Yiddish Folk Songs with Their Original Airs

Yehudah Leib Cahan

1912

III.

Unfaithful and Unrequited Love [ . . . ]

22 (Galați, Romania)

She: I can’t hide it anymore

I’ll reveal my bitter, heavy heart

I can’t even wait till tomorrow

Because oh does it smart!

He: The pain of your heart

Doesn’t affect me as it used to

You shouldn’t even wish to miss me

Because I’ve found someone prettier than you!

She: You shouldn’t think that you’ll wean me

And marry another girl fancy free

You should get smarter and come back

We’ll love like new, you and me.

He: On your life, you mustn’t believe

That I’d still want to be your portrait.

When I think about it, it gives me the heaves

That you were the one I spoke with.

She: Consider my state, my bitter suffering

Since you’ve left me

Whenever I think about you, I’m crying

So much, I can’t even see.

He: I can’t even understand you

Since you’re crying so much.

You just want to get married

To me and no one else!

She: My tears are ink

And the writing paper is my hand.

The pens are my fingers

Writing a letter—you’ll understand.

He: C’mon. Your letters aren’t thoughtful, just bitter.

They’re nothing to me. That’s right.

If you keep on sending them, I won’t read them. No matter.

I swear it! This starts tonight. [ . . . ]

30 (Pereyaslav, Poltava Province)¹

Brayne, oh no.

I’ve got a bone to pick with you.

Let’s go to the tea house.

Wear your red dress.

She thinks she’s hot stuff

When she comes to the tea house

When she sees a new lover

She pushes me out.

So long I’m lovesick.

So long I’ve loved her.

I’ll find a new love quick.

She comes to my house now.

I have a new love

I’m happy and lucky!

When she goes walking with me

She brings me back home.

IV.

Forgiveness [ . . . ]

3 (Kiev Province)

I once had a reputation

As an honest girl—

That was more valuable to me than gold.

But now a lying boy

Is badmouthing me.

Perhaps this is all God’s will.

I’m jealous of each and every one

Who has never heard the word Love.

It slaughters a world of young children.

Oh, Love is no good! [ . . . ]

8 (Warsaw)

Daughter, why are you suffering so,

Your head bent down like that?

My daughter, who has bothered you?

You’ve lost so much weight.

Let’s go to the doctor together

And ask him what the problem is.

He’ll write you a prescription—

Don’t let me live like this any longer!

No doctor can cure me.

There’s no treatment he might have.

Mother, I’ll tell you now, see.

I’ll tell you what’s going on.

I fell in love with a murderer.

The murderer stole my courage away.

He promised to be my chosen one.

Oh, it’s no good!

He grabbed me by the hand, is all.

He kissed my very footsteps.

But now I’m behind an iron wall.

Oh, it’s no good!

The wells opened up,

My eyes were swollen with blood.

He put on a mask to disguise himself.

Oh, it’s no good!

Translated by Zackary Sholem Berger.

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Notes

[Sholem Aleichem was born in Pereyaslav in 1859.—Eds.]

Credits

Y. L. Cahan, introduction to Yudishe folkslider mit melodien oys dem folks-moyl gezamelt (Yiddish Folksongs with Their Original Airs, Collected from Oral Traditions), vol. 1 (New York: Yiddish Literary Publishing Co., 1920), pp. v–vii, xxv. Originally published in 1912.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 7.