Gefilte Fish (two songs)
See Lecture: "Ashkenazi Food"
There are two songs about "Gefilte Fish" [stuffed fish] - one by the American song-writer Isidor Lillian, and the other written in Russian for the TV show "Pesni Everyskogo Mestechka" [Songs from a Shtetl] and translated into Yiddish by Roman Grinberg.
(1) Gefilte Fish, by Isidor Lillian
| Zogt vos esn yidn mit groys kheyshek | Tell me what Jews eat and love |
| Bay yenem tsi boay zikh aleyn in shtub | At another's table, or at home. |
| Si'z pareve. Nit milkhiks un nit fleyshiks, | It's pareve, not milk, not meat, |
| Nor a maykhl vos a yeder yid hot lib. | The morsel that you just must eat. |
| Zogt vos iz a yeder froys ambitsye | Say what every housewife's dearest wish is, |
| Me hot es lib, me veyst take far vos, | You love it, and you know just why you do, |
| S'iz a yidish maykhl mit traditsiye | The Jewish food that has its own tradition, |
| Un yedn erev shabes est men dos, | Every shabbes, it's what you want to chew. |
| Gefilte fish, gefilte fish. | Gefilte fish, gefilte fish. |
| S'iz a maykhl vos hot toyznt tamen | It's a thousand flavor treat |
| Khob tsu ersht farzukht dos bay mayn mamen. | First tasted at my mother's knee, |
| Iz es tayer, iz es voyl, | It's precious, its so good, |
| A maykhl far dem folk yisroel, | It's the Jewish national food, |
| Esndik tsegeyt es zikh in moyl. | As you eat, it melts right in your mouth. |
| Oy, di gefilte fish zey zenen yidish. | The gefilte fish themselves are Jewish. |
| Me kumt fun shul, me shtelt zikh makhn kidish, | You come from shul, you say the kiddush, |
| In shtub iz sheyn un reyn un frish, | At home it's lovely, clean and fresh, |
| Me zetst zikh tsum gedektn tish | You sit down at a covered table |
| Un men derlangt gefilte fish. | And you are served gefilte fish. |
| Der unger hot lib gulyash mit paprike, | Hungarians love their gulash with paprika, |
| Der polyak hot lib bigos fleysh mit broyt, | Poles, they favor bigos meat with bread, |
| Bay dem rus iz royter borsht der iker, | Russians, they prefer their borsht red, |
| Un der yeke hot lib klise mit kroyt. | Germans would rather have cabbage dumplings. |
| A mamelige glaykhn di rumener | Mamelige is favored by Roumanians, |
| Un der gruziner hot lib a shashlik, | And Georgians just love their shashlik. |
| Nor vos gut iz veysn zey nit keyner, | None of these folks know what's really good, |
Un adrabe yidn, zogt mir vos iz gut? | On the contrary, say what's really good? |
| Gefilte fish, gefilte fish. | Gefilte fish, gefilte fish. |
Source: CD - "Enchanted" - Adrienne Cooper
(2) Gefilte Fish, adapted from the Russian by Roman Grinberg
| 1. Men darf hobn a bisele seykhl | 1. One has to have a bit of common sense |
| A frishn fish koyfn aleyn, | And to buy a fresh fish oneself, |
| Dertsu nit fargesn, zayt moykhl, | Don't forget, excuse me, |
| Nit foyln zikh, onraybn khreyn! | Don't be lazy, add bitter herbs. |
| Itst makht men dem fish, mayn khakhome, | Now we make the fish, my wise one, |
| Alts eyns, fun'm taykh tsi fun yam, | Whether it's from a lake or the sea, |
| Un git tsi a bisl neshome, | And give it a bit of soul |
| Zol hobn a yidishn tam! (2) | So that it has a Jewish taste! (2) |
| 2. A yidishe fayne mishpokhe | 2. A fine Jewish family |
| Gefilte fish esn gegreyt, | Gets ready to eat gefilte fish, |
| Oyf shabes men makht un men kokht im | It's made and cooked for Shabbat |
| Men est mit hanoye, mit freyd. | And eaten with enjoyment and happiness. |
| Men trinkt tsu dem fish, mayn khakhome, | With the fish we drink, my wise one, |
| A glezele koshere vayn, | A small glass of kosher wine, |
| Dernokh geyt a shtikl pastrome | Then a piece of pastrame, |
| Men filt zikh gor voyl un gor fayn! (2) | We feel so good and fine! (2) |
| 3. Gefilte fish - vos ken zayn beser? | 3. Gefilte fish - what could be better? |
| Dos vet zogn a yeder yid. | Every Jew would say this. |
| Ikh bin take a groyser freser | I'm a great eater of the fish |
| Nor vi makht men dem fish veys ikh nit. | But I don't know how to make it. |
| Ikh hob lib dem fish, mayn khakhome, | I love the fish, my wise one, |
| Alts eyns funem taykh tsi fun yam, | Whether from a lake or the sea, |
| Gegreyt mit a bisl neshome | Prepared with a bit of soul |
| Zol hobn a yidishn tam! (2) | So that it has a Yiddish taste! (2) |
