Mayn mames shabes likht
[My mother's Shabbat candles]
by Jack Yellen
[See lecture: Shabbat]
| S'iz fraytik nakht, ikh zits un trakht | It's Friday night, I sit and think, |
| Vos hot di tsayt fun undz gemakht, | what the time has done to us, |
| Vi mir zaynen vayt farvandert funem veg, | How far we have strayed from our way, |
| Un vi gut iz zaynen geven di alte teg. | And how good the old days were. |
| Kh'vel keynmol nit fargesn | I'll never forget |
| mayn mames shabes likht, | my mother's Shabbat candles, |
| Di kinder zaynen gezesn | The children used to sit |
| baym tish, azoy sheyn gedikht. | at the table, decked out beautifully. |
| Der tate makht dem kidush, | Father would say Kiddush |
| Vi zis is, vos ikh her, | How sweet is what I hear, |
S'iz take nit keyn khidush, | It's not new |
| Az s'flist fun oyg a trer. | that a tear would flow from our eyes. |
| Vu men hot dem yid fartribn, | Wherever the Jew has been driven, |
| Fun im ash gemakht, | turned into ash, |
| Far undz zaynen di likht farblibn | For us the lights have remained |
| vi shtern in di nakht. | like stars in the night. |
| Bney Yisroel zaynen mir, | We are the Children of Israel, |
| Un vu der yid farkrikht, | And wherever the Jew goes, |
| Dort vet eybik shaynen | There, for ever, will shine |
| di mames shabes likht. | Mother's Shabbat candles. |
