Lullaby

Lullaby

(Yiddish)

(English)

Shlof zhe mir shoyn, yankele, mayn sheyner,
Di eygelekh, di shvartsinke makh tsu,
A yingele vos hot shoyn ale tseyndelekh,
Muz nokh di mame zingen ay-lyu-lyu?
A yingele vos hot shoyn ale tseyndelekh,
Muz nokh di mame zingen ay-lyu-lyu?

A yingele, vos hot shoyn ale tseyndelekh,
Un vert mit mazl bald in kheyder geyn,
Un lernen vet er khumesh un gemoro,
Un veynen ven di mame vigt im ayn?
Un lernen vet er khumesh un gemoro,
Un veynen ven di mame vigt im ayn?

A yingele, vos lernen vet gemoro,
Ot shteyt der tate, kvelt un hert zikh tsu,
A yingele vos vakst talmid khokhem
Lozt gantse nekht der mamen nisht tsuru?
A yingele vos vakst talmid khokhem
Lozt gantse nekht der mamen nisht tsuru?

A yingele, vos vakst a talmid khokhem,
Un a geniter sokher oykh tsuglaykh,
A yingele, a kluger khosen bokhur,
Zol lign azoy nas vi in a taykh'?
A yingele, a kluger khosen bokhur,
Zol lign azoy nas vi in a taykh'?

Nu shlof-zhe mir, mayn kluger khosen bokhur,
Dervayl ligstu in vigele bai mir.
S'vet kostn nokh fil mi un mames trern
Bizvanen s'vet a mentsh aroys fun dir.
S'vet kostn nokh fil mi un mames trern
Bizvanen s'vet a mentsh aroys fun dir.

Sleep already, Yankele*, my beautiful
Close your little dark eyes
A boy who already has all his teeth,
Should mom still sing him ay-lyu-lyu**,
A boy who already has all his teeth,
Should mom still sing him ay-lyu-lyu?

A boy, who already has all his teeth
And with luck, will soon go to school,
And will learn the Torah and the Talmud,
Should he cry when mom rocks him,
And will learn the Torah and the Talmud,
Should he cry when mom rocks him?

A boy, who will study the Talmud,
His father stands there delighted and listening,
A boy who grows up to be a wise student,
Shouldn't he leave his mom alone all night long,
A boy who grows up to be a wise student,
Shouldn't he leave his mom alone all night long?

A boy who grows up to be a wise student,
And also a skilled businessman,
A boy, a wise marriageable lad,
Should lie as wet as in a river,
A boy, a wise marriageable lad,
Should lie as wet as in a river?

Well, sleep, my clever bridegroom,
Now you're lying in the cradle with me.
It will cost much effort and many of mom's tears
Before you become a man,
It will cost much effort and many of mom's tears
Before you become a man.