Fisher Lid (Fisherman's Song)

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traditional Hassidic tune Ve-eyneynu

Aliza Greenblatt

Yiddish Lyrics

1.
fort a fisher afn yam
er fort aroys baginen
es hoft der fisher, minestam
fishelekh gefinen

2.
murmlen khvalyes shtil far zikh,
der yam iz a batribter,
tsi iz der yam azoy vi ikh,
oykhet a farlibter?

3.
gey ikh mir baym breg ot do
un tu mayn kholem shpinen
efsher vel ikh ergets vu
mayn libstn nokh gefinen

4.
kumt der fisher troyerik
er hot keyn fish gefangen
un ikh bin moyre-shkhoyre|dik,
a kholem iz fargangen

Translation

1.
A fisherman sets out to sea
Just as the day is breaking
Hoping, not surprisingly
To find fish for the taking

2.
Waves murmur softly, each to each,
There's sadness in the sea,
Is that water by the beach
As deep in love as me?

3.
Here I walk along the shore
And let my dreams be spun
Maybe somewhere yet I'll find
My true beloved one

4.
The fisherman comes back, he's sad
He hasn't caught a fish
I'm melancholy, feeling bad,
My dream's a dying wish

Fisherlid was written to a traditional Hasidic tune "Ve-eyneynu tireno" by prolific American Yiddish poet and songwriter Aliza Greenblatt, who was also the mother-in-law of Woody Guthrie. (from liner notes to In the Fiddler's House, clip here by Klezmatics from that CD.

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Added October 1st, 1999