Play, dear children,
spring has begun!
Oh, children, I am so
jealous of you now.
Live it up, live it up, children
as long as you are young,
because from spring to winter
is a stone’s throw (lit. cat’s jump).
Play, dear children,
do not waste an instant;
and bring me into the game,
permit me the pleasure.
Do not look at my gray head,
does it spoil your game?
My heart is still young,
like many years ago.
My heart is still young
and is dying with longing.
Akh! How gladly it would
escape this old body.
Play, dear children,
do not waste an instant
because spring soon ends
and with it the greatest happiness.
Shpilt aykh, libe kinderlekh —
Der friling shoyn bagint!
Oy, vi bin ikh, kinderlekh,
Mekane aykh atsind.
Hulyet, hulyet, kinderlekh,
Kol-zman ir zent yung,
Vayl fun friling biz tsum vinter
lz a katsn-shprung.
Shpilt aykh, libe kinderlekh,
Farzoymt keyn oygnblik;
Nemt mikh oykh arayn in shpil,
Fargint mir oykh dos glik.
Kukt nisht oyf mayn groyen kop,
Tsi shtert dos aykh in shpil?
Mayn neshome iz nokh yung,
Vi tsurik mit yorn fil.
Mayn neshome iz nokh yung
Un geyt fun benkshaft oys.
Akh, vi gern vilt zikh ir
Fun altn guf aroys.
Shpilt aykh, libe kinderlekh,
Farzoymt keyn oygnblik
Vayl der friling ekt zikh bald,
Mit im dos hekhste glik.
שפּילט אײַך, ליבע קינדערלעך —
דער פֿרילינג שױן באַגינט!
אױ װי בין איך, קינדערלעך,
מקנא אײַך אַצינד.
הוליעט, הוליעט, קינדערלעך,
כּל-זמן איר זענט יונג,
װײַל פֿון פֿרילינג ביז צום װינטער
איז אַ קאַצן–שפּרונג.
שפּילט אײַך, ליבע קינדערלעך,
פֿאַרזױמט קײן אױגנבליק.
נעמט מיך אױך אַרײַן אין שפּיל,
פֿאַרגינט מיר אױך דאָס גליק.
קוקט נישט אױף מײַן גראָען קאָפּ,
צי שטערט דאָס אײַך אין שפּיל?
מײַן נשמה איז נאָך יונג,
װי צוריק מיט יאָרן פֿיל.
מײַן נשמה איז נאָך יונג
און גײט פֿון בענקשאַפֿט אױס.
אַך, װי גערן װילט זיך איר
פֿון אַלטן גוף אַרױס.
שפּילט אײַך, ליבע קינדערלעך,
פֿאַרזױמט קײן אױגנבליק,
װײַל דער פֿרילינג עקט זיך באַלד,
מיט אים דאָס העכסטע גליק.
Song Title: Hulyet, Hulyet, Kinderlekh
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.
