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lyrics - Music of My Family, Music of My People
Shalom Aleichem © 1996 Laszlo Slomovits ASCAP
The words mean, "peace be with you." The phrase is used as a greeting. Its reverse, Aleichem Shalom, is said in response. That's Emily Rose singing at the beginning.
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Mama Loshen © 1998 Sandor Slomovits ASCAP
There is no sound that's nearer, dearer to your heart
There is no cheer, you long to hear more when you're apart
Far from home, where 'ere you roam, no matter old or young
When you hear, the words so clear in your mother tongue
In your mama loshen, talking mama loshen
Nonsense talking, or kiboshing
Punning, rhyming or just joshing
Ooh and aahing, Oh, my goshin',
Toshing, boshing, even noshing
Sounds of mama loshn, talking mama loshn
Ribbing, fibbing, or ad libbing
Kidding, glibbing, or outbidding,
They will understand your meaning
If you say it with real feeling
In your mama loshen, talkin' mama loshen
Father, mother, sister, brother
They all jaw at one another
Aunties, uncles, cousins, in-laws
Nephews, nieces, granmas, granpas,
Sounds of mama loshn, talking mama loshn
Chew the fat right off the chicken
Till the plot has really thickened
They will understand your meaning
If you say it with real feeling
In your mama loshen, talkin' mama loshen
Don't use jargon if you please
Heaven help us, legalese
Saints preserve us, medicalese,
God forbid, bureaucratese
That's not mama loshn, not talking mama loshn
If you have a thing to say
Speak your mind, and come what may
They will understand your meaning
If you say it with real feeling
In your mama loshen, talkin' mama loshen
Of course in matters of the heart
Sometimes words can't do their part,
Actions speak what words can't tell her,
Be a mensch and be her feller
Show your love you really miss her, plant a smacker on her kisser
No words needed when you're huggin',
When you feel your heart strings tuggin'
If music be the food of love
Why're we talkin' for heaven's above
Let's just end this song by singin' wordless tunes and really swingin'
Singin' mama loshn
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Deli © 1998 Sandor Slomovits ASCAP
Let's go get a sandwich at the Deli
I'm sick and tired of peanut butter and jelly.
Somethin' really good to fill my belly
Let's go get a sandwich at the Deli.
Cream cheese, swiss cheese, muenster and Dutch gouda
Where else have you seen so much good fooda?
Bagels, pumpernickle, onion rolls and rye
Could go elsewhere, can't imagine why.
Pesto, tomato and fresh mozzarella
Grill it on rye, make me a happy fella
Blintzes, latkes, hot potato knishes,
We won't even have to do the dishes.
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Gefilte Fish © 1997 Sandor Slomovits ASCAP
Gefilte fish, such a dish,
How could we do without it?
Gefilte fish, so delish,
There is no doubt about it.
Made from scratch, a great big batch
Of pickerel, trout and whitefish
Eggs and sugar, salt and pepper
Chop well, mix and squish, squish
Add matzo meal, an onion peel
And soon you will be crying
Chop parsnip, parsley, not too sparsley
It can be kind of trying
Boil for hours, pots to scour
I'm telling you it's worth it
Cool a bissle, then you'll whistle
Nothing quite just like it
Use your kopf, it's not so tough
The recipe's revealing
Not specific, scientific,
Made with love and feeling.
Get your zayde, hot potato
Sit down at the table
Not bubbe meise, so much nicer
Have it when you're able
Friday night, such delight
I get to eat my favorite
Feeds my heart, my every part
And nourishes my spirit.
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Chiribim Traditional Yiddish
The words chiribim and chiribom are the entire lyrics of this song. They don't mean anything. Sounds or syllables like this are sung by chosids to wordless tunes, called niguns.
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Elijahu Traditional Hebrew
Elijahu, hanavi. Elijahu, hatishbi. Elijahu, Elijahu, Elijahu hagileadi. Bimhera b'jomenu, yavo elenu. Im mosiach ben David, Im mosiach ben David.
Elijah the prophet, from Gilead. May he come to to us speedily and in our day, bringing with him the Messiah, the son of David.
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Amar Rabbi Akiva
Amar Rabbi Akiva. V'ahavta l'reacha, l'reacha kamacha. Ze klal gadol, gadol ba Torah.
Rabbi Akiva said; Love your neighbor as yourself. This is the great teaching of the Torah. Love your neighbor as yourself.
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V'Erastich Li Music © 1984 Sandor Slomovits ASCAP
Hoseah Chapter 2, Verse 21: I will make you Mine forever. I will make you Mine through righteousness and justice, through loving kindness, mercy, and faithfulness and you shall know the Lord.
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Tumbalalaika Traditional Yiddish
Shteyt a bocher, uner tracht
tracht, un tracht di gancer nacht
vemen cu nemen, unit far shemen
vemen cu nemen, unit far shemen
Tell me my pretty one, tell if you know,
What needs no rain and yet it can grow.
Tell what can blossom, bloom through the years,
Tell what can yearn and cry without tears
Oh foolish boy, now surely you know,
A stone needs no rain, and yet it can grow.
True love can blossom, bloom through the years
A heart when it yearns, cries without tears.
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Tumba Tumba Ba Traditional Yiddish English translation © 1973 Murray Cartan
Oifen oivn zits a meidle, Tumba Tumba Ba
Un zi heft a zaidn kleidl, Tumba Tumba Ba
In the hearth a fire is glowing, Tumba Tumba Ba
In its glow a girl sits sewing. Tumba Tumba Ba
Iz a bocher ongefloign, Tumba Tumba Ba
Un hot dem fodem opgetsoign, Tumba Tumba Ba
A young man comes from out of nowhere Tumba Tumba Ba
And tugs the thread with which she sews there, Tumba Tumba Ba
Ai du bocher, ai du faier, Tumba Tumba Ba
Svet dich kostn zeir taier, Tumba Tumba Ba
Oh my young man, can you hear me? Tumba Tumba Ba
This little game can cost you dearly. Tumba Tumba Ba
Nit mit shtrik vel ich dich pentn Tumba Tumba Ba
Nor mit maine vaise hentlech Tumba Tumba Ba
It won't be my thread which holds you Tumba Tumba Ba
But my arms will soon enfold you Tumba Tumba Ba
Chvel nit fregn dich fun vanen Tumba Tumba Ba
Chvel nit oplozn fun danen Tumba Tumba Ba
I don't know too much about you Tumba Tumba Ba
I know that I can't live without you Tumba Tumba Ba
Chvel dich halzen, chvel dich libn Tumba Tumba Ba
Iz der bocher dort farblibn Tumba Tumba Ba
I'll love you till I'm old and gray dear Tumba Tumba Ba
The young man smiled and said, ?I'll stay here.? Tumba Tumba Ba
Oifn oivn zitsn tsveien Tumba Tumba Ba
Nit sei heftn, nit zei neien Tumba Tumba Ba
They sit by that hearth still glowing Tumba Tumba Ba
But they're not mending they're not sewing Tumba Tumba Ba
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Simen Tov
Simen tov, u maazel tov, y'hei lanu u'lchol haolam.
Traditionally sung at weddings and other joyous occasions, the words mean "may good luck come to us and the whole world."
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A Yohr Est Noch Mayne Chasene Traditional Klezmer tune
A Year Since My Wedding
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Rozhinkes Mit Mandlen © Abraham Goldfaden
From the Yiddish musical, "Shulamith." A mother sits in the synagogue singing to her baby. "When you grow up, you'll be a peddler. You'll have a goat and a cart and you'll be peddling Rozhinkes Mit Mandlen, raisins and almonds."
In dem beys hamikdosh, in a vinkl cheyder zits di almone, Bas Tzion aleyn. Ir ben yochidl, Yidelen, vigt zi kiseyder, un zingt im tzum shlofn a lidele sheyn.
Unter Yideles vigele. Shtet a klor vays tsigele. Dod tsigele iz geforn handlen. Dos vet zayn dayn baruf, rozhinkes mit mandlen. Shlofzhe, Yidele shlof.
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A Yidele Nigun © 1998 Sandor Slomovits ASCAP
A little Jewish wordless tune.
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Belz Traditional Yiddish
Wen ich derman mich fon maine kinderishe juhrn,
azoj wie a chulem kumt mir dus fur.
Cu steit noch dus Shtibele, wos es hot a mol ge glanct
Cu stet noch dus bojmele, wos ich hab amul geflanct.
Dus stibele iz alt, ein gevaksn mit moch un gruz.
Dus stibele is calt und in the fenster is doch kein gluz.
Der ganek is krimp, ein geboigen die vent ci het ich noch dus a mul derkent.
When I remember my childhood years, they seem to me now like a dream.
Is my little house is still standing? How it once used to shine.
Is my little tree still growing, the one I planted so long ago?
The house is old now and overgrown with weeds
The house is cold now and the windows no longer have glass.
The hallway is crooked, the walls are bent. Would I even recognize it now?
Belz, mein shteitele Belz, mein heimele dort we chob meine kinderishe yourn fer brengt.
Belz, my little village, Belz. My home where I lived my childhood years.
A yeden shabbes fleig ich cu loifn mit alle chaverim gleich.
Zetsn wir sich unter deim Boimele kukn dem rinerdichen taich.
Every Shabbes I'd run and play with my friends. We'd sit under that tree and watch the water flow in the creek.
Zent ihr shoen gevein a mul in Belz
Hat ihr shoen gesein a mul Belz
Have you ever been to Belz? Have you ever seen Belz?
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Aani Maamin One of the Maimonedes Articles of Faith
It is said that people on their way to their deaths in the concentration camps sang this song. It has become associated with the Holocaust.
I believe with a perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah. And even though he may tarry, still I will wait for him.
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Szól a Kakas - Yibonne Traditional Hungarian and Hebrew
Szól a kakas már.
Majdnem virad már.
Zöld erd öben, sik
mezöben sétál egy madár.
Micsoda madár, micsoda madár,
sárga lába, kék a szárnya, engem oda vár.
Mikor lesz zaz már? Mikor lesz zaz már?
Yibonne hamikdosh,
ir tzion temalei, akkor lesz az már.
The rooster is crowing now.
It is almost light.
In the green forest, in a meadow, walks a bird.
And what a bird.
Its legs are yellow, its wings are blue.
It waits for me.
When will that be?
Yibonne hamikdosh ir Tzion temalei.
V'sham noshim shir chodosh u'vir nono nale.
May the Temple be rebuilt. May the city of Zion be filled with people.
And there we will sing a new song, and we will go up in joy.
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Shalom Chaverim - Heveinu Shalom Aleichem
Peace, my friends, till we meet again. Let us have peace.
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