DER YIDDISH-VINKL December 26, 2003
Al Grand is not unknown to readers of Der Vinkl. On numerous occasions, we have carried his Yiddish translations of the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, aka the Savoyards. Recently, he sent us the following fascinating story about a Bing Crosby conference he attended last year.
“Panelist Irving Saposnik,” he wrote, “read a paper titled ‘A Jewish Christmas With Bing Crosby and Irving Berlin.’ Linda Emmett, daughter of Irving Berlin, was one of the discussants. Following the lively discussion, I asked Mrs. Emmett how deeply her father was involved with Yiddish. She said that Berlin was quite fluent in Yiddish and that she clearly remembers that, as a child, she would hear him hold full conversations in Yiddish with relatives…. Assuming that Berlin may have known that Isaac Bashevis Singer grew up in the Polish shtetl of Bilgorey, I was impelled to write a Yiddish version of ‘White Christmas.’ as I imagine Berlin himself may have written it. Here then is Berlin’s original lyric followed by my Yiddish version.”
I’m dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the one I used to know.
Where the treetops glisten
And children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow.
I’m dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write.
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white
Ikh kholem fun a vaysn yontef
Punkt vi in shtetl Bilgorey
Vu di beymer blishtshen
Un kinder kvitshen
Ven zey hulyen inem shney.
Ikh kholem fun a vaysn yontef
Ven ikh gedenk fun langer tzayt
Zol zayn simkhes un gute nayes
Un zol yontef brengen shneyen vays.
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