The Miller’s Tears by M.M. Warshawsky (see note to Oyfn Pripetshik on page 2) refers to the expulsion of Jews from their villages in Czarist Russia.
Oh, how many years
have gone by
since I’ve been a miller here?
The wheels turn,
the years pass,
and I have grown old, grizzled and gray.
There are days
when I want to ask myself,
have I ever had even a bit of luck?
The wheels turn,
the years pass,
no answer comes back.
I have heard tell
they are going to drive me
out of the villiage and away from the mill.
The wheels turn,
the years pass,
without purpose and without an end.
Where will I live,
Who will take care of me?
I am old and I have grown tired;
The wheels turn,
the years pass,
and along with them, the Jew passes on.
Oy, vifl yorn
Zaynen farforn,
Zayt ikh bin milner ot o do?
Di reder dreyen zikh,
Di yorn geyen zikh,
Ikh bin shoyn alt un grayz un gro.
S’iz teg faranen,
Kh’vil mikh dermanen,
Tsi kh’hob gehat a shtikl glik?
Di reder dreyen zikh,
Di yorn geyen zikh,
Keyn entfer iz nito tsurik.
Kh’hob gehert zogn,
Me vil mikh faryogn,
Aroys fun dorf un fun der mil;
Di reder dreyen zikh,
Di yorn geyen zikh,
Oy, on an ek un on a tsil.
Vu vel ikh voynen,
Ver vet mikh shoynen?
lkh bin shoyn alt, ikh bin shoyn mid;
Di reder dreyen zikh,
Di yorn geyen zikh,
Un oykh mit zey geyt oys der yid.
– אױ, װיפֿל יאָרן
זײַנען פֿאַרפֿאָרן,
זײַט איך בין מילנער אָט אַ דאָ?
די רעדער דרײען זיך,
די יאָרן גײען זיך,
איך בין שױן אַלט און גרײַז און גראָ.
ס’איז טעג פֿאַראַנען,
כ’וױל מיך דערמאַנען,
צי כ’האָב געהאט אַ שטיקל גליק?
די רעדער דרײען זיך,
די יאָרן גײען זיך,
קײן ענטפֿער איז ניטאָ צוריק.
כ’האָב געהערט זאָגן,
מע װיל מיך פֿאַריאָגן,
אַרױס פֿון דאָרף און פֿון דער מיל;
די רעדער דרײען זיך,
די יאָרן גײען זיך,
אױ, אָן אַן עק און אַן אַ ציל.
װּ װעל איך װױנען,
װער װעט מיך שױנען?
איך בין שױן אַלט, איך בין שױן מיד;
די רעדער דרײען זיך,
די יאָרן גײען זיך,
און אױך מיט זײ גײט אױס דער ייִד.
Song Title: Dem Milners Trern
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.
