Folk song (textual variant published in 1901 by S. Ginzburg and P. Marek; one version published in 1918 by M. Kipnis). This version was published in 1927 by Y.L. Cahan.
Oh there, there, beyond the ocean,
Oh there, there, beyond the bridge!
You have driven me off to far away countries
And I yearn, I yearn for you back home!
Oh, how many evenings we sat together
oh, how many evenings, late into the night!
And how many tears we both shed
before we joined our loves together!
Oh, help me, my God, oh God in heaven,
help me, my God, I’m not doing well!
It’s already three years since we began our love affair
and we cannot bring it to completion!
Oh, your eyes are like black cherries,
let your lips be like rose-colored paper;
and your fingers like pen and ink —
so you can write to me often!
Oy, dortn, dortn, ibern vaserl,
Oy, dortn, dortn, ibern brik!
Fartribn hostu mikh in di vaytene lender,
Un benken benk ikh nokh dir tsurik!
Oy, vifl ovntn tsuzamen gezesn,
Oy, vifl ovntn shpet in der nakht!
Un vifl trerelekh mir hobn beyde fargosn
Eyder mir hobn di libe tsuzamengebrakht!
Oy, helf mir, gotenyu, oy, got in himl,
Helf mir, gotenyu, s’iz mir nit gut!
Shoyn tsayt dray yorelekh, vi mir shpiln a libe,
Un oysshpiln di libe konen mir nit!
Oy, dayne eygelekh, azoy vi di karshelekh,
Un dayne lipelekh, vi rozeve papir;
Un dayne fiogerlekh, vi tint un vi feder-
Oy, shraybn zolstu ofte briv tsu mir!
אױ, דאָרטן, דאָרטן, איבערן װאַסערל,
אױ, דאָרטן, דאָרטן, איבערן בריק!
פֿאַרטריבן האָסטו מיך אין די װײַטענע לענדער,
און בענקען, בענק איך נאַך דיר צוריק!
אױ,וױפֿל אָװנטן צוזאַמען געזעסן,
אױ, װיפֿל אָװנטן שפּעט אין דער נאַכט!
און װיפֿל טרערעלעך מיר האָבן בײדע פֿאַרגאָסן
אײדער מיר האָבן די ליבע צוזאַמענגעבראַכט!
אױ, העלף מיר גאָטעניו, אױ, גאָט אין הימל,
העלף מיר, גאָטעניו, ס’איז מיר ניט גוט;
שױן צװײ-דרײַ יאָרעלעך, וױ מיר שפּילן אַ ליבע,
און אױסשפּילן די ליבע קאַנען מיר ניט!
אױ, דײַנע אײגעלעך, אַזױ װי די קאַרשעלעך,
און דײַנע ליפּעלעך, וױ ראָזעװע פּאַפּיר;
און דײַנע פֿינגערלעך, װי טינט און װי פֿעדער —
אױ, שרײַבן זאָלסטו אָפֿטע בריװ צו מיר!
Song Title: Oy, Dortn, Dortn
First published in 1972, Mir Trogn A Gezang: Favorite Yiddish Songs was reprinted six more times (in 1977, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000) due to popular demand. The songs in this anthology represent a sampling of beloved folk and well-known Yiddish songs, many of which are scattered in various song collections; some appear in very rare and inaccessible collections; and some were never before published. Folk songs comprise about a third of this volume and were selected mainly on the basis of popularity and sometimes for their historic significance. Needless to say, they are only representative of the vast, rich treasure of Yiddish folk material. The selection was made not only on the basis of personal preference, but in the knowledge they are favorites of many who sing these songs. Most of the songs represent the repertoire that was sung at Yiddish summer camps, May 1st demonstrations and at social gatherings. Many songs were introduced to American Jewry by Jewish immigrants who came to the United States after World War II, for whom these songs had been favorites in Poland and other East European communities destroyed by the Nazis.
