DER YIDDISH-VINKL October 15, 2004
Mothers-in-law have for ages been a matter of concern to folk who are marrying off a daughter. Will the mekhuteneste move in and try to dictate the behavior of her daughter-in-law? Apparently, this is not uncommon. Rarely, however, has anyone tried to write a song depicting the troublesome relationship between a bride’s parents and her in-laws. But there is a folk song entitled “Mekhuteneste Mayne” in Eleanor Gordon Mlotek’s compendium, “Mir Trogn a Gezang,” that ventures to mention the unmentionable.
Here is a transliteration of the poem in Yiddish, followed by an English version by Gus Tyler.
Mekhuteneste Mayne
Mekhuteneste mayne, mekhuteneste getraye
Oy, lomir zayn oyf eybik mekhutonim.
Ikh gib aykh haynt avek mayn tokhter far a shnur
Zi zol bay aykh nit onvern dos ponim.
Mekhuteneste mayne, mekhuteneste getraye
Mayn kind zolt ir in der fri nit vekn.
Un tomer vet ir zen an avle oyf mayn kind
Vi an eygene mame zolt ir dos fardekn.
Mekhuteneste mayne, mekhuteneste getraye
Oyf kinder hobn tut men blut fargisn.
Un tomer vet ir zen az der zun hot lib di shnur
Zol es aykh kholile nit fardrisn.
Mekhuteneste mayne, mekhuteneste getraye
Mayn tokhter fort tsu aykh in a parikl.
Un tomer vet ir zayn a shlak, a beyze shviger
Iz mayne tokhter oykhet an antikl!
My Dear In-law
Oh, dear in-law of mine, my in-law ever true
Oh, may we be forever friendly, I and you.
I give you now my daughter to become a daughter-in-law
May she grace your family forevermore.
Oh dear in-law of mine, my in-law ever true
Don’t wake my daughter early, for she’ll sure be hating you.
And should you find some fault within my lovely child
Treat her like her mother then, with words both sweet and mild.
Oh, dear in-law of mine, my in-law ever true
To raise a child is tough and can bring much pain to you.
And if you find your son really does love his wife
Oh, please don’t let this fact bring on an endless strife.
Oh, dear in-law of mine, my in-law ever true
My daughter wears a wig when she does come to you.
And should you be with her a vicious mean old shrew
She’ll beat you back with horrors that you never, ever knew.
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