Unter Dayne Vayse Shtern

Unter dayne vayse shtern Shtrek tsu mir dayn vayse hant Mayne verter zaynen trern viln ruen in dayn hant Ze, es tunklt zeyer finkl In mayn kelerdikn blik Un ikh hob gornit kayn vinkl Zey tsu shenken dir tsurik Un ikh vil dokh, got getrayer Dir fartroyen mayn farmg Vayl es mogt in mir a fayer Un in fayer mayne teg Nor in kelern un lekher Veynt di merderishe ru Loyf ikh hekher, iber dekher Un ikh zukh, vu bistu, vu? Nemen yogn mikh meshune Trep un hoyfn mit gevoy Heng ikh a geplatste strune Un ikh zing tsu dir azoy Unter dayne vayse shtern Shtrek tsu mir dayn vayse hant Mayne verter zaynen trern viln ruen in dayn hant Ze, es tunklt zeyer finkl In mayn kelerdikn blik Un ikh hob gornit kayn vinkl Zey tsu shenken dir tsurik

Under Your white stars Stretch to me Your white hand. My words are tears, Wanting to rest in Your hand. See, they twinkle very darkly In my cellar-beaten view; And I have no place How to send them back to You. And I will, dear God, Confide in you these of mine While in me a fire grows And on fire are my days. But in cellars and holes Cries the murderous quiet I fly higher, over rooftops And I search: Where are You? Where? Something strange hunts me Stairs and courtyards are on chase I hang as a broken bow-string And I sing to You this way: Under Your white stars Stretch to me Your white hand. My words are tears, Wanting to rest in Your hand. See, they twinkle very darkly In my cellar-beaten view; And I have no place How to send them back to You.

Unter Beymer

Unter beymer vaksn grosn, Ay-lu-lu... Un di beyze vintn blozn, schlof zhe zunenyu. Zits mayn kind, nit bay dem fenster, vayl du kennst dem vint derfiln, Un ikh vil nit du, mayn shenster, Zolst, kholile, zikh farkiln. Himl iz shoyn khmarne shvarts, Punkt azoy vo do bay mir in harts. Unter beymer vaksn grosn, Ay-lu-lu... Un di beyze vintn blozn, schlof zhe zunenyu, Ay-lu-lu schlof zhe, mayn kind, oy, harts mayns, Ay-lu-lu blayb mir gezunt.

Beneath the trees grows grass, ay-lu-lu . . . And the cruel winds blow; sleep, my little one. Don't sit, my child, by the window you may feel the wind and And I don't want you, my pretty one to catch a cold. The sky is already a cloudy gray Just like my heart. Sleep my child, my own heart Ay-lu-lu Stay healthy and well

Yankele

Shlof zhe shoyn, mein yingele, mayn kleyner Di eygelekh di shvartsinke makh tsu A yingele vos hot shoyn ale tseyndelekh Muz nokh di mame zingen ay-lyu-lyu ___________________________ A yingele vos hot shoyn ale tseyndelekh Un vet mit mazl bald in kheyder geyn Un lernen vet er khumesh mit gemore Zol veynen ven di mame vigt im eyn? ___________________________ A yingele vos lernen vet gemore Ot shteyt der tate kvelt un hert zikh tsu A yingele vos vakst a talmid-khokhem Lozt gantse nekht der mamen nisht tsu ru? ___________________________ A yingele vos vakst a talmid-khokhem Un a geniter soykher oykh tsu glaykh A yingele a kluger khosn-bokher Zol lign azoy nas vi in a taykh ___________________________ Nu shlof zhe shoyn, mayn kluger khosn-bokher Dervayl ligstu in vigele bay mir S’vet kostn nokh fil mi un mames trern Biz vanen s’vet a mentsh aroys fun dir ___________________________

Sleep, sleep, Yankele, my handsome son. Close your little black eyes. My little one, now that you have all your teeth - must your mother still sing you to sleep? ___________________________ The little boy who has all his teeth and who, with luck (God willing), will soon go to kheyder And learn Torah and Talmud - must he cry when his mama rocks him to sleep? ___________________________ The little boy who will learn Talmud - and how glad and proud in his heart your father is a young man that will be a Talmud scholar must he make his mother stay awake all night? ___________________________ A young man who will be a Talmud scholar, who will be a bridegroom yet. Sleep while you are still in your cradle by my side. ________________________________ Sleep then, my little one, my clever one Sleep while you are still in your cradle by my side. It will cost your mother many tears to make a man of you. ___________________________