A long time favorite, this is part of a song from the operetta, Shulamis, written in 1880 by Abraham Goldfaden (1840-1908), the founder of the modern Yiddish theater. The refrain is an adaptation of a Yiddish folk song, “Unter Yankeles Vigele.”
The song was adapted to conditions under the Nazis, and one version from the Kaunas ghetto was: “In the Slobodka Yeshiva an old sexton is reading his last will and testament. . . when you will be free, tell your children of our suffering and murder. Show them the graves and inscriptions at the Ninth Fort” (an extermination place near Kaunas).
In the Temple, in a corner of the room,
a widow, a daughter of Zion, sits alone.
She is rocking her only son, Yidele, ceaselessly
and singing him to sleep with a lovely little song:
Lull-a-bye…
Under Yidele’s cradle
is a snow-white little kid,
the kid is going off to trade,
this will be his calling:
raisins and almonds;
sleep, Yidele, go ahead and sleep.
There will come an era of railroads
they will cover half the earth.
You will go the length of the iron rails
and, when you do, you will earn a lot of money.
And when you become rich, Yidele,
remember this little song:
Raisins and almonds!
This will be your calling.
Yidele will trade in everything,
sleep, Yidele, go ahead and sleep.
In dem beys-hamikdesh, in a vinkl kheyder,
Zitst di almone, Bas-Tsiyon aleyn.
Ir ben-yokhidl Yidelen vigt zi keseyder
Un zingt im tsum shlofn a lidele sheyn:
Ay-lyu-lyu-lyu. . .
Unter Yideles vigele
Shteyt a klor-vays tsigele,
Dos tsigele iz geforn handlen, –
Dos vet zayn dayn baruf:
Rozhinkes mit mandlen;
Shlof zhe, Yidele, shlof.
Es vet kumen a tsayt fun ayznbanen,
Zey veln farfleytsn a halbe velt;
Ayzerne vegn vestu oysshpanen
Un vest in dem oykh fardinen fil gelt.
Un az du vest vern raykh, Yidele
Zolstu zikh dermonen in dem lidele;
Rozhinkes mit mandlen!
Dos vet zayn dayn baruf
Yidele vet alts handlen,
Shlof zhe. Yidele, shlof.
אין דעם בית-המיקדש, אין אַ װינקל חדר,
זיצט די אַלמנה בת-ציון אַלײן.
איר בך-יחידל ייִדעלען װיגט זי כּסדר
און זינגט אים צום שלאָפֿן א לידעלע שײן:
אײ-לױלו. . .
אונטער ייִדעלעס װיגעלע
שטײט אַ קלאָר-װײַס ציגעלע,
דאָס ציגעלע איז געפֿאָרן האַנדלען,
דאָס װעט זײַן דײַן באַרוף:
ראָזשינקעס מיט מאַנדלען;
שלאָף זשע, ייִדעלע, שלאָף.
עס װעט קומען אַ צײַט פֿון אײַזנבאַנען,
זײ װעלן פֿאַרפֿלײצן אַ האַלבע װעלט;
אײַזערנע װעגן װעסטו אױסשפּאַנען
און װעסט אין דעם אױך פֿאַרדינען פֿיל געלט.
און אַז דו װעסט װערן רײַך, ײַדעלע,
זאָלסטו זיך דערמאַנען אין דעם לידעלע;
ראָזשינקעס מיט מאַנדלען!
דאָס װעט זײַן דײַן באַרוף —
ייִדעלע װועט אַלץ האַנדלען,
שלאָף זשע, ײַרעלע, שלאָף.
Song Title: Rozhinkes Mit Mandlen
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.
