Yiddish Lyrics

1.
Ikh dermon zikh in dem fraytik oyfdernakht -
Oy, vos far ashires!
Der tate mit di kinder zalbe akht
Flegn zingen zmires
Flegt der tate zikh avekzetsn
Tsubomken mit a lefele,
Un gebn mitn fingerl a knak
Flegt di bobe mitn goyderl
Shoklen mitn kepele
Oy vey, vi geshmak, oy-vey vi geshmak
Ya-de-dam...

2.
S'iz shabes haynt, in kheyder geyt men nit -
Oy, a fargenign!
Der tate geyt fun davnen trit bay trit
Un murmlt shtil a nign
Flegt der tate zikh avekzetsn farhern mikh gemoreh
Un gebn mir a knipele a bak:
-Oy, es vakst a talmid-khokhem -
Flegt er zogn - keyn ayn-hore! -
Oy vey, vi geshmak, Oy vey, vi geshmak

3.
Ikh dermon zikh in dem shabes oyfdernakht
Flegn mir zikh in di vinkelekh farrukn
Di mame shteyt baym fentsterl fartrakht
Di bobe tut in tsene-urene kukn.
Flegt di bobe undz dertseyln
A mayse mit dray pritsimlekh
Vos blondzhen in der fintster mit a hak
Flegn kinderlekh bagisn zikh
Mit trerelekh vi perelekh
Oy vey, vi geshmak, Oy vey, vi geshmak

Translation

With what delight I recall our Friday nights
When father and mother and children
Sat arond the table singing Sabbath songs
how my father would beat time with a spoon
And my grannie would sway her head
To the rhythm of the songs
How truly sweet are the memories of those wonderful Sabbath
days
My father would ask me to repeat
The Talmud I had learned the previous week
And would burn with pride
At the knowledge I displayed