BIBLIOTHECA AUGUSTANA

 

Mordekhay Gebirtig

1877 - 1942

 

lider

 

Moyshele

hungerik, dayn ketsele

Leybke mayn liber

es brent, briderlekh

arbetlose-marsh

 

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Moyshele

 

vos makhstu epes Moyshele, kh'derken dikh nokh on blik.

du bizt geven mayn khaverl, mit yorn fil tsurik.

un oykh in kheyder hobn mir, gelernt lang baynand,

ot shteyt far mir der rebe nokh, den kantshik in zayn hant.

 

oy, vu nemt men tsurik di yorn, yene sheyne tsayt?

oy, dos yunge sheyne lebn iz fun undz shoyn vayt.

oy, vu nemt men tsurik di yorn Moyshele mayn fraynd.

oy nokh yenem beyzen rebn benkt dos harts nokh haynt.

 

vos makht dayn shvester Rokhele? vi kh'volt zi itst gezen.

zi iz amol, gedenkstu nokh mir nont tsum harts geven.

nor zi gelibt hot Berelen, gehast mikh on shum grund.

geblibn iz in hartsn lang a nisht farhaylte vund.

 

oy, vu nemt men tsurik di yorn, yene sheyne tsayt?

oy, dos yunge sheyne lebn iz fun undz shoyn vayt.

oy, vu nemt men tsurik di yorn Moyshele mayn fraynd.

oy nokh yene sheyne Rokhele benkt dos harts nokh haynt.

 

vi geyt es epes Berelen? Avremele vos makht?

un Tsalmele und Yossele, zeyer oft fun aykh gedakht.

gekholemt fun aykh kinderlakh, gezen zikh in der mit.

gevorn alte yidelakh, vi shnel dos lebn flit.

 

oy, vu nemt men tsurik di yorn, yene sheyne tsayt?

oy, dos yunge sheyne lebn iz fun undz shoyn vayt.

oy, vu nemt men tsurik di yorn Moyshele mayn fraynd.

oy nokh yene yunge laydn benkt dos harts nokh haynt.

 

 

hungerik, dayn ketsele

 

shlof shoyn, mayn hungerik meydele,

makh shoyn di eygelekh tsu,

hungerik iz oykh dayn mamele

un veynt nisht un shrayt nisht vi du.

lern zikh, kind, fun dayn mamele,

nem alts vi zi nemt far lib,

morgn s'vet oyfshten mayn meydele,

vet zayn a sakh broyt in shtub –

ay lyu lyu, ay lyu lyu lyu,

ay lyu lyu, ay lyu lyu lyu.

 

shlof shoyn, mayn kroynen yu!

shlof shoyn, mayn narish kleyn meydele,

vos iz haynt epes mit dir?

hungerik iz oykh dayn ketsele

un s'hot gor keyn taynes tsu mir.

her, vi es miauket, es redt tsu dir:

– meydl, loz mamen tsuru! –

hungerik iz oykh kleyn ketsele,

un s'veynt nisht azoy vi du –

ay lyu lyu, ay lyu lyu lyu,

shlaf shoyn, mayn kroynen yu!

 

shlof shoyn, mayn orem kleyn meydele,

vayl der shlof lindert di noyt,

hungerik iz oykh dayn lyalkele

un veynt nisht un mont nisht keyn broyt.

lern zikh, kind, fun dayn lyalkele,

veyst vos zi trakht atsind?

– oy, vi batribt iz a mamele,

ven hungerik iz ir kind –

ay lyu lyu, ay lyu lyu lyu,

shlof shoyn, mayn kroynenyu!

 

 

Leybke mayn liber

 

Leybke mayn liber, dos vet keyn guts nisht gebn,

du brengst mit dayn akshones mikh fun geduld aroys.

du muzt zikh lernen tantsn – ikh shver bay undzer lebn –

ele nisht iz haynt nokh mit undz oys.

megst zikh sayn vos du bist: a farbrenter tsiyenist,

a bundoyets. vemen geyt dos on?

ale istn sayt a tsayt, un oykh di agode layt

tantsn tango un sharleston!

 

kum leybke tantsn, shem zikh nisht,

ikh vel dikh firn shrit bay shrit,

shtel zikh mayn liber, akegn iber,

un heyb tsusamen mit mir on.

nem fest arum mikh leybke-kroyn,

dos veys ikh zikher, kennstu shoyn.

itst lomir shvbn, akh iz asa lebn

ven 's tantst a porl sharleston.

 

Leybke, di mener, zey rikhtik tsu derkenen –

mayn bester termometer iz ven ikh tants mit zey.

velkhe shoyn bavaybte un velkhe fray nokh zenen

dos dergey ikh shoyn baym ershtn drey.

ver es iz a fayner man, ver a lump, a sharlatan –

dos derken ikh ven der tants nor heybt zikh on.

un derfar, leybke-kroyn, vel ikh dir – un take shoyn –

lernen tango un sharleston.

 

kum leybke tantsn, shem zikh nisht,

ikh vel dikh firn shrit bay shrit,

shtel zikh mayn liber, akegn iber,

un heyb tsusamen mit mir on.

nem fest arum mikh leybke-kroyn,

dos veys ikh zikher, kennstu shoyn.

itst lomir shvbn, akh iz asa lebn

ven 's tantst a porl sharleston.

 

 

es brent, briderlekh

 

 

es brent, briderlekh, es brent! oy, undzer orem shtetl, nebekh, brent!

beyze vintn mit yirgozn raysn, brekhn un tseblozn

shtarker nokh di vilde flamen, alts arum shoyn brent!

(refreyn:)

un ir shteyt un kukt azoy zikh mit farleygte hent!

un ir shteyt un kukt azoy zikh vi undzer shtetl brent.

 

es brent, briderlekh, es brent! oy, undzer orem shtetl, nebekh, brent!

s'hobn shoyn di fayer tsungen dos gantse shtetl ayngeshlungen –

un di beyze vintn hudzhen, alts arum shoyn brent!

(refreyn:)

un ir shteyt un kukt azoy zikh mit farleygte hent!

un ir shteyt un kukt azoy zikh vi undzer shtetl brent.

 

es brent, briderlekh, es brent! oy, es kon kholile kumen der moment!

undzer shtot mit uns tsuzamen zol oyf ash avek in flamen,

blaybn zol – vi nokh a shlakht, nor shvartze, puste vent!

(refreyn:)

un ir shteyt un kukt azoy zikh mit farleygte hent!

un ir shteyt un kukt azoy zikh vi undzer shtetl brent.

 

es brent, briderlekh, es brent! di hilf iz nor in aykh aleyn gevent!

oyb dos shtetl iz aykh tayer, nemt di keylim, lesht dos fayer,

lesht mit ayer aygn blut, bavayzt, az ir dos kent!

(refreyn:)

shteyt nisht, brider, ot azoy zikh mit farleygte hent!

shteyt nisht, brider, lesht dos fayer, undzer shtetl brent!

 

 

arbetlose-marsh

 

eynz, tsvey, dray, fir,

arbetloze zenen mir.

nisht gehert khadoshim lang

in fabrik den hamer klang,

'z lign keylim kalt fargezn,

'z nemt der shaver zey shoyn frezn.

geyn mir arum in gaz,

vi di gvirim puzt un paz.

vi di gvirim puzt un paz.

 

eynz, tsvey, dray, fir,

arbetloze zenen mir.

on a beged on a heym,

undzer bet iz erd un leym.

hot nokh ver voz tsu genizn,

taylt men zikh mit yedn bizn.

vazer vi di gvirim vayn,

gizn mir in zikh arayn.

gizn mir in zikh arayn.

 

eynz, tsvey, dray, fir,

arbetloze zenen mir.

yorn lang gearbet shver,

un geshaft altz mer un mer.

hayzer, shleser, shtet un lender,

far a hoyfele farshvender.

undzer loyn derfar iz voz,

hunger noyt un arbetloz.

hunger noyt un arbetloz.

 

eynz, tsvey, dray, fir,

ot azoy marshirn mir.

arbetloze trit nokh trit,

un mir zingen zikh a lid.

fun a land, a velt a naye,

vu ez lebn mentshn fraye.

arbetloze iz keyn shum hant,

in dem nayen frayen land.

in dem nayen frayen land.