In a sheyner zumernakht

On a Pleasant Summer's Night

See lecture: The Seasons

In a sheyner zumernakht	On a pleasant summer's night
Di levone hot geshaynt,	The moon shone,
Oy, kum tsu mir, mayn tayer lebn,	Oh, come to me, my dearest life,
Ikh ken shoyn nit lebn on dir.	I cannot live without you.

Di tsores hobn mikh arumgeringlt,	Troubles have surrounded me,
Azoy vi a bednazh a fas,	Just as a cooper makes a barrel,
Oy, hayntike yingelekh meg men gleybn,	Today's youth can be believed
Azoy vi dem hunt oyf der gas.	As reliably as a stray dog.

Shpatsirn zaynen mir beyde gegangen,	We went out walking
Arum un arum dem bulvar,	Around the boulevard,
Oy, ale meydelekh shpiln a libe *	Oh, all the girls are in love,
Nor ikh aleyn geblibn bin tsum nar.	Only I have been made a fool of.

------------------------------

Source: Vinkovetzky, A. et al. Anthology of Yiddish Folksongs. Vol.1, pp.28-29

------------------------------

* Some other songs on the same theme and using similar phrasing are:
Lomir beyde a libe shpiln; Dortn dortn; Oy vey, mame; Sheltn, shelt ikh dem tog fun mayn geboyrn.