Bay dem taykh
[By the river]
[See lecture: Mothers and Fathers]
| Bay dem taykh dem breytn | By the wide river |
| Zitst zikh a meydele gor aleynt, | Sits a girl all by herself, |
| Ongeton geyt zi im raykhn | She's dressed in riches |
| Un zi zitst bay taykh un veynt. | And she sits by the river and cries. |
| Zi halt a kind oyf der hant, | She's holding a child in her hand, |
| Vos iz ersht nisht lang geboyrn gevorn, | Which has just been born, |
| Un zi git es di milkh zoygn, | And she's nursing him |
| Un trern rinen fun ire oygn. | And tears are seeping from her eyes. |
| - Dayn foter, der merder, | - Your father, the murderer, |
| Er hot zikh umzist oyf der velt gebrakht, | Brought you uselessly into the world, |
| Der tsegayner, der toter, | The gypsy, the Tatar, |
| Er hot mikh umgliklekh gemakht; | Caused my misfortune. |
| Der tsegayner, dayn foter, | They gypsy, your father, |
| Dortn zitst er un lakht. | Is sitting there and laughing. |
| Ikh hob im gegleybt oyf zayn ernvort | I believed his word of honour |
| Un oyf zayne heylike shvues, | And his holy vows, |
| Bay mayne eltern in gortn, dort | In my parents' garden, there |
| Bin ikh geven in tues. | I acted wrongly. |
| Oy, got, s'heybt shoyn on tsu togn, | Oh, God, it will soon be dawn, |
| Un mentshn kenen mikh nokh derzen, | And people can still notice me, |
| Zey veln gevis mayne eltern zogn | They are sure to tell my parents |
| Vos mit mir iz di nakht geshen. | What happened to me tonight. |
| Fish, fish, kumt nor aher! | Fish, fish, come here! |
| Ikh hob aykh epes tsu zogn: | I've got something to tell you: |
| Ikh hob aykh gebrakht es tsu trogn, | I've brought you something to take, |
| Ir vet fun dem hanoe hobn. | You'll enjoy it. |
| Adieu, adieu, mayn gelibtes kind! | Farewell, farewell, my beloved child! |
| Atsind vestu zinken biz tsum grint, | Soon you will sink to the bottom, |
| Di fish in vaser veln dikh oyfesn - | The fish in the water will eat you - |
| Nor ikh, dayn muter, vel dikh nisht fargesn. | But I, your mother, will not forget you. |
I learnt this song in a Yiddish folksong class given by Avishay Fish