Hob Ikh mir a mantl (I had a little coat)

Traditional

None Provided

Yiddish Lyrics

Hob ikh mir a mantl fun fartsaytikn shtof
Tra la la la
Hot es nit in zikh kay gantsenem shtokh
Tra la la la
Darum, hob ikh zikh fartrakht
Un fun dem mantl a rekl gemakht
Tra la la

Translation

I had a little 1) mantl
2) vest
3) coat
4) hat
5) pocket
6) button

that I made long ago
It had so many patches there was no place to sew,

Then I thought and I prayed
And from that 1) coat a little jacket I made
2) jacket a little vest I made
3) vest
4) hat
5) pocket
6) button nothing could be made

7.
Now I had a little nothing that I made long ago
It hasn't any patches, there is nothing to sew
From that nothing this little song I made

The clip featured here is from the CD "Zing with Cindy" I teach in a day school and of course, the new book based on this song won the caldecott.Joseph had an overcoat It's a wonderful book and a great song. One of the parents in the school had an old recording of the song- and low and behold, one item is missing from your version, and from the book- the order is coat, jacket, vest, yarmulke!!!!, tie, button. Seems the song is more Jewish in it's original form.

Media

Added September 16th, 1999