Dremlen feygl, dremlen oyf di tsvaygn,
Shlof, mayn tayer.
Bay dayn vigl, vel ikh dikh vign.
Makh-zhe dayne eygelekh tsu,
Vel ikh dir zingen a sheynem nign in dayn ru.
Vel ikh dikh vign un dir zingen: lyu, lyu, lyu.
S’iz dayn vigl vu s’iz geshtanen
Oysgeflokhtn fun glik.
Un dayn mame, vest amol farshteyn mistame,
Kumt shoyn keynmol nit tsurik.
Shlof, mayn kind,
Shlof, vel ikh dikh vign.
Shlof, mayn tayer,
Vel ikh dir zingen a sheynem nign.
Shlof, mayn tayer kind, in dayn ru.
Makh-zhe dayne eygelekh tsu.
Vel ikh dikh vign [un] dir zingen: lyu, lyu, lyu.
Kh’hob gezen dayn tatn loyfn
Unter hogl fun shteyn,
Iber felder iz gefloygn
Zayn faryosemter geveyn.
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Birds sleep in the branches. Close your eyes and sleep, my dear, as I rock your cradle. I will sing you a melody.
You were once rocked happily by your mother, but she will never return.
Close your eyes and sleep, my dear, as I rock your cradle. I will sing you a melody.
I saw your father running under a hail of stones. Over the fields, I heard his orphaned cry.
credits
from The Thread | די פאָדעם,
released October 19, 2019
Shlof, Mayn Kind / Sleep, My Child
Melody: Nathaniel Seelen
Lyrics: Leah Rudnicki and Traditional, set by Kirsten Lamb
English lyrics adapted by Kirsten Lamb and Jonathan Cannon
Internationally-recognized klezmer ensemble Ezekiel’s Wheels brings passion, virtuosity, and joyfully contagious energy to an engaging contemporary perspective on traditional Jewish music.
supported by 10 fans who also own “Shlof, Mayn Kind”
One of my favourite musical discoveries in a while. These musicians are seriously talented. I can’t help imagining that there would have been a whole significant subculture of Yiddish psych rock like this in a different, kinder universe. For now, this is a window into that world that might have been. And I love every second of it. Audrey
Originally sung by Holocaust survivors in Yiddish, Polish and French, this moving album is now available in a gorgeous LP package. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 11, 2022