Yiddish Lyrics

A yor nokh mayn khassene, zet vi ikh sey oyz.
Taynet a yung vaybele un khlipet shtark.
Oy mayne libe shvesterlakh,
dem sof zog ikh aykh oyz.
Az a man iz nor a tsore af dayne kark.
Geven bin ikh a meydele,
freylekh luztik lebedik.
Geshtift mit yunge laytelekh hob ikh dan.
Haynt bin ikh a yidene, blaz un more-skhoyredik,
alez vayl ikh hob gevolt a man.

Koym zog ikh im on mir zolztu nisht geyn.
Zogt er mir tsu shrayen oyf der tseyn.
Er zogt a froy iz nur bashafn tsum kokh un tsum bakn,
un tsu zayn a virtn in der shtub in der shtub.

Bashert fun g4t a tsibele, azoy groys vi a tsibele.
Fun dem nefeshl hob ikh gor dem toyt.
A nizele, a histele, aveytik tsu mayn briztele,
bezer iz tsu blaybn a moyd.

<em>Here's another version:</em>

A yor ersht nokh mayn khasene
Un zet vi kuk ikh oys,
Taynet a yung vaybele un khlipet shtark.
Oy gute, libe shvesterlakh,
Dem sod zog ikh aykh oys,
Az a man iz nor a tsore oyfn kark.
Geven bin ikh a meydele,
A freylekhe, gor moyredik,
Geshtift mit yunge laytelekh hob ikh dan,
Haynt bin ikh a yidene,
Shvakh un more-shkhoyredik,
Un ales vayl ikh hob gevolt a man.

Er darf a lebn makhn bloyz,
Un ikh, oy, vos bin ikh nit in hoyz?
Oy, a vayb un a damele,
A dinst un oykh a mamele,
Ales, ales kumt dokh on mit shverer noyt,
Oy, es iz keyn kleynikeyt,
Ikh shver aykh bay a reynikeyt,
Az beser iz tsu blaybn gor a moyd.

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Vu zenen mayne glikn,
Vos ikh hob mikh geyogt?
Getroymt fun "nokh der khasene,"
Gehoft oyf glik!
A man hob ikh gekrogn
Oyf sonim nor gezogt,
A shod vos khapn ken ikh nit tsurik!
Gemeynt hob ikh avade
Lib hot mikh mayn tayerer,
Ikh hob dokh im azoy fil mi gekost,
Kh'vel lebn nokh der khasene gliklekher, frayerer,
Tsum sof hot zikh a boydem oysgelozt!

Nokh eyder kh'hob mikh arumgezen,
Ikh ken dokh shoyn mer in gas nit geyn!
Bashert fun G-t a zibele,
A kind groys vi a tsibele,
Fun dem kleynem nefeshl hob ikh dem toyt,
A katerl, a hustele,
Es veynt un tsit dos brustele,
Az liber iz tsu blaybn gor a moyd!

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Der man kumt zikh tsum greytn,
Vos veys er vi ikh layd,
Er est zikh op di vetshere
Un dreyt zikh oys,
Ikh dertseyl im mayne tsores,
Nor khotsh mit meser shnayd,
Dos kind vil er nit nemen oyfn shoys!
Geyt shtendik in teater
Un nemt a "sit" a tayern,
Dokh mikh mit zikh mitnemen vil er nish'
Kh'bin, zogt er, nor bashafn
Tsum vashn un tsum shayern,
Tsum kokhn un derlangen alts tsum tish.

Koym shray ikh, er zol on mir nit geyn,
Nu, heyst er mir shrayen oyf der tseyn.
Er khapt zayn hut, zayn shtekele,
Un lozt mikh mit dem brekele,
Ikh zing a troyer nigele fun heler hoyt.
Es veynt un shrayt dos pitsele,
Do helft keyn vort, keyn shmitsele,
Oy, liber iz tsu blaybn gor a moyd!

Translation

English translation:
It's just a year after my wedding and see how I look!
complains a young wife, sobbing loudly -- O good and dear
sisters of mine, I'll tell you the secret: A man is just a
pain in the neck. I was once a happy girl, lively and
flamboyant, I flirted with the young men then. Today I am
an old married wife and quite depressed, and all because I
wanted a husband.

He only has to make a living. And I, what don't I do in the
house? A wife and a lady, a servant and also a mother.
Everything is so hard for me. It's not just a little thing,
I swear it by the Holy Book. Better to have stayed
unmarried.

Where are my joys? Why did I rush into it so fast? I
dreamed of the time after the wedding and hoped for joy.
The husband I got I wouldn't wish on my enemies. Too bad I
can't go back into the past! I thought that surely my dear
one loved me well. After all, I cost him so much effort,
that after the wedding I'd live more freely and happily.
But all my hopes come to naught.

Before I even looked around, I could no longer go outside
the house. God soon gave me a little one, a baby as big as
an onion. The little creature is the death of me. A cold, a
cough, he cries and tugs my breast. It's far better to stay
a single girl! My husband comes home when the meal's all
prepared. What does he know of how I suffer? He eats his
supper and turns away. I tell him my troubles but it's like
talking to the wall. He won't take the baby onto his lap.

He always goes to the theater and buys an expensive ticket.
But he doesn't want to take me too, oh no! I was, he says,
created just for washing and scouring, for cooking and
serving things to the table. If I start to yell: Don't go
without me! he tells me to yell all I want -- he won't pay
any attention. He grabs his hat and walking cane and leaves
me with the infant. I sing a sad tune from the bottom of my
heart. The little one cries and screams. Neither words nor
spanking helps. Oh! Better to stay a single girl!

German Translation:

Ein Jahr nach meiner Hochzeit, seht wie ich seh aus.
Beschwerte sich eine junge Frau und schluchzte stark.
Oh meine liebe Schwestern, am Ende sag ich Euch,
dass ein Mann ist nur das Ungl|ck deiner Armut.
Gewesen bin ich ein Mddchen, frvhlich, lustig, lebendig,
Ausgegangen mit jungen Leuten bin ich.
Heut bin ich eine Frau, blass und erschrocken,
alles, weil ich einen Mann gewollt hatte.

Kaum sag ich ihm, ohne mich sollst Du nicht gehen,
sagt er mir ich w|rde nur schreien.
Er sagt eine Frau ist nur geschaffen, zum Kochen und
Zum Backen, und um eine Wirtin in der Stube zu sein.
Bestimmt von G4tt nichts wert zu sein, so gro_ wie eine
Zwiebel. Von der Seele hab ich gar nur den Tod.
Ein Nieserchen, ein H|sterchen aus meiner Brust,
besser ist zu bleiben eine Jungfrau.