Simchas toyre
Mark Warshawsky
Mark Warsharsky
Yiddish Lyrics
Kinder mir hobn simchas toyre
Simchas toyre oyf der gantzer velt
Toyre is di beste shkoyre
Azoy hot der rebbe mit undz geknelt
Oy, oy, oy oy oy
Freilach kinder ot azoy!
Rendlech faln fun ale zek,
Freilach on an ek.
Khtosh ikh bin an orem yidl
Un es dart mir gut der moyekh
Simkhes-toyre, zing ikh a lidl
Un makh a gute koyse oykh
Dvoyre, gib mir di naye kapote
Ikh vel zi onton take atsind.
Ikh vil dir zogn: altsding iz blote
Abi m'iz borekh-hashem, gezint.
Dvoyre, gib-zhe nokh a glezl
Fun dem yontevdikn vayn.
Vos hostu aropgelozt dos nezl?
A ruekh in mayne sonims tatn arayn!
Oy vey, Dvoyre vos hostu moyre? -
Kh'bin a bisl freylekh kh'kon nit shteyn? -
Dvoyre-lebn, um simkhes-toyre
Ver iz nit freylekh zog aleyn!
Tsi es dreyen zikh mit mir di gasn?
Tsi es dreyt zikh mit mir di shtib?
Dvoyre, ot hostu beemes genosn -
Lebn, zolstu, dos lebn is lib!
Simkhes-toyre - fun got a matone -
Zol undz tomid heylik zayn!
Afile di shtern mit der levone
Zenen gegangen trinken vayn ...
Translation
Children, we have now simchas torah
It's simchas torah all over the world
Torah is the best treasure
--At least that's what the rabbi says.
Oy, oy, oy oy oy
Be happy children, that's the way
Coins are coming from everywhere
Be happy, don't stop.
Although I'm just a poor little Jew,
Who's loaded down with cares,
On simkhes-toyre I sing a song -
And I take a drink or two
Dvoyre, get me my new kapote
I'm going to put it on right now
I want to tell you: nothing else matters
As long as you've got, thank God, your health.
Dvoyre, give me another glass
Of our special-occasion wine.
What are you so down in the mouth for?
Let all my enemies slide straight into hell!
Oy vey, Dvoyre, what are you afraid of?
That I'm a little happy, shaky on me feet?
Darling Dvoyre on simkhes-toyre
Who isn't happy, you tell me!
Is it the streets that are spinning with me?
Is it the house that's doing the same?
All right, Dvoyre, Now that you've had a few
God bless you, life is sweet.
Simkhes-toyre, a gift from God -
Let's always keep it holy.
Even the moon and the stars
Have gone off to drink some wine.
Like many of Warshawsky's songs, there's a bit of gentle kidding going on; the singer, a self-described poor little Jew who only wants to celebrate simchas torah with a little song and a little glass or two of wine gets progressively drunker as each stanza progresses. The Klezmatics have a wonderful version of this song, a portion of which is linked here. The usually non-vocal members of the group each sings a stanza, very possiby with the aid of the wine mentioned in the song.
Media
Added March 24th, 2000