This popular folk song (textual variant published 1901 by S. Ginzburg and P. Marek); text and music published in 1905 in Ost und West has parallels in other cultures.
— Listen to me, you pretty girl,
listen to me, you fine girl,
what will you do so far away?
— I will go from street to street
calling, “Give me laundry to wash!”
as long as I can be together with you!
— Listen to me, you pretty girl,
listen to me, you fine girl,
What will you eat so far away?
— I will eat breat with salt,
I will forget my mother and father
as long as I can be together with you!
— Listen to me, you pretty girl,
listen to me, you fine girl,
What will you sleep on so far away?
— I am still a young woman,
I can sleep on a bundle of straw,
as long as I can be together with you!
— Listen to me, you pretty girl,
listen to me, you fine girl,
What will you cover yourself with so far away?
— The dew from heaven will cover me
the birds will will awaken me,
as long as I can be together with you!
— Her nor, du sheyn meydele,
Her nor, du fayn meydele;
Vos vestu ton in aza vaytn veg?
— lkh vel geyn in ale gasn,
Un vel shrayen: — vesh tsum vashn!
Abi mit dir tsuzamen zayn!
— Her nor, du sheyn meydele,
Her nor, du fayn meydele,
Vos vestu esn in aza vaytn veg?
— Broyt mit zalts vel ikh esn,
Tate-mame vel ikh fargesn,
Abi mit dir tsuzamen zayn!
— Her nor, du sheyn meydele,
Her nor, du fayn meydele,
Oyf vos vestu shlofn in aza vaytn veg?
— lkh bin nokh a yunge froy,
lkh ken shlofn oyf a bintl shtroy,
Abi mit dir tsuzamen zayn!
— Her nor, du sheyn meydele,
Her nor, du fayn meydele,
Mit vos vestu zikh tsudekn in aza vaytn veg?
— Der toy fun himI vet mikh tsudekn,
Di feygelekh veln mikh oyfvekn,
Abi mit dir tsuzamen zayn!
— הער נאָר, דו שײן מײדעלע,
הער נאָר, דו פֿײַן מײדעלע,
װאָס װעסטו טאָן אין אַזאַ װײַטן װעג?
— איך װעל גײן אין אַלע גאַסן,
און װעל שרײַען: װעש צום וואַשן!
אַבי מיט דיר צוזאַמען זײַן!
— הער נאָר, דו שײן מײדעלע,
הער נאָר, דו פֿײַן מײדעלע,
װאָס װעסטו עסן אין אַזאַ װײַטן װעג?
— ברױט מיט זאַלץ װעל איך עסן,
טאַטע-מאַמע װעל איך פֿאַרגעסן,
אַבי מיט דיר צוזאַמען זײַן!
— הער נאָר, דו שײן מײדעלע,
הער נאָר, דו פֿײַן מײדעלע,
אױף װאָס װעסטו שלאָפֿן אין אַזאַ װײַטן װעג?
— איך בין נאָך אַ יונגע פֿרױ,
איך קען שלאָפֿן אױף אַ בינטל שטרױ,
אַבי מיט דיר צוזאַמען זײַן!
— הער נאָר, דו שײן מײדעלע,
הער נאָר, דו פֿײַן מײדעלע,
מיט װאָס װעסטו זיך צודעקן אין אַזאַ װײַטן וועג?
— דער טױ פֿון הימל װעט מיך צודעקן,
די פֿײגעלעך װעלן מיך אױפֿװעקן,
אַבי מיט דיר צוזאַמען זײַן!
Song Title: Her Nor, Du Sheyn Meydele
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.
