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Ikh un di velt 01:50
 

Liner Notes

Ikh un di velt (The World and I), to a poem by Avraham Reisen, places the speaker at one with a suffering world. Neither he nor the entire world can help each other; neither has happiness to offer: “as we both suffer, the world has nowhere to come; and I have nowhere to go.”


 

Lyrics

Poem: Avraham Reisin
Sung in Yiddish

Were the entire world to suffer,
And were only I well,
I would then invite the entire world to my home.

I would comfort her and caress her, 
And say, "World, do not worry,"
Until she would find herself,
And stand on her own again.

Were the world happy,
And I alone laden with sorrow,
Then I would go over to her
And demand, "Give me happiness!"

But as we both suffer,
Both the world and myself,
The world has nowhere to come,
And I have nowhere to go...

Poem: Avraham Reisin

ven di gantse velt volt laydn,
mir aleyn zol gut zayn bloyz:
volt ikh dan di velt di gantse
ayngeladn in mayn hoyz.

ikh volt treystn zi un tsertlen
un gezogt: "nit zorg zikh velt."
biz zi volt tsu zikh gekumen
un zikh af di fis geshtelt.

ven di velt geven volt gliklekh,
ikh aleyn bloyz ful mit leyd,
volt ikh dan tsu ir gekumen
un gefodert: "gib mir freyd!"

ober az mir beyde laydn
say di velt, say ikh aleyn,—
hot di velt nit vu tsu kumen
un ikh hob nit vu tsu geyn...


 

Credits

Composer: Maurice Rauch

Length: 01:50
Genre: Art Song

Performers: Re'ut Ben-Ze'ev, Soprano;  John Musto, Piano

Date Recorded: 12/01/2001
Venue: Lefrak Concert Hall/Colden Center for the Arts (D), Flushing, New York
Engineer: Lazarus, Tom
Assistant Engineer: Frost, David
Project Manager: Schwendener, Paul

Additional Credits:

Translation: Eliyahu Mishulovin

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