Poet: A. Lutzky [Aaron Tsuker] (1894–1957)
Once there was a Jew called Yidl,
Yidl the Jew played the fiddle.
The poor Yidl fiddles a song,
As only Yidl can.
Ay-day-day...
His wife pleads with him:
“Yidl, my love,
Fiddle your song with thread and needle.
We need sustenance; what good is your song?
Become a tailor, be a good Jew.”
The little Jew sings with his heart on the fiddle:
“Life is bitter and the song is sweet.”
His wife then says to him:
“You incorrigible Jew, Yidl!
Your fiddling is as useless as a shovel made of matza.
I’m talking about practical matters—think about it, Yidl;
A Jew with a song is like a wind in the desert.”
The Jew fiddles his song on the fiddle:
“Of all the things one could do with himself, I like music.”
His wife rages:
“Yidl, you Jew!
Your wife wails and you sing a song!”
The Jew cried and pleaded with his fiddle:
“I can’t help myself, my life is the fiddle!”
So the battle over the song goes on:
The wife pleads; the little Jew plays a Jewish song.
He fiddles and sings, the Jew with the fiddle.
And the more the Jew plays, the prettier the song.
Ay-day-day...
Poet: A. Lutzky [Aaron Tsuker] (1894–1957)
amol hot a yidl geheysn yidl,
hot yidl dos yidl geshpilt af a fidl.
fidlt a lidl dos orime yidl,
vos er aleyn yidl bazingt in a lidl.
ay-day-day ...
bet im zayn vaybele:
libinker yidl,
fidl dos lidl mit fodim un nidl.
mir darfn parnose, vos toyg mir dayn lidl.
ver mir a shnayderl, zay a gut yidl.
lidl dos yidl mit harts afn fidl;
dos lebn iz biter, un zis iz dos lidl.
zogt im zayn vaybele:
shlekhtinker yidl,
fidl dayn lidl a matse mit ridl.
ikh red tsu dir takhles, barekhn zikh, yidl;
a vint in der midbor a yidl mit lidl.
fidlt der yidl zayn lid afn fidl:
fun ale parnoses gefelt mir dos lidl.
tsornt zayn vaybele:
yidl, du yidl!
dayn vaybele yomert un du zingst a lidl!
veyndl un kheyndl der yid afn fidl:
ikh ken mir nit helfn mayn lebn iz fidl!
azoy vet dos lidl
shoyn blaybn derziglt:
dos vaybele taynet, dos yidele yidlt,
fidlt un lidlt, der yid mitn fidl
un merer se yidlt alts shener dos lidl.
ay-day-day..
