Di Mizinke Oysgebebn (I Gave away My Youngest Daughter)

Warshavsky, Mark M. (1840-1907)

Warshavsky, Mark M. (1840-1907)

English Lyrics

Hekher besser,
Di rod, di rod makht gresser,
Groys hot mikh Got gemakht
Glik hot er mir gebrakht
Hulyet kinder a gantse nakht -
Di mezinke oysgegebn.


Shtarker, freylakh,
Du di malke, ikh der melekh
Ay ay ay, ikh aleyn
Hob mit mayne oygn gezeyn
Vi Got iz mir matsliah geven -
Di mezinke oysgegebn.


Itsik shpitsik
Vos shvaygstu mit'n shmitshik
Oyf di klezmer gib a geshrey
Tsu shpiln zey tsu shlofn zey
Raysst di strines ale oyf tsvey
Di mezinke oysgegebn.


Ayzik mazik,
Di bobe geyt a kazik
Ken eyn hore zeyt nor zeyt
Vi zi tupet vi zi treyt
Oy a simkhe, oy a freyd
Di mezinke oysgegebn.


Mottl Reb Shimen
Di oreme layt zenen ongekimen
Shtelt far zey dem shensten tish
Tayre vaynen, tayre fish
Kum mayn tochter gibzhe mir a kish
Di mezinke oysgegebn.

Translation

Dance higher, better,
Make larger the dance ring,
God has made me great,
Has brought me good fortune:
So rejoice children all night long.

I gave away my youngest daughter tonight...

With more might, joyful!
Tonight you are the queen and I the king,
Indeed I myself
Have seen with my own eyes,
How God has favored me.

I gave away my youngest daughter tonight...

Itsik, you lazy one,
Why are you so silent with your bow?
Yell at your musicians,
Are they playing or sleeping?!--
I want you to rip the strings apart!

I gave away my youngest daughter tonight...

Ayzik, you good-for-nothing,
Grandmother is getting up to dance,
Long may she live; Just look
How she hops and sets her feet,
O what joy, O what gladness--

I gave away my youngest daughter tonight...

Mottl Reb Shimen
The poor people have arrived
Set for them the most beautiful table
Expensive wines, expensive fish
Daughter, Give me a kiss!

I gave away my youngest daughter

Martha Schlamme had a wonderful version of this on record back in the 50's and 60's. Also many other traditional Yiddish songs. Is she still around? Unfortunately she died about 15 years ago. Vanguard Records (or whoever owns it now, in whatever incarnation) has just begun to reissue her material on CD and two are available (try CDNOW or amazon.com). WBAI Radio in New York produced an excellent documentary shortly after her death. Perhaps it still exists on tape in their archives?

Media

Added June 18th, 1999