Di Grine Kuzine

Schwartz, Abe

Leyzerovits, Yakov (1893-1965)

Yiddish Lyrics

1.
Tzu mir is gekumen a kuzine
Shein vi gold iz zi geven, di grine.
Bekelach vi roite pomerantzn,
Fiselach vos betn zich tzum tantzn

2.
Herelech vi zaidn-veb gelokte
Tzeindelech, vi perelech getokte
Oigelech vi himl-bloi in friling
Lipelech vi karshelech a tzviling

3.
Nisht gegangen is zi, nor geshprungen,
Nisht geredt hot zi nor gezungen
Lebedik un freilech yede mine
Ot aza geven is main kuzine!

4.
Un azoi ariber zainen yorn
Fun main kuzine is a tel gevorn
Peydes (Hasonim) hot zi vochnlang geklibn
Biz fun ir iz gornisht nit geblibn

5.
Haint az ich bagegn main kuzine
Un ich freg ir: "s'machstu epes, grine?"
Ziftzt zi op, un ch'leien in ir mine:
"Brenen zol Colombus'es medine!"

an alternative verse:
A "boy" hot ir oyse gefunen
Un hot ba ir di peyde tsugenumen
Af yedn "street" flegt er zi vatchen
Yeder nakht flegt er zi patchen.

Translation

1.
My green cousin came to me.
She is my pretty green cousin,
With cheeks like red oranges
And her little feet just begging for a dance

2.
Her curly hair was like silk,her white teeth - like
pearls,
her eyes - like the blue skies, and her lips - like
cherries
in the summer.

3.
What a beauty my cousin used to be.
Many years passed.
Her judgment of young men was too strict
And she remained single

4.
Today, I meet my cousin and ask her,
"How are you doing, my green cousin?"
She only sighs, and replies,
"Let this Columbus's land burn!"

I'VE ADDED A FEW VERSES FROM THE VERSION I WAS TAUGHT, MANY DECADES AGO. MY EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS ARE DENOTED BY THE SYMBOL ** ----- ** The same modifications could (should?) be applied to the other two versions in your remarkable Zemerl catalogue. Sholom Pearlman ShoPea@msn,com 9/20/02 1. My cousin came to me, she was as beautiful as gold, the greenhorn. Wi

Media

Added February 5th, 2020