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A Bisl Libe - Molly Picon & Joseph Rumshinsky
When I was a child, I remember as if it were today, the world was good to me, I didn't know anything about trouble. When I grew up, I went out in the world, I saw how people behave, and my world grew dark.
A little love and a little good fortune. Let the sun shine on me even for the blink of an eye (so I'll know in my heart a minute of sunshine). A little love and a little good luck, the sun to shine even if just for a moment, Beloved God has given everybody so much good luck in their lives, but for me, nothing!
Birobidzhan - Betsalel Friedman & Ben Yomen
Two rivers rush, Biro and Bidjan. Between these two rivers is a happy land. The forests provide lumber, the rivers give fish, fields serve bread to the new table.
Among thick forests a train hurries with joy. New Jews are coming to Birobidjan. And in fresh woods there is straw for a new roof. Jews never laughed so much.
The trees are listening, the earth is listening, oy, such laughter they have never heard. May every new step on this earth be healthy. The new work is singing in Birobidjan.
Bobenyu - H. Roisenblatt & Sholom Secunda
Oh grandmother, don't say "Got fun Avrom" yet, why are you in such a hurry today? The sun hasn't yet set in the west. Oh, grandmother, wait a little bit longer.
Don't wreck the happiness of the holy Sabbath, the quiet, holy peace. No stars are seen yet in the heavens, oh wait just a little bit.
The prayer "Got fun Avrom" harnesses us again in the heavy day-to-day yoke, dragging along the sadness of the diaspora, of school, the rabbi, the worries of the week....
But she stands like stone, grandmother, by the window. She is deaf to my plea. "Oh, God of Abraham!" - and a tear rolls down the dark windowpane.
Di Elter - Itsik Fefer, music by unknown composer
Old age is not tasty, so say the old folks. The ax comes for the oaks on a fine day. When the oaks are old, they fall in the forest.
When the arrogant eagle ages, his bravado becomes a lie. And the old lion in the forest sits and catches flies. Mighty lions grow old and fall in the forest.
When old age comes, your light flickers. Only wine, when it gets old, is better. Only old wine is good, it warms the blood.
This heart of mine won't turn grey, my words won't falter. The cold dew on the path won't silence my song. If I have to age, I want to age like wine.
Until old age wastes its dust on my head, raise a glass of old wine to the years of youth. To the evergreen forest, and to humanity, which does not grow old.
Don un Donye - Michel Gelbart & H. Roysenblatt
Don has black earlocks and Donye two golden braids. Don is the prodigy of the town and Donye is queen of the steppe.
Don goes to synagogue in the morning, his eyes half closed from sleep; Donye, with sun on her brow, drives her flocks to the steppe.
Don meets the shepherdess and silently lowers his eyes. Donye shyly gives a smile and quietly lowers her head.
Don sits and studies and the day is without end. The page seems a field and the letters a flock of sheep.
Donye tends her flock of curly lambs and thinks something about curly earlocks black as the night.
Epes fun Gornisht - tune by Jane Peppler
I have a coat made of ancient cloth, it doesn't have in it one whole stitch. So I thought, and from the coat I made a jacket.
From the jacket I made a vest, from the vest I made a hat, from the hat I made a button.
I lost my button. Thus, I thought, from the button comes nothing. I thought about it - and from the nothing I made this song
Fraytig af der nakht - traditional
When I come home from shul my wife sits and laughs and everything looks beautiful. The challah covered with a laughing serviette, and who knows how it tastes? Oy, Oh, Friday night, every Jew is a king; in every corner there's laughter and the whole home is joyful.
After the kiddish, a piece of fish that my wife has made. Does her mouth deserve a kiss?
After the noodles and the broth, a piece of meat is wonderful. After the tsimmes, a glass of wine.
Glik - Bella Meisell & Alexander Olshanetsky
I stand here now and think: how strong destiny is! Here, he makes a joke; there, he grows angry; he can punish and also bless.
Now that I see your strange fate, here, represented, I want to make you happy, stitch your life together, and pray for your happiness.
Good fortune, you've come to me, but a little bit too late. Good fortune, you've caused my heart so much happiness. I don't know to know, now, what tomorrow will hold for me, but as long as I have even one moment with luck in my hand I'll dance the last dance with you.
Harbstlid - Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman
See, it's fall, and all that was green is yellow, withered. See, it's fall and all that bloomed is gone. And I, who thought spring would last forever, in my hand I hold eternity.
Oh, falling leaves, flying days! How will I wander now when thick fog settles on my way?
Sadly cawing birds say goodbye at the window. The moaning, wailing wind complains: 'I wish I could get away from here to a shore where it's still green spring..."
The rain drives, gallops on a wild horse, whispers secret love in my ear: "Why do you need to wait for springtime when autumn offers baskets full of gold?"
Ta-am Haman - Lyrics: I. Navon, tune traditional
Your figure a pleasant form, its fragrance spikenard And its kind myrrh your crimson lips
Taste of manna, taste of manna - if told it would not be believed. Neither wine nor milk nor honey tempts me - only when I kiss your lips is my thirst quenched
Yidishe Khasene - Itsik Fefer & L. Yampolsky
Over the merry dirt roads that we have here, people went to a Jewish wedding, and from every little street and from every door the inlaws poured forth without limit.
What a Jewish wedding this was! What a happy wedding, the world never saw such a wedding.
Family members came from near and far, people stamp their feet and dance, stamp and ride. Girls in neckerchiefs, grandfathers with beards, they come in cars, they fly on horses.
"Tell us, sweet bride, who is the groom?" "The whole region knows him and it's not hard to guess!" "What did you give to the groom as dowry?" "Two golden spoons and everything that I own."
"What did you get from the groom Meyer-Ber? Earrings? Rings? Diamonds? Tell us!" "No earrings, not a single jewel. A good friend, a fine young man, the best in the area."
So musicians don't doze - let the accordion play, let the drummer beat his drum and let it be happy here. And may the couple remember the wedding, the mother-in-law too, until she is 120 years old!
Zing Brider Zing - anonymous
Are you full of worries? Is something not so good? Do you wait for a good morning and it doesn't come? Is your summer winter? Is your life hard? You think your world is going under and you don't want to live any more? You carry a mountain of troubles on your shoulders? Pay attention, I have advice for you:
Sing, brother, sing forget all your troubles! Sing, brother, sing, swing your troubles around your head and fling them away. If you cry, nobody listens to you. Take life lightly. If you laugh, everybody laughs - sing, brother.
Is your heart torn up? You can't sleep all night? Don't let anybody know things are going badly for you. Have you lost your money? You have no more friends? You've lost everything and now you're forlorn? Don't lose it, brother, don't doubt - To the devil with your pack of troubles!
Gris, bagris Lazar Veyner & Leybush Lerer; 3rd verse, Marty & Musia Lakin
Greet them with song when the sun goes down. Our song of praise spreads itself far and wide
Sing everybody together, everyone small and big. Bring, joyously and lovingly, light into our house
Spread your warm wings out over the evening wind, Joy and light in our house as the work week wanes
We shall be united in one family, peace in the whole world. There in the bright sunshine, there where no-one is left out