Yiddish Lyrics

1.
O ir kleyne likhtelekh
Ir der tzelt geshikhtelekh
Mayses on a tzol
Ir der tzeylt fun blutikayt
Ber eshaft fun mutikayt
Vunder fun a mol.

2.
Ven ikh zey aikh shminklendik
Kumt a kholem finklendik
Ret on alter troym
Id, du host gekrikht a mol
Id, du host gezekht a mol
Hot dos gloybt zikh koykl

3.
S'iz bay dir a tolp geven
Bist a mol a folk geven
Ost a mol regirt
Ost a mol a landreat
Ost a mol a hant gehat
Okh, vet ir dos rirt.

4.
O, ir kleyne likhtelekh
A ire geshikhtelekh vekn oyf mayn payn
Tif in hartz bavektezikh
Un mit trern frektezikh
Vos vet itzter zayn

Translation

Oh little candles,
you have tales to tell,
countless stories.
You tell of bloodshed,
and of courageous feats,
miracles of yore.

When I see you twinkling,
a vision presents itself,
the voice of an old dream
speaks:
Jew, once you made war,
Jew, once you were
victorious,
God, 'tis hard to believe.

Oh little candles,
your old stories
awaken my anguish;
deep in my heart there
stirs
a tearful question:
What will be next?