DER YIDDISH-VINKL January 24, 2003
Poverty! How does one sing a lullaby to an infant born in poverty, living in poverty and growing up in poverty? The answer, according to some Yiddish lullabies, is to enlist the powers of love. One such fireside song at dusk is “In an Orem Shtibele,” a work popular during the 1930s with words by Moyshe Korman (1884-1928) and music by Michl Gelbart (1889-1966). The full text with music appears in “Pearls of Yiddish Poetry, a compilation by Eleanor and Joseph Mlotek. The English version is by Gus Tyler.
In an Orem Shtibele
In an orem shtibele
Ovnt-tsayt baym koymen;
Shpint a libe muter
Far dem kind irs troymen;
Zingt zi im a lidele,
Patsht er mit di hentlekh;
Zingt dos gantse shtibele,
Zingen mit di ventlekh.
REFRAIN
Patshe, patshe, kikhelekh,
Oytserl, mayn sheyner;
Tate’t koyfn shikhelekh
Zunele, mayn kleyner.
Tate’t koyfn sfikhelekh,
Mame’t shtrikn zeklekh;
Tate’t koyfn ferdelekh
Mame’t onton gleklekh.
Ot azoy in shtibele
Hersht i glik, i freydn,
Zayt bay zayt mit oremkayt
Voynt dort a gan-eydn.
Greser iz di libe dort,
Greser iber ales
Shtarker iz di libe dort
Shtarker fun dem dales.
In a Poor Little House
In a poor and tiny house
Evening at the fireside,
A mother spins her pretty dreams
It’s for her child, her love and pride.
She sings to him a little song
And he keeps time with clapping hand
The happy walls do sing along
Together they’re a happy band
REFRAIN
So clap your hands and fill the air
Mama knits you socks, a pair
Papa’ll buy you shoes most fair,
My lovely child, without compare.
Papa’ll buy you shoes so fair
Mama’ll knit you socks, a pair
Your dad will buy a horse most rare
And I’ll add bells to give them flair.
And so ’twill be in our small house
Though we’re as poor as starving mice
Side by side with poverty
We make our private paradise
Greater is the love we share
Greater than all else you see.
With love there’s nothing does compare
For love can conquer poverty.
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