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Translated Songs
Vaudeville
Work
Yiddish Theater
Original language
Title
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Lyricist
Original lyrics
1. Iz geven amol a pastechl, a pastechl Iz im farlorn gegangen zayn eyneyntzik shefele Geyt er, zet er a fur mit shteyndelekh, mit shteyndelekh, Hot er gemeynt az dos iz fun zayn shefele di beyndelekh Zogt er: "Adoni, Adoni, Adoni! Chi ne bachiv ti, chi ne vidziel ti moyey ovtsi?" (this line is in Ukranian) -Makht er: "Nyet!" Refrain Bida, bida, ovtsi nishtu, A yak zhe ya domoy pridu? 2. Geyt er, zet er a fur mit dernerlekh, mit dernerlekh, Hot er gemeynt az dos iz fun zayn shefel di hernerlekh Zogt er: Adoni... (etc.) 3. Gey er, zet er a fur mit niselekh, mit niselekh. Hot er gemeynt, az dos iz fun zayn shefele di fiselekh. Zogt er: "Adoni..." (etc)
Translated lyrics
A Shepherd 1. He saw some pebbles on a cart, some small stones, and he thought they were his ewe's little bones. Said he, "Oh God, have you seen my ewe?" And he replied, "No"; Refrain Oh bad luck, oh grief, how shall I go home now? He walked on and saw a cartful of sprigs, of small twigs, and he thought them to be his ewe's little horns. He walked on and saw a cartful of nuts, and he thought them to e his ewe's little limbs. Said he, "Oh God, have you seen my ewe?" And he replied, "No."
Notes
My thanks to Inna Barmash for directing me to the words of what was a long-lost song. My father, born in Lodz, Poland, in 1906, migrated to Australia in 1938. He had a wonderful tenor voice and was always singing ( when not attending meetings and other political commitments!). This was one of the songs he sang, but I don't remember him singing more than the first verse and the chorus. As I recall, his version of the refrain was re-worded (he often did this) into a mixture of Polish, singing language and Yiddish: thus 'Bida, bidu, as is nisht du/ Yakzhe ya a do-o-mu. (I think domu or something like it means 'home' in Polish.) I wish i could hear him sing it again... Many thanks, June Factor
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