Text by Isaac Reingold (1873-1903); music by G. Mendelson. The poem, entitled Tsvey Khaveyrim (Two Friends), about Shmilik and Azrilik, was published in the Forward, May 9, 1897. The song tells how the more aggressive of two childhood friends became a prosperous boss in the new country, while the more submissive one ended up as his exploited factory hand.
Shmilik, Gavrilik, two little friends,
playing together like nobody else –
at horses, with swords, in sand and in dirt,
Shmilik the driver, Gavrilik the horse.
Shmilik, Gavrilik, they grow up fast,
stuck on the idea, America is great.
Off they swim to the Golden Land,
Shmilik the driver, Gavrilik the horse.
Shmilik, Gavrilik in the Golden Country:
Shmilik a “little boss”, Gavrilik his hired hand.
Shmilik in heaven, Gavrilik buried under,
Shmilik the driver, Gavrilik the horse.
Shmilik, Gavrilik, are no longer friends.
Shmilik a landlord, a somebody is he;
Gavrilik, his neighbor, in the basement underground,
Shmilik still the driver, Gavrilik still the horse.
Shmilik, Gavrilik, khaveyrimlekh tsvey
Shpiln zikh beyde, keyn glaykhn tsu zey —
ln ferdlekh, mit shverdlekh, in zamd un in erd,
Shmilik, der shmayser, Gavrilik, der ferd.
Shmilik, Gavrilik, zey vaksn gikh oys,
Kumt zey in zinen: amerike iz groys.
Gekumen tsu shvimen tsu der goldener erd
Shmilik, der shmayser, Gavrilik, der ferd.
Shmilik, Gavrilik, in goldenem land:
Shmilik a “bosl”, Gavrilik zayn hant;
Shmilik, in himl, Gavrilik in d’rerd
Shmilik der shmayser, Gavrilik der ferd.
Shmilik, Gavrilik, keyn fraynd shoyn nit mer,
Shmilik, a “lendlord”, a yakhsn iz er;
Gavrilik, zayn shokhn, in “beysment”, in d’rerd,
Shmilik blaybt shmayser, Gavrilik blaybt ferd.
שמואליק, גבֿריאליק, חבֿרימלעך צװײ
שפּילן זיך בײדע, קײן גלײַכן צו זײ —
אין פֿערדלעך, מיט שװערדלעך, אין זאַמד און אין ערד,
שמואליק דער שמײַסער, גבֿריאליק דער פֿערד.
שמואליק, גבֿריאליק,זײ װאַקסן גיך אױס.
ליגט זײ אין זינען: אמעריקע איז גרױם.
געקומען צו שװימען צו דער גאַלדענער ערד —
שמואליק דער שמײַסער, גבֿריאליק דער פֿערד.
שמואליק, גבֿריאליק, אין גאָלדענעם לאַנד:
שמואליק אַ „באָסל”, גבֿריאליק זײַן האַנט.
שמואליק אין הימל, גבֿריאליק אין ד’רערד —
שמואליק דער שמײַסער, גבֿריאליק דער פֿערד.
שמואליק, גבֿריאליק, קײן פֿרײַנד שױן ניט מער,
שמואליק אַ „לענדלאָרד”, א יחסן איז ער;
גבֿריאליק זײַן שכן, אין „בײסמענט”, אין ד’רערד,
שמואליק בלײַבט שמײַסער, גבֿריאליק בלײַבט פֿערד.
Song Title: Shmilik, Gavrilik
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.
