Reizele

Chava Alberstein singing Reizele
by Mordechai Gebirtig

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[ Może nie tak Purimowo wesołe, alę bardzo piękne. ]

1.
shteyt zikh dort in gesele,
shtil fartrakht a hayzele.
drinen oyfn boydem-shtibl
voynt mayn tayer reyzele
yedn ovnt farn hayzl
drey ikh zikh arum
kh’gib a fayf un ruf oys:
“reyzl, kum, kum, kum!”

2.
efnt zikh a fentsterl
vakht oyf s’alte hayzele
un bald klingt in shtiln gesl
a zis kol, s’redt reyzele:
— nokh a vayle vart, mayn liber,
bald vel ikh zayn fray,
gey zikh nokh a por mol iber;
eyns, tsvey, dray.

3.
gey ikh mir a freylekher,
zing un knak mir niselekh,
her ikh oyf di treplekh shpringen
ire drobne fiselekh.
shoyn arop fun letstn trepl,
kh’nem zi lib arum,
kh’gib ir shtil a kush in kepl –
kum kum kum!

4.
kh’vel dir zogn, Dovedl,
zolst aroyf nit fayfn mer.
— her, er fayft shoyn — zogt di mame
zi iz frum; s’fardrist zi zer.
fayfn, zogt zi, iz nit yidish;
past es bloyz far zey.
gib a tseykhn prost oyf yidish,
eyns, tsvey, dray!

5.
kh’vel aroyf nit fayfn mer;
deroyf gib ikh a shvuele.
dir tsulib vel ikh afile
vern frum, mayn tsnuele
vel ikh vern frum, mayn reyzl,
vi di mame frum,
yedn shabes geyn in klayzl.
kum kum kum!

6.
kh’gloyb es dir mayn libenker,
d’rum dafar dir dovidl
strikh ikh a sheyn tsviln-zekl
mit a mogn-dovidl
ven gefaln s’vet in klayzl
zogn zolst du zey
“dos hot gestrikt mayn libe rayzl
eyns, zvey, dray!”

7.
a dank far der matonele;
ikh lib azoy dikh reyzele,
ikh lib dos gesl, lib di mame,
lib dos alte hayzele.
lib di treplekh fun dem hayzl;
geyst oyf zey arum.
her, di mame ruft shoyn, Reyzl!
kum kum kum.

8.
gey ikh mir a freylekher,
zing un knak mir niselekh,
her ikh af di treplekh loyfn
ire drobne fiselekh.
vider shteyt fartrakht dos gesl,
s’hayzl vider shtum.
kum tsu mir in kholem, reyzl,
kum, kum, kum!

Reizele (in English)

In a street, in the attic of a little house,
Lives my dear Reyzele.
I pass under her window every evening
Whistle and call out,
Reyzl, come, come, come.
A window opens, the old little house awakes,
And a sweet voice rings out
In the quiet street – it’s Reyzele speaking.
Wait a little longer, my dear,
I shall soon be free
Walk around the street awhile,
One, two, three.

I walk cheerfully, singing and cracking nuts,
Then I hear her little feet
Skipping down the steps.
As she comes down the last step
I embrace her.
Quietly I kiss her head,
come, come, come.

I’ll ask you, Dovidl,
Don’t whistle anymore.
You hear – he’s whistling again – says mother.
She’s pious, and it upsets her.
Whistling is not for Jewish boys.
Simply give a sign in Yiddish
One, two, three.

From today I won’t whistle anymore
That I swear
To please you I will even become pious
My modest one.
Whenever you want,
I will be as observant as your mother
And go every Sabbath to the synagogue.
Come, come, come.

I believe you, my beloved, and for that
I shall knit for you
A tefillin bag with a Star of David.
When people in the synagogue will be pleased
Tell them
Reyzl, my beloved, knitted this.
One, two, three.

Thank you for your present.
I love you so much, Reyzele.
I love your mother, the street, the little old house.
I love the stones near your house,
Since you tread on them.
Listen, your mother is already calling – Reyzl.
Come, come, come.

So I go cheerfully, singing and cracking nuts,
Hearing the sound of her feet
running on the steps.
Again, the little house stands deep in thought,
the little street again quiet.
Come to me in my dreams, Reyzl,
Come, come, come.

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