Dus kind fun keynem nisht / No One’s Child A Holocaust adaptation of a Romanian song. Sung by Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman [BSG]. Recorded by Itzik Gottesman, Bronx 1991.
Anny (Hubner) Andermann poses with a group of orphans whom she helped to have repatriated from Transnistria. Archive of the United States Holocaust Memorial Musuem
BSG speaks: “Dus iz geven a Rumeynish lid in du zey ikh, az mir hobn gehat a yidishe versye.” Vi heyst es af Rumeynish? This was a Romanian song and here [in the notebook] I see that there was a Yiddish version.
IG: How is it called in Romanian? BSG sings in Romanian:
Copil sărac, al cui ești tu, Al cui ești tu pe-acest pământ? Tu ești copilul nimănui, Al nimănui pe-acest pământ.
Poor child, whose are you, Whose are you on this earth? You are no one’s child, No one’s on this earth.
BSG speaks: S’iz a lid veygn an urem kind Vus hot… S’a yusem vus hot keynem nisht of der erd.
Spoken: It’s a song about a poor child, who has… It’s an orphan who has no one in this world.
BSG sings:
Di urem kind mit shvartse hur. Mit shvartse oygn zug mir gur. Far vus dertseylsti yeydn yid, Az di bist dus kind fun keynem nisht?
You poor child with blck hair With black eyes, tell me: Why do you tell every Jew/every one That you are no one’s child?
“A sakh trern hob ikh fargosn, Mayn mamenyu hot men geshosn. Zi iz geshtorbn af deym ort. ‘Mayn tokhter’ var ir letse vort.
“Many tears have I spilled, My mother was shot. She died on the spot. ‘My daughter’ were her last words”
BSG – Spoken = S’iz a ponim fin Transnistra. It appears to be about Transnistria.
Mayn tatenyu hob ikh farloyrn. Far kelt in hinger iz er ayngefrorn Tsu shtarbn var zayn biter loz [German = los] In an Ukrainer kolkhoz.
I lost my dear father. From cold and hunger he froze. To die was his bitter fate In a Ukrainian kolkhoz. [ Soviet collective farm]
Ikh hob bagrubn mane libe. Elnt aleyn bin ikh farblibn. Men lozt mikh filn af yedn shrit: az ikh bin dus kind fun keynem nit.
I buried my dear ones. Alone, lonely I remained. At every step people let me feel that I am no one’s child.
BSG – “S’iz a versye vus me hot gemakht in Transnistria ober mit a sakh daytshmerizmen.” “It’s a version that was created in Transnistria but with many Germanisms. “
Commentary by Itzik Gottesman
We’re posting this song in conjunction with the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27, 2022. As noted in an earlier post, Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman wrote down in a notebook lyrics to songs she heard in the Displaced Persons camp in Vienna, 1947 – 1951. I asked her to sing some of those songs in 1991.
Bret Werb, musicologist at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in D.C. writes (via correspondence on email) about the Romanian song:
“The Romanian title is ‘Sînt copil al nimănui’ otherwise ‘Copil al nimănui’ otherwise ‘Cîntec de orfan’; the full lyric appears here,
As you’ll see it’s similar to the Yiddish version. The song was collected as “folklore” in 1972 from informant Gheorghe Cazacu of Costeşti village, Cotovschi district (the field recording is part of the Gleb Ciaicovschi-Mereşanu Collection, National Archive of the Republic of Moldova).
Thanks to Sandra Layman for transcribing and translating the Romanian verse. Thanks to Bret Werb for the information. Thanks to Carol Freeman, Paul Gifford, Joel Rubin, Suzanne Schwimmer and their friends who helped look for information on the Romanian song.
Geltenyu / Money Sung by Clara Crasner, recorded by Bob Freedman, Philadelphia, 1972
Commentary by Itzik Gottesman
A most unusual song about Jews oppressing (or “taking advantage”, in Crasner’s words), of fellow Jews.
Ukrainian Jews escaping pogroms and the Russian Civil War crossed over into Romania. 1919-1921. This song documents the hard times these Jews faced, apparently because of the Bessarabian Jews who extorted money from them once they crossed the border. The “Ukrainians” were forced to do manual labor and sleep in horrible conditions in order to secure passports.
In an earlier post on this blog where Clara Crasner sings the song “Eykho” she mentions the Bessarabian town of Yedinitz (today in Molodova – Edinets); perhaps that is the town in question. There she refers to her fellow refugees as “yoridnikes”, impoverished ones. In the Yedenitz Yizkor (Memorial) Book, there is indeed a chapter that recalls the Ukrainian Jews who crossed the border to escape the violence and came to Yedinits (legendary klezmer clarinetist Dave Tarras, was one of these migrants).
Committee for Assistance of Ukrainian Refugees, Yedenitz, 1920-1921
The first two verses of the song are from the perspective of the money-hungry Bessarabians. The third verse is from the refugee’s perspective.
This is the fifth song sung by Clara Crasner from Shargorod, Ukraine, that we have posted. They were all recorded by her son-in-law, Robert Freedman in Philadelphia 1972. Freedman and his wife Molly Freedman are the founders of the “Robert and Molly Freedman Jewish Sound Archive” at the University of Pennsylvania Library, an invaluable resource in researching Yiddish song.
TRANSLITERATION
Crasner (spoken)
“Ot di lid hob ikh gehert in Rumenye, Basarabye, in 1919, 1920. Nokh der ershter milkhume, ven di yidn fin rusland zenen antlofn, iz dus geveyn di neyvnste greynets far indz, fin vonen ikh kim un nokh mentshn. Kimendik kin Basarabye obn mir geheysn “Ukrayiner.” Di Basarbyer hobn genemen …zey hobn genemne “advantage’ fin indz. M’o’me nisht gekent aroysfurn finem shtyetl. M’ot indz nisht gevolt geybn keyn peser, obn di mentshn gemakht a lid. Ikh denk az s’iz a “satire”. In di lid heyst “gelt”.
(sung)
Tsu indz keyn Besarabye kimen Ukrainer a sakh. Zey shvimen in der blote, azoy vi di fish in takh. Zey loyfn im, imedim nor vi a vint ergets vi, nor tsi krign a dokument. Freygn zey far vos kimt indz dos? Entfert men zey: Geltenyu, hot ir geltenyu? Git indz gelt nor a sakh Val mir viln vern rakh. Geltenyu iz a gite zakh.
In der Ukrainyer er lozt arop di nuz. Er miz nebekh geyn in shlufn in kluz. Dort iz fintster ,kolt un vist; nor azoy vi in der erd. Zey hakn holts un trugn voser in horeven vi di ferd. Freygn zey far vos kimt indz dos? Entfert men zey: Geltenyu, hot ir geltenyu? Git indz gelt mit beyde hent krigt ir bold a dokument. Geltenyu iz a gite zakh.
Ober es kimt a tsat ven di Ukrayner zey leybn hoykh a velt. Ven es kimt zey un di pur daler gelt. Zey rasn zikh aroys fin donen nor vi fin a shtag. In ale Beseraber yidn tsaygn zey a fag. Freygn zey far vos kimt indz dos? Entfert men zey: Geltenyu, mir hobn mir oykh geltenyu. Mir darfn shoyn mer nit nitsn [?] aykh. Mir hern aykh vi dem kuter, vayl ayer Got iz indzer futer. Geltenyu iz a gite zakh.
TRANSLATION
[spoken]
“This song I heard in Romania, Bessarabia, in 1919, 1920. After the First War, when the Jews from Russia escaped, this was the closest border to us, from where I am from and others. Coming into Bessarabia, we were called “Ukrainians” and Bessarabians took advantage of us. We were not able to leave the town. We were not given passports, so the people created a song. I think it’s a satire and the song is called “Gelt” – “Money”
[sung]
To us in Bessarabia come many Ukrainians They swim in the mud, as fish in a river. They run around everywhere like the wind; anywhere just to get a document. So they ask – why do we deserve this? And they are answered: money, do you have money? Give us a lot of money because we want to become rich. Money is a good thing.
And the Ukrainian, he drops down his nose. He must, alas, go to sleep in the synagogue. There it is dark, cold and deserted. Just like being in the ground. They chop wood and carry water and work hard as a horse. So they ask why do we deserve this? And they are answered: Money, do you have money? Give us money with both hands and you’ll get back a document. Money is a good thing.
But a time will come when the Ukrainians will live in luxury when they get their few dollars. They will tear out of here as if from a cage. And at all Bessarabian Jews they will thumb their noses at them. [literally show them the fig = finger] So they ask why do we deserve this? They are answered: Money, we also have money. We don’t need you anymore we totally ignore you because your God is our father. Money is a good thing.
TRANSCRIPTION
אָט די ליד האָב איך געהערט אין רומעניע, באַסאַראַביע, אין 1919, 1920. נאָך דער ערשטער מלחמה, ווען די ייִדן פֿון רוסלאַנד זענען אַנטלאָפֿן, איז דאָס געווען די נאָענססטע גרענעץ פֿאַר אונדז, פֿון וואַנען איך קום און נאָך מענטשן. קומענדיק קיין באַסאַראַביע האָבן מיר געהייסן „אוקראַיִנער”. די באַסאַראַבער האָבן גענעמען פֿון אונדז. מ’ אָ’ מיר נישט געקענט אַרויספֿאָרן פֿונעם שטעטל. מ’האָט אונדז נישט געוואָלט געבן קיין פּעסער, האָבן די מענטשן געמאַכט אַ ליד. איך דענק, אַז ס’איז סאַטירע. און די ליד הייסט געלט
Ven di zun iz mir fargangen / When the sun has set A Chanukah Song sung by Avi Fuhrman
Recorded at Circle Lodge, NY, 1984 by Itzik Gottesman
Commentary by Itzik Gottesman
Avi Fuhrman (aka Avrom, Avraham, Abraham)learned this Chanukah song from his father in the 1930s in Chernovitz (then Romania, today – Ukraine). We have yet not been able to identify the writer or composer.
Avi Fuhrman
“Maoz tsur” is usually translated as “Rock of Ages” but literally – “Stronghold of Rock”. The rock is usually interpreted as God.
In Fuhrman’s native Bukovina Yiddish dialect “maoz tsur” is pronounced “muez tsir”. But in this performance Fuhrman sings “Muez tsur” which does not rhyme with the intended rhyming words: “shir” “mir” “frier”.
Special thanks this week to Eliezer Niborski who helped with the transcription.
TRANSLITERATION AND TRANSLATION
Ven di zin iz mir fargangen,
kalt in fintster iz di nakht.
Un di shterndlekh fun deym himl
hobn zeyere eygelekh farmakht.
When the sun has set for me, cold and dark is the night And the stars of sky have closed their eyes.
Ikh ken keyn veyg shoyn nit gefinen.
Ikh blondzhe, blondzhe un a shir.
Hob ikh mir a lekhtele ungetsindn,
dos lekhtele heyst dokh muez tsur.
I cannot find any path; I wander, lost without stop. So I lit a candle and the candle is called maoz tsur.
Un ikh lern mir bay dem lekhtele
bleter groyse, mit oysyes fil.
Un dervarem mir derbay dem kerper, vayl es vert mir shreklekh kil.
And I study at my candle large pages full of letters. And it warms my body, because I feel so terribly cool.
Bald farges ikh mayne tsores
vos ikh trug arim oyf mir.
Un ikh zing mir in mayn goles,
zey, vus shvaygstu muez tsur?
Soon I forget my troubles that I carry around with me. And I sing in my exile: See, why silent maoz tsur?
Grekn zenen mir bafaln,
mit zeyere tume hent.
Farumreynikt undzer templ
undzer leybn hobn zey geshendt.
Greeks attacked me with their polluting hands. They made filthy our Temple; our life they defiled.
Zey hobn toyte shtume gotn ahin arayngeshtelt tsu mir. Ikh hob far veytik oysgeshrign:
“Zey, vos shvaygstu muez tsur?”
They placed dead, silent gods in there for me. From pain I shouted out: Look! Why are you silent maoz tsur.
Der barimter Makabeyer
Khashmonoyim mit zayne zin.
[Fuhrman speaks – “Vayter gedenk ikh nisht di verter”]
The famous Maccabee of the Hasmoneum, and his sons.
Zey hobn dem soyne bald fartribn,
dem templ reyn gemakht vi frier.
Ikh hob far freyd oysgeshrien,
Zey, vos shvaygstu muez tsur?
They drove the enemies away. The Temple they restored. For joy I shouted out: See, why are you silent maoz tsur?
Fuhrman: [spoken] Vus se feylt darfsti aleyn zikhn.
Shteyt in tol an alte mil / An Old Mill Stands in the Valley Words by M. M. Shaffir, Music -“adapted from a Romanian folk melody”
Recorded by Itzik Gottesman, Bronx
Commentary by Itzik Gottesman
The poet M. M. Shaffir (1909 -1988) was born in Suchava/Suceava (in Yiddish – “Shots”), Bukovina, Austria-Hungary; today – Romania. He immigrated to Montreal in 1939 and published 18 books of poetry. He was known for his love of Jewish folklore and his expert knowledge of the Yiddish language.
M.M. Shaffir, Screen Shot from Cindy Marshall’s Film “A Life of Song: a Portrait of Ruth Rubin”
He was a close friend of the linguist, writer and editor Mordkhe Schaechter, and visited him in the Bronx several times. At one of these occasions in 1974, the Sholem-Aleichem Cultural Center organized an event honoring his visit and afterward he sang three songs that he had composed at the Gottesman home across the street.
In this post we look at the first of those three songs, a doina-style melody Shteyt in tul an alte mil. He included the words and music in his collection Bay der kholem multer (Montreal, 1983) which are attached.
Several lines in his performance differ from the printed poem. On top of the musical notation, Shaffir wrote “loyt a Romeynishn folksmotiv” – “adapted from a Romanian folk melody.” To compare a Romanian traditional song to Shaffir’s composition Romanian music researcher Shaun Williams suggested listening to this Romanian doina sung by Maria Tanase:
Singer and scholar Michael Alpert also suggested listening to this Romanian “epic ballad”:
In Cindy Marshall’s film “A Life of Song: A Portrait of Ruth Rubin”, Shaffir can be seen in the episode where Rubin records singers in Montreal. The photo of him in this blog is taken from that scene. The entire film can be seen at YIVO’s Ruth Rubin Legacy website.
TRANSCRIPTION
1) Shteyt in tul an alte mil.
Veyn ikh dortn in der shtil.
Shteyen dortn verbes tsvey
Veyn ikh oys mayn harts far zey.
2) Ergets vayt in kelt un shney
iz gefaln mayn Andrei.
Ergets af a vistn feld.
Hot zayn harts zikh opgeshtelt.
3)Deym boyars tsvey sheyne zin
zenen nisht avek ahin.
Nor Andrei hot men opgeshikt
hot a koyl zayn harts fartsikt.
4) Hot zayn harts zikh opgeshtelt.
Ergets oyf a vistn feld.
Ergets vayt in kelt un shney
S’iz mir vind un s’iz mir vey.
TRANSLATION
An old mill stands in the field
where I cry there quietly.
Two willows are there
and I cry my heart out for them.
Somewhere distant in cold and snow
my Andrei has fallen.
Somewhere on a barren field
his heart stopped beating.
The boyar’s two handsome sons
did not go there.
Only Andrei was sent
and a bullet devoured his heart.
His heart stopped beating
somewhere on a barren field.
Somewhere far in cold and snow,
Woe is me, how it hurts!
From Bay der kholem multer by M.M. Shaffir (Montreal, 1983) pp. 72-73:
Der freylekher kaptsn (The Happy Poor Man) is an upbeat song I recorded from Jacob Gorelik in 1985 in New York City. The song follows the alef-beys for 23 verses. Der freylekher kaptsn is also known as Der freylekher khosid and Hop-tshik-tshak, which is a dance or dance step.
Jacob Gorelik sings at the Sholem-Aleichem Center with
Dr. Joshua Fishman sitting next to him (Bronx, 1980s)
As he says in his spoken introduction, Jacob Gorelik sent this song to the Israeli folklore journal Yeda-Am and it was printed in 1967 (Vol. 12 no 31-32) with the music. Attached are scans of those pages which include the Yiddish verses, a Hebrew translation and a brief commentary (in Hebrew) by the editor on the song at the end which includes references to other versions of the song found in other song collections. When he sang this for me Gorelik was reading the lyrics from the journal.
Gorelik also pointed out the similarity in melody to Khanele lernt loshn-koydesh (words by A. Almi), a song that was later recorded by Chava Alberstein and the Klezmatics among others.
The verse that corresponds to the letter ע begins with the word “helft” – because, as Gorelik explained, in the Ukrainian Yiddish dialect the “h” sound at the beginning of the word is often silent.
A humorous parody of the song about kibbutz life was collected and published by Menashe Gefen in issue 3-4, 1972, of the Israeli periodical מאסף, Measaf. Two scans of that are attached as are two scans of the version collected by I. L. Cahan and included in his 1912 publication Yidishe folkslider mit melodyen.
Thanks this week for help with the blog go to Paula Teitelbaum, Psoy Korolenko and Facebook friends
Gorelik speaks:
Lekoved mayn tayern gast, Itzikn, vel ikh zingen a folklid, an alte, alte folklid – “Der freylekher kaptsn”. Un es geyt in gantsn loytn alef-beys. Du veyst kaptsonim zenen ale mol freylekhe. Gehert hob ikh dos mit etlekhe tsendlik yor tsurik fun mayn froys a shvoger: Hershl Landsman. In Amerike hot gebitn – in Amerike tut men ale mol baytn – gebitn dem nomen af London. Far zikh, far di kinder, zey zoln kenen vern doktoyrim.
Un er hot es gehert baym onfang fun tsvantsikstn yorhundert. Hershl iz shoyn nito; lomir im take dermonen. Landsman is shoyn nito. Zayn froy iz nito shoyn. Mayn eygene tayere froy iz shoyn nito.
Der freylekher kaptsn. Es geyt loytn alef-beys. Gedrukt iz dos in Yeda-Am. Flegt aroysgeyn in Yisrol a vikhtiker zhurnal, a folklor-zhurnal. Unter der redaktsye fun Yom-Tov Levinsky, 1967 iz der zhurnal aroys, der numer.
א Ikh bin mir a khosidl, a freylekhe briye. Bin ikh mir a khosidl, on a shum pniye. Bin ikh mir a khosidl, a khosidak. Tants ikh mir a freylekhn hop-tshik-tshak!
ב Borves gey ikh mit hoyle pyates. Fun oyvn biz arop mit gole lates; Bin ikh mir a lustiker a freylekher bosyak Tants ikh mir a freylekhn hop-tshik-tshak!
ג Gole lekher iz mayn kapote fun oybn viz arop mit shvartser blote; Tu ikh mir on fun eybn dem yarmak. Tants ikh mir a freylekhn hop-tshik-tshak!
ד Der dales iz bay mir afn pritsishn oyfn. Der kop tut vey fun dem arumloyfn; kh’loyf un loyf azoy vi a durak. Tants ikh mir a freylekhn hop-tshik-tshak!
ה Hering mit broyt iz bay mir a maykhl, abi ikh shtop zikh on dem baykh. un kartofles far a pitak. Tants ikh mir a freylekhn hop-tshik-tshak!
ו Ver s’geyt in mayn veg, der vet hobn gute teg; in a bisl bronfn gefin ikh nit keyn brak; Tants ikh mir a freylekhn hop-tshik-tshak!
ז Zingen, zing ikh af mayn gorgl un shpiln, shpil ikh af mayn orgl. Bin ikh mir a khosidl, a spivak, Tants ikh mir a freylekhn hop-tshik-tshak!
ח Khotsh ikh bin mir horbevate un dertsu nokh stulovate; A bisl bronfn nem ikh mir geshmak Tants ikh mir a freylekhn hop-tshik-tshak!
ט Toybenyu, mayn vayb zogt tsu mir: nito af shabes, vey tsu dir; leydik iz mayn keshene, nito keyn pitak, Tants ikh mir a freylekhn hop-tshik-tshak!
י Yontif iz bay mir di beste tsayt, tsu antloyfn fun der klipe – vayt; un makh ikh dort a koyse mit dem knak, Tants ikh mir a freylekhn hop-tshik-tshak!
כּ Koshere kinderlekh, a ful getselt, hungerike tsingelekh aroysgeshtelt. Esn viln zey gants geshmak, Tants ikh mir a freylekhn hop-tshik-tshak!
ל Loyfn, loyf ikh af di piates, vayl shikh zaynen gole lates. Ikh loyf un loyf vi a bosyak, Tants ikh mir a freylekhn hop-tshik-tshak!
מ Mirenyu, mayn tokhter, zi zogt tsu mir: ven met kumen di nekhome af mir? Gib mir a khosn mit a kurtsn pidzak, Tants ikh mir a freylekhn hop-tshik-tshak!
נ Nekhome, mayne, zog ikh tsu ir: Du vest nokh heysn mitn nomen – shnir. Dayn shviger vet zayn a groyser shlak, Tants ikh mir a freylekhn hop-tshik-tshak!
ס S’hoybt nor on tog tsu vern, heybn zikh on di kinderlekh iberklern; un kalt iz zey gants geshmak, Tants ikh mir a freylekhn hop-tshik-tshak!
ע Elft mir kinder zmires zingen, vet ir zayn bay mir voyle yingen; shenken vel ikh aykh a pitak, Tants ikh mir a freylekhn hop-tshik-tshak!
פּ Peysekh kumt, bin ikh mir freylekh, mayn vayb a malke un ikh a meylekh. Matsos hobn mir a fuln zak; Tants ikh mir a freylekhn hop-tshik-tshak!
צ Tsadikim, rebeyim, veysn aleyn, az s’iz nit gut tsu zayn gemeyn; tsores faran in a fuler zak, tants ikh mir a freylekhn hop-tshik-tshak!
ק Kinder mayne, hob ikh gezogt: haynt iz simkhes-toyre, nit gezorgt; A koyse veln mir makhn gants geshmak; Tants ikh mir a freylekhn hop-tshik-tshak!
ר Royzenyu, mayn tokhter, zogt tsu mir: kh’hob a man, iz er gerotn in dir: er git mir nit af shabes afile keyn pitak; Tants ikh mir a freylekhn hop-tshik-tshak!
ש Shoyn Purim iz do, a yontif bay mir, Ikh trog shalekh-mones fun tir tsu tir. Khap ikh a trunk bronfn gants geshmak, Tants ikh mir a freylekhn hop-tshik-tshak!
תּ Tomid freylekh, nit gezorgt, Nor layen, nor geborgt. un in keshene iz nito keyn pitak, Tants ikh mir a freylekhn hop-tshik-tshak!
In honor of my dear guest, Itzik, I will sing the folksong, an old, old folksong “The Happy Poor man”. It goes according to the alphabet. You know poor people are always happy. I heard this a few decades ago from my brother-in-law Hershl Landsman. In American he changed – In America one is always changing – In America he changed his name to London; for his sake, for his children, so that they can become doctors.
And he heard it at the beginning of the 20th century. Hershl is no longer here; his wife is no longer here. My dear wife is no longer here.
“The Happy Poor Man”. It goes according to the alphabet. It was published in Yeda-Am, that used to be published in Israel: a folklore journal, an important journal, edited by Yom-Tov Lewinsky. In 1967 this issue was published.
א
I am a khosid, a happy creature.
I am a khosid, with no bias.
I am a khosid, a khosidak [humorous form of khosid]
So I dance a joyous hop-tshik-tshak!
ב
I go around barefoot with bare soles.
Up and down I’m full of patches.
I’m happy-go-lucky, cheerful and barefoot
So I dance a joyous hop-tshik-tshak!
ג
My kaftan is full of holes
from top to bottom full of mud.
So I put on my overcoat
and I dance a joyous hop-tshik-tshak.
ד
I treat poverty as if it were nobility,
my head hurts from all my running around.
I run and run as an fool,
so I dance a joyous hip-tshik-tshak.
ה
Herring with bread is a real treat
as long as I can stuff up my tummy,
with potatoes for a penny.
So I dance a joyous hop-tshik-tshak!
ו
Whoever goes in my path
will enjoy good days.
In a little whiskey I find nothing to waste;
So I dance a joyous hop-tshik-tshak!
ז
I sing with my throat
and play on my organ.
So I am a khosid, a singer.
And I dance a joyous hop-tshik-tshak!
ח
Though I am a hunchback
and I slouch a little too, I take a nice swig of whiskey.
And I dance a joyous hop-tshik-tshak!
ט
Toybeynyu, my wife says to me:
We have nothing for sabbath, woe is me.
Empty is my pocket with no penny.
So I dance a joyous hop-tshik-tshak.
י
Holidays are the best time for me,
to escape far from my shrewish wife.
And I drink a shot with real snap.
And I dance a joyous hop-tshik-tshak!
כּ
Observant children – I have a tent full;
their hungry tongues sticking out.
They really want to eat a lot.
So I dance a joyous hop-tshik-tshak!
ל
I run on my soles
because my shoes are all patched up.
I run and run like a barefoot man,
So I dance a joyous hop-tshik-tshak!
מ
Mirenyu, my daughter, says to me:
when will I get some relief?
Give me a groom with a short jacket.
So I dance a joyous hop-tshik-tshak!
נ
“My solace”, I say to her:
“You will yet one day be called ‘daughter-in-law’.
Your mother-in-law will be big nuisance.”
So I dance a joyous hop-tshik-tshak!
ס
As soon as the day breaks,
my children start to consider their state:
and they are so very cold.
So I dance a joyous hop-tshik-tshak!
ע
If you help me children to sing zmires you will be good kids.
I will give as a tip, a coin.
And I dance a joyous hop-tshik-tshak!
פּ
When Passover comes I am happy:
my wife is a queen and I a king.
We have a full sack of matzoh
And I dance a joyous hop-tshik-tshak!
צ
Holy rabbis, Rebbes, know already
that it’s not good to be vulgar.
We have a sack full of troubles.
And I dance a joyous hop-tshik-tshak!
ק
My children, I said,
today is Simkhes-Torah, don’t worry.
We will all down a good drink,
And I dance a joyous hop-tshik-tshak!
ר
Rose, my daughter, says to me.
I have a husband just like you.
He doesn’t give me a penny for the Sabbath
And I dance a joyous hop-tshik-tshak!
ש
Purim is already here, a real holiday for me,
I carry shalekh-mones from door to door.
I take a quick swig of whiskey, really fine.
And I dance a joyous hop-tshik-tshak!
ת
Always joyous, never worried,
Always borrowing, always mooching,
And in my pocket not a penny.
And I dance a joyous hop-tshik-tshak!
Oy vey rebenyu
Performance by Josh Waletzky
Video-recorded at Center for Traditional Music and Dance’s office, New York City, by Peter Rushefsky, Ethel Raim and Benjy Fox-Rosen, January 28th, 2012.
Commentary by Itzik Gottesman
New York Yiddish singer Josh Waletzky learned this maskilic/anti-Hasidic song from from his grandfather Morris (Moyshe) Waletzky. Oy vey rebenyu has been recorded in a similar version by Jan Bart, with another version by Cantor Isaac Goodfriend.
The Soviet folklorist Z. Skuditski pointed out the similarity to the Mikhl Gordon song Mayn Tshuve (see note in Folklor-lider, volume 2) and it has been considered a Mikhl Gordon song ever since (I could not obtain the original Gordon version). However this anti-Hasidic song was later adapted and interpreted in some circles as a song to praise the rebbe, not mock him.
Interpretations praising the rebbe:
The Yiddish poet Yermye Hescheles (1910 – 2010), from Glina, Galicia, Poland, told me that on the holiday of Lag B’omer, when the melamed (teacher in the kheyder) walked with them into the woods, he taught the children this song in praise of the rebbe. (I would imagine that the verse with the cook Trayne was cut).
Di Naye Kapelye in Budapest recorded the song – only the refrain – in a slow, spiritual interpretation, on their album – “A mazeldiker yid” released on the Oriente Musik label.
According to band leader Bob Cohen, the source is a tape recording made in Maramures in 1970 by Romanian-Jewish ethnomusicologust Ghizella Suliteanu of a Roma band from Borsa led by Gheorghe Stingaci Covaci.
Refrain:
Oy vey rebenyu, ikh shuteye un tsiter un in hartsn brent a fayer. un in hartsn brent a fayer. Yakh vil zayn a khosidl a guter, a khosidl a getrayer. Yakh vil zayn a khosidl a guter, a khosidl a getrayer.
O rebbe I stand and shiver In my heart burns fire. I want to be a good khosid, a faithful khosid.
Bay dem davenen vel ikh zikh shoklen, makhn alerley hevayes. Far dem rebn mit zayne khasidim geyt mir oys dos Hayes.
When I pray I will rock,and make all kinds of gestures. For the rebbe and his khasidim, my strength gives out.
Vinter in di greste keltn. Far dem rebn mit zayne Chasidim gey ikh aynleygn veltn.
Winter in the greatest cold. For the rebbe and his khasidim I will tear down entire worlds.
Refrain
In Folklor-lider, vol. 2 the verses are:
A kalte mikve vel ikh zikh makhn vinter in di greste keltn. Far dem rebenyu, far zayne khsidimlekh vel ikh kereven veltn.
A cold mikve I will prepare winter in the greatest cold. For the rebbe, for his hasidim I will turn over worlds.
A vareme shal vel ikh zikh koyfn zumer in di greste hitsn. A zaydenem gartl vel ikh mir koyfn, a hitl mit zibetsn shpitsn.
A warm shawl will I buy summer in the greatest heat. A silk belt will I buy, a hat with 17 corners.
Dem rebn vel ikh leygn in fodershtn alker tsuzamen mit der kekhne Trayne. Un ale kshidemlekh veln hobn tsum rebn gor a groyse tayne.
I will put the rebbe in the front den with the cook Trayne. And all the Hasidim will complain to the rebbe.
Yiddish Song of the Week 