At first glance, this song seems like a light-hearted, somewhat sentimental dialogue between

a farmer and his calf on the way to the slaughterhouse. The calf is sad because he is going to
die and the swallow is flying overhead, indifferent to the calf's plight. The farmer rebukes the
calf, criticizing him for being one and goading him into growing wings like the swallow, as if
he could. The song concludes with a wry observation about the helplessness of calves and
how easy it is to end their short lives. The final line, however, does give a hint that this song
is not talking about a calf and a swallow, but about freedom. Many folk singers have sung
this song, from Yiddish sopranos to klezmer bands to Joan Baez who sang it in English. They
all find in it a universal message about the victims of oppression and the desire for political
freedom. But there a deeper message in this song that points towards spiritual liberation.
The calf in the song represents the body, the seat of desire. The body and the animal soul that
enlivens it desire pleasure, wealth, and honor. But like an animal, the body is a slave to these
desires. The calf bound on the way to market to be slaughtered is a metaphor for the body's
journey towards death. The calf ( i.e. the body) is mournful because it has become attached to
life and pleasure and fears the unknown of the next world.
The swallow winging swiftly through the sky represents the soul. The Divine Soul is a part of
G-d's Being and is not bound by the material limitations of the physical world. It is free to
soar in the spiritual realms high above the earthly one. The soul does not fear death for it is
more at home in heaven than on earth.
The chorus to the song speaks of the winds laughing. From the perspective of heaven, man's
struggle to fulfill the desires of the body and animal soul must appear quite absurd. But why
are the winds laughing the whole day and only half the summer's night? According to the
Torah, the night is divided into two parts. The first part of the night, from sunset until
midnight is considered a time of din, of strict judgment. This is not the time for laughter;
rather it is a time of taking account of the day's actions and reflecting on them. The second
part of the night, from midnight until dawn is a time of chesed, of kindness and this kindness
continues throughout the day. The summer's day is when the daylight is at its maximum and
the night is relatively short. What the song is saying is that the character of G-d, the spiritual
creative force of the universe is primarily loving kindness. The Creator is patient with our
failures and struggles and His kindness is present most of the time, but not all the time. There
is a time of judgment at the beginning of the night.
The farmer represents the tzadik, the holy, righteous man who scolds us saying, "Who told
you a calf to be?" Why do you identify yourself with your body? If you do, you are no better
off than a calf on the way to be slaughtered for you will be bound by your desires and
destined to die. "Why don't you have wings to fly with?" Connect to your soul and transcend
your physical limitations. Fly in the spiritual realm and feel your soul's power.
The final stanza is the teaching for all men. If you remain unconscious of the soul, you will
be easily bound and slaughtered. You will live enslaved to your desires and your body will
die without understanding the purpose of your life. But if you treasure freedom, the freedom
of the soul, then you will learn to transcend the limitations of the body and small mind and
you will understand your life from a higher perspective. You will be free.