Folksong collected by the compilers from Charles Leikin, Bronx, N.Y. Textual variant was published by S. Ginzburg and P. Marek, 1901. This riddle song was sung at weddings usually by a badkhn (wedding entertainer) or marshelik (jester.) In some versions the “khasene-hoyz” (the wedding house) instead of the “khosns tish” (the groom’s table) leads off the string of riddles. The day of feasting and dancing and leaping is the usual metaphor of a wedding. Other versions appear in Filologishe shriftn, V; Dov and Meir Noy, Yidishe folkslider fun galitsye and elsewhere). Additional versions were submitted by Gelle Fishman (Bronx. N. Y.) and Dvoyre Neustempel (Rego Park).
Let’s begin to explain
how all things can come from one:
One is the bridegroom’s table
where people eat and drink,
where people dance and leap.
Tra-la-la-la…
Let’s begin to explain
how all things can come from two:
Two are the bride and groom,
strolling around to everyone.
One is the bridegroom’s table…
Let’s begin to explain
how all things can come from three:
Three are the in-laws,
who have promised cash.
Two are the bride and groom,
strolling around to everyone.
One is the bridegroom’s table…
Let’s begin to explain
how all things can come from four:
Four are the Khupe poles
where the bride and groom are captured.
Three are the in-laws,
who have promised cash.
Two are the bride and groom,
strolling around to everyone.
One is the bridegroom’s table…
Let’s begin to explain
how all things can come from five:
Five are the musicians
who play for rich and poor alike.
Four are the Khupe poles
where the bride and groom are captured.
Three are the in-laws,
who have promised cash.
Two are the bride and groom,
strolling around to everyone.
One is the bridegroom’s table…
Let’s begin to explain
how all things can come from six:
Six are the six days
when others may not, but the bride and groom may.
Five are the musicians
who play for rich and poor alike.
Four are the Khupe poles
where the bride and groom are captured.
Three are the in-laws,
who have promised cash.
Two are the bride and groom,
strolling around to everyone.
One is the bridegroom’s table…
Let’s begin to explain
how all things can come from seven:
Seven are the Seven Blessings,
they promise a dowry and deliver less than nothing.
Six are the six days
when others may not, but the bride and groom may.
Five are the musicians
who play for rich and poor alike.
Four are the Khupe poles
where the bride and groom are captured.
Three are the in-laws,
who have promised cash.
Two are the bride and groom,
strolling around to everyone.
One is the bridegroom’s table…
where people eat and drink,
where people dance and leap.
Tra-la-la-la…
Lomir onheybn tsu derklern
Vos fun eyns ken alts vern:
Eyns iz dem khosns tish
Vu men est un vu men·trinkt,
Vu men tantst un vu men shpringt.
Tra-la-la-la . . .
Lomir onheybn tsu derklern
Vos fun tsvey ken alts vern:
Tsvey zenen khosn-kale,
Vos zey geyen iber ale,
Eyns iz dem khosns tish . . .
Lomir onheybn tsu derklern
Vos fun dray ken alts vern:
Dray zenen di mekhutonim,
Vos zey zogn tsu mezumonim.
Tsvey zenen khosn-kale,
Vos zey geyen iber ale,
Eyns iz dem khosns tish . . .
Lomir onheybn tsu derklern
Vos fun fir ken alts vern:
Fir zenen di khupe-shtangen
Vu khosn-kale vern gefangen.
Dray zenen di mekhutonim,
Vos zogn tsu mezumonim.
Tsvey zenen di khosn-kale,
Vos zey geyen iber ale,
Eyns iz dem khosns tish . . .
Lomir onheybn tsu derklern
Vos fun finf ken alts vern:
Finf zenen di klezmorim
Vos zey shpiln far raykh un orem,
Fir zenen di khupe-shtangen,
Vu khosn-kale vern gefangen,
Dray zenen di mekhutonim
Vos zogn tsu mezumonim.
Tsvey zenen khosn-kale
Vos zhe geyen iber ale,
Eyns iz dem khosns tish . . .
Lomir onheybn tsu derklern
Vos fun zeks ken alts vern:
Zeks zenen di zeks teg
Vos keyner tor nisht un khosn-kale meg,
Finf zenen di klezmorim
Vos zey shpiln far raykh un orem.
Fir zenen di khupe-shtangen,
Vu khosn-kale vern gefangen,
Dray zenen di mekhutonim
Vos zogn tsu mezumonim.
Tsvey zenen khosn-kale,
Vos zhe geyen iber ale,
Eyns iz dem khosns tish . . .
Lomir onheybn tsu derklern
Vos fun zibn ken alts vern:
Zibn zeneri di sheyve brokhes,
Me zogt tsu nadn, me git s’kadokhes.
Zeks zenen di zeks teg
Vos keyner tor nisht un khosn-kale meg,
Finf zenen di klezmorim,
Vos zey shpiln far raykh un orem,
Fir zenen di khupe-shtangen,
Vu khosn-kale vern gefangen.
Dray zenen di mekhutonim,
Vos zey zogn tsu mezumonim,
Tsvey zenen khosn-kale,
Vos zey geyen iber ale,
Eyns iz dem khosns tish
Vu men est un vu men trinkt,
Vu men tantst un vu men shpringt.
Tra-la-la-la. . .
לאָמִיר אָנהײבן צו דערקלערן
װאָס פֿון אײנס קען אַלצ װערן.
אײנס איז דעם חתנס טיש
װוּ מען עסט און װוּ מען טרינקט,
װגּ מען טאַנצט און װוּ מען שפּרינגט.
טראַ-לאַ-לאַ-לאַ. . .
לאָמיר אָנהײבן צו דערקלערן
װאָס פֿון צװײ קען אַלצ װערן;
צװײ זענען חתן-כּלה,
װאָס זײ גײען איבער אַלע,
אײנס איז דעם חתנס טיש. . .
לאָמיר אָנהײבן צו דערקלערן
װאָס פֿון דדײַ קען אַלצ װערן:
דרײַ זענען די מחותּנים,
װאָס זײ זאָגן צו מזומנים.
צװײ זענען חתן-כּלה,
װאָס זײ גײען איבער אַלע,
אײנס אי דעם חתנס טיש. . .
לאָמיר אָנהײבן צו דערקלערן
װאָס פֿון פֿיר קען אַלצ װערן:
פֿיר זענען די חופֿה-שטאַנגען
װוּ חתן-כּלה װערן געפֿאַנגען,
דרײַ זענען די מחותּנים,
װאָס זאָגן צו מזומנים,
צװײ זענען די חתן-כּלה,
װאָס זײ גײען איבּער אַלע,
אײנס איז דעס חתנס טיש. . .
לאָמיר אָנהײבן צו דערקלערן
װאָס פֿון פֿינף קען אַלצ װערן:
פֿינף זענען די קלעזמאָרים
װאָס זײ שפּילן פֿאַר רײַך און אָרעם,
פֿיר זענען די חופּה-שטאַנגען
װוּ חתן-כּלה װערן געפֿאַנגען,
דרײַ זענען די מחותּנים,
װאָס זאָגן צו מזומניס,
צװײ זענען חתן-כּלה,
װאָס זײ גײען איבער אַלע,
אײנס איז דעם חתנס טיש. . .
לאָמַיר אָנהײבן צו דערקלערן
װאָס פֿון זעקס קען אַלצ װערן:
זעקס זענען די זעקס טעג
װאָס קײנער טאָר נישט און חתן-כּלה מעג,
פֿינף זענען די קלעומאָרים
װאָס זײ שפּילן פֿאַר רײַך און אָרעם,
פֿיר זענען די חופּה-שטאַנגען
װוּ חתן-כּלה װערן געפֿאַנגען,
דרײַ זענען די מחותּנים,
װאָס זאָגן צו מזומנים,
צװײ זענען חתן-כּלה,
װאָס זײ גײען איבער אַלע,
אײנס איז דעם חתנס טיש. . .
לאָמיר אָנהײבן צו דערקלערן
װאָס פֿון זיבן קען אַלצ װערן:
זיבן זענען די שבֿע ברכות,
מע זאָגט צו נדן, מע גיט סיקדחת.
זעקס זענען די זעקס טעג
װאָס קײנער טאָר נישט און חתן-כּלה מעג,
פֿינף זענען די קלעזמאָרים
װאָס זײ שפּילן פֿאַר רײַך און אָרעם,
פֿיר זענען די חופּה-שטאַנגען
װוּ חתן-כּלה װערן געפֿאַנגען,
דרײַ זענען די מחותּניס,
װאָס זײ זאָגן צו מזומנים,
צװײ זענען חתן-כּלֹּה,
װאָס זײ גײען איבער אַלע,
אײנס איז דעס חתנס טיש,
װוּ מען עסט און װוּ מען טרינקט,
װוּ מען טאַנצט און װװּ מען שפּרינגט.
טראַ-לאַ-לאַ-לאַ. . .
Song Title: Lomir Onheybn Tsu Derklern
The Songs of Generations: New Pearls of Yiddish Song anthology comprises songs that were either never printed before or appeared in rare and inaccessible publications — sometimes in different versions and without proper sources. Most of the songs in this book were submitted by readers of Chana and Yosl’s column “Perl fun der yidisher poezye” (Pearls of Yiddish Poetry) in the Yiddish newspaper Der Forverts (The Forward), initiated in October, 1970. Over 25 years, thousands of songs were collected in correspondence and on cassettes from readers throughout the world, and they represent a veritable national Yiddish song archive. Chana Mlotek, in her introduction, writes, “In the course of years the inquiries, contributions and enthusiasm of these readers have kept our own interest unflagging and have reinforced our dedication to this effort. And in recent years our participants have also been augmented by new readers from the former Soviet Russia, who receive our newspaper there or from newly-arrived immigrants in this country and Israel.”
