“Got hot bashafn himl mit erd” performed by Hoda Yudovin-Zavelev

Notes by Dmitri Slepovitch

”Got hot bashafn himl mit erd”  (God Has Created Heaven And Earth) was recorded by Dmitri Slepovitch and the late Nina Stepanskaya from Hoda Yudovin-Zavelev (b. 1925 in Beshenkovichi, Vitebsk oblast) in Vitebsk, Belarus, December 2001.

This song is an example of a Yiddish cumulative tale. It first starts as a typical moralizing parareligious rhyme, but it finishes with describing a bride and a groom lying on a pillow. A song that begins with the same words is found in Ruth Rubin’s collection, defined as a ballad of Adam and Eve (Ruth Rubin, Voices of a People, University of Illinois Press, 2000, p.497). However, musically the song collected by Rubin is different from this one.

Got hot bashafn himl mit erd (x2)
Vos iz in der erd? –
A sheyner, fayner vortsl (x2)
Der vortsl fun der erd,
Di erd fun Got

God created heaven and earth.
What was in the earth?
A beautiful, fine root;
The root from the earth.

Got hot bashafn himl mit erd (x2)
Vos i’ fun dem vortsl?
A sheyne, fayne beymdl (x2)
Di beymdl fun dem vortsl,
Der vortsl fun der erd,
Der erd fun Got.

God created heaven and earth.
What came out of the root?
A beautiful, fine tree
The tree from the root..
The root from Heaven and earth…
The earth from God

Got hot bashafn himl mit erd (x2)
Vos iz fun dem beymdl? –
A sheyne, fayne tsveyndl (x2)
Di tsveyndl fun dem beymdl,
Di beymdl fun dem vortsl,
Der vortsl fun der erd,
Di erd fun Got.

God created heaven and earth.,…
What came from the tree?
A beautiful, fine twig.
The twig from the tree..etc.

Got hot bashafn himl mit erd (x2)
Vos i’ af dem tsveyndl? –
A sheyne fayne feygl (x2)
Di feygl af der tsveyndl,
Di tsveyndl fun dem beymdl,
Di beymdl fun dem vortsl,
Der vortsl fun der erd,
Di erd fun Got.

God created heaven and earth.,…
What came from the twig?
A beautiful, fine bird.
The bird from the twig..etc.

Got hot bashafn himl mit erd (x2)
Vos iz fun der feygl? –
A sheyne, fayne feder (x2)
Di feder fun der feygl,
Di feygl afn tsveyndl,
Di tsveyndl fun dem beymdl,
Di beymdl fun dem vortsl,
Der vortsl fun der erd,
Di erd fun Got.

God created heaven and earth.,…
What emerged from the bird?
A beautiful, fine feather.
The feather from the bird..etc.

Got hot bashafn himl mit erd (x2)
Vos iz fun der feder? –
A sheyne, fayne kishn (x2)
Di kishn fun der feder,
Di feder fun der feygl,
Di feygl afn tsveyndl,
Di tsveyndl fun dem beymdl,
Di beymdl fun dem vortsl,
Der vortsl fun der erd,
Di erd fun Got.

God created heaven and earth.,…
What came from the feather?
A beautiful, fine pillow.
The pillow from the feather..etc.

Got hot bashafn himl mit erd (x2)
Vos i’ af der kishn? –
A sheyne, fayne kale (x2)
Di kale af der kishn,
Di kishn fun der feder,
Di feder fun der feygl,
Di feygl afn tsveyndl,
Di tsveyndl fun dem beymdl,
Di beymdl fun dem vortsl,
Der vortsl fun der erd,
Di erd fun Got.

God created heaven and earth.,…
What came from the pillow?
A beautiful, fine bride.
The bride on the pillow..etc.

Got hot bashafn himl mit erd (x2)
Vos iz bay der kale? –
A sheyner, fayner khosn (x2)
Der khosn ba’ der kale,
Di kale afn kishn,
Di kishn fun der feder,
Di feder fun der feygl,
Di feygl afn tsveyndl,
Di tsveyndl fun dem beymdl,
Di beymdl fun dem vortsl,
Der vortsl fun der erd,
Di erd fun Got.
Got hot bashafn himl mit erd (x2)

God created heaven and earth.,…
What emerged from the bride?
A beautiful, fine groom.
The groom with the bride,
The bride on the pillow,
The pillow from the feather…etc.