - Soldiers who had arrived from Russia.
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A further verse was written:-
Choć na tułaczkę wygnał los nas przykry, zły | Although a cruel, evil fate has condemned us to exile, |