Sholem Aleykhem
[Peace to you *]
By Sholem Berenstein
[See lecture: Shabbat]
Oy sholem aleykhem malokhim mayne, | Oh, peace to you, angels mine |
Sholem aleykhem, malokhim fayne, | Peace to you, angels fine. |
Sholem aleykhem, vayb un kind, | Peace to you, wife and child |
Shabes koydesh iz atsind. | It's the holy sabbath now. |
Sholem aleykhem, gute fraynt, | Peace to you, good friends, |
Shabes koydesh iz dokh haynt. | It's the holy sabbath tonight. |
Sholem aleykhem, zeydes bobes, | Peace to you, grandparents, |
Sholem aleykhem, a gut shabes! | Peace to all and a good sabbath! |
A gantse vokh, vi nor a lokh, | All week long, just like a beggar, |
Loyft dos yidele um umetum, | The poor Jew runs here and there, |
Er loyft, er yogt, dayges trogt, | He runs, he chases, bears his sorrows |
Nor er vert gor keynmol nit mid, | But never gets a bit tired. |
Trinken un esn hot er fargesn | He's forgotten to drink or eat, |
Er tsiet fun zikh aroys di kley. | He draws the very marrow from himself |
Shabes freylekh vert er a meylekh | On joyful sabbath he becomes a king |
Un knakt dem sholem aleichem | And warbles "Shalom Aleichem" |
Vi a solovey. | Like a nightingale. |
Oy sholem aleykhem malokhim mayne ... | Oh, peace to you, angels mine ... |
Translation copied from Arkady Gendler's disk "My Hometown Soroke"