Tsu Binyumele's Bar-Mitsve
By Beyla Schaechter-Gottesman
Tsi veyst ir voser tog s'iz haynt?
S'iz Binyumele's bar-mitzve!
Se kumen noente un gute-fraynd
af der groyser simkch.
Vayl a yatl voyl un fayn
Der bar-mitsve-bokher
A guter yid vet er take zayn
Der bar-mitsve-bkhero
Di gedule iz gor groys
Bay di tate-mame.
S'vet fun zeyer zun aroys
A groyser goen mistame.
Vayl a yatl voyl un fayn.....
Tsugeyn zol es zingendik,
Loz men zikh nisht aylen.
Zingen iz dokh ikerdik,
Zingendik farvayln.
Vayl a yatl voyl un fayn...
Lomir zikh mesameyekh zayn
Af Binyumele's bar-mitzve,
Esn un trinken a glezl vayn--
S'avade dokh a mitsve.
Vayl a yatl voyl un fayn...
Translation by Julie Goell
Know what day it is today?
It's Binyumele's Bar Mitzva
Friends and family gather here
For the great celebration.
Chorus:
What a fine, healthy lad,
This Bar Mitzva boy
He'll grow up to be
a good Jew someday.
Pride is welling up
In Mom and Dad
He'll grow up to be
A sage, who knows?
Let's sing as we go
Hurry, dont be late.
Singing is a must,
Sing the time away.
So let's all be joyous
on Binyumele's Bar Mitzva,
Eat and drink a glass of wine
It's truly is a Mitzva.
Los Blbilicos, Traditional
I combined my favorite Ladino lyrics from Spanish, Greek and Turkish versions.
La rosa enflorese
En el mez de Mar. X2
Mi alma se skurese
sufiendo del amor. X2
Los bilbilicos cantan
Con sospiro de aver. X2
Mi alma y mi ventura
Estan en tu poder. X2
Mas presto ven paloma
mas presto ven ami. X2
Mas presto tu mi alma
Ke yo me va murir. X2
Translation by Julie Goell
The roses bloom
in the month of March.
My soul darkens
Suffering of love.
The nightingales sing
With a breath of wind.
My soul and destiny
Are in your power.
Hurry my dove
Hurry back to me.
Hurry back, my soul
For I am nearly dying.
Shpil, Klezmer, Shpil
Yiddish text:
Shpil zhe mir a lidele in yidish,
dervekn zol es freyd un nit keyn khidesh.
Az ale groys un kleyn, zoln kenen dos farshteyn.
Fun moyl tsu moyl dos lidele zol geyn.
A lidele on ziftsn un on trern,
shpil azoy az ale zoln hern.
Az ale zoln zen, ikh leb un zingen ken,
sheyner nokh un beser vi geven, oy, oy, oy
CHORUS:
Shpil, shpil, klezmer, shpil,
veyst dokh vos ikh meyn un vos ikh vil.
Shpil, shpil, shpil a lidele far mir,
shpil a lidele mit harts un mit gefil.
CHORUS
Shpil zhe mir a lidle fun sholem.
Zol shoyn zayn a sholem, nit keyn kholem.
Az felker groys un kleyn, zoln kenen dos farshteyn.
On krign un milkhomes zikh bageyn, oy, oy, oy
CHORUS
English:
Play for me a little song in Yiddish,
May it wake joy and not surprises.
So everyone, old and young can understand it.
From mouth to mouth the little song will go!
A song without sighs and without tears.
Play the way that all can hear.
So all can see, I'm alive, and can sing
More beautifully even, and better than before.
CHORUS:
Oy, oy, oy, Play, play, Klezmer (musician) Play,
You know what I think of, and what I want.
Play, play, play a little song for me.
Play a little song with heart and with feeling.
Play for me a tune about refugees.
From a people widely scattered and spread.
So children large and small will be able to understand
And even do a little dance.
Play for me a song of peace.
Let there be peace already, not just a dream.
So nations great and small can understand it.
Without battles and without wars they will engage.
ROUMANIA, ROUMANIA -Aaron Lebedeff
Ech! - Roumania, Roumania, Roumania, etc.
Geven amol, a land a zise, a sheyne.
Ech! - Roumania, Roumania, Roumania, etc,
Geven amol, a land a zise, a fayne.
Dort tsu voynen iz a fargenign,
vos dos harts glust dir vost kenstu krign:
a mameligele, a pastramele, a karnatsele, - un a gleyzele vayn, aha!
In Roumania iz dokh gut, fun keyn dayges veyst men nit,
Vayn trinkt men iberal, Me farbayst mit a kashtaval -
Hay digge digge dam - digge digge digge dam
Hay digge digge dam - digge digge dam.
In Roumania iz dokh gut, fun keyn zorgn veyst men nit,
vayn trinkt men iberal, me farbayst a kastrovet -
Hay digge digge dam - digge digge digge dam
Hay digge digge dam - digge digge dam.
Oy vey g'vald ikh ver meshige, Ikh lib nor brinze, mamelige,
Ikh tants un frey zich biz der stelye ven ikh es a pat-lo-zhe-le,
Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam - Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam -
Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam - Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam -
Ay, s'iz a mekhaye, beser ken nit zayn,
Ay, a fargenign iz nor rumeynish vayn.
Yokum purkon min sh'maye - - shteyt un kusht di kechene, Chaye
ongeton in alte shkrabes - - macht a kugel likoved shabes,
Zets! Tai didl di dam,- zets! tai didl di dam, - zets! tai didl di dam,
Ay, s'iz a mekhaye, beser ken nit zayn,
Ay, a fargenign iz nor rumeynish vayn.
TRANSLATION:
Oh! Roumania, Roumania, etc.
Once there was a land, sweet and lovely.
Oh! Roumania, Roumania, etc.
Once there was a land, sweet and fine.
To live there is a pleasure,
What your heart desires you can get
A mamalige (polenta), a pastrami, a karnatzl (meats),
And a glass of wine, aha!
In Roumania life is so good, No one knows any cares.
Everwhere they are drinking wine, And having a bite of kashtaval (also meat).
Hay digge digge dam - digge digge digge dam
Hay digge digge dam - digge digge dam.
In Roumania life is so good, No one needs to worry.
They drink wine, though it is late, And have a bite of kastrovet (more meat).
Hay digge digge dam - digge digge digge dam
Hay digge digge dam - digge digge dam.
Oy, vey, help, I'm going crazy!
I care only for brinze and mamalige
I dance and jump to the stars
When I eat Patlozhele,
Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam - Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam -
Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam - Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam -
Roumanians drink wine and eat mamalige,
And whoever kisses his own wife Is the one who's crazy!
Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam - Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam -
Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam - Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam -
"May salvation come from heaven..."
Stop and kiss the cook, Chaye,
Dressed in rags and tatters,
She makes a pudding for the Sabbath,
Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam - Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam -
Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam - Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam -
What a pleasure, what could be better!
Oh, the only delight is Roumanian wine!!