Folksong, text published by S. Ginzburg and P. Marek in St. Petersburg, 1901; music was published by Joel Engel in 1909, also in the children’s compilation Di gilderne pave, 1949. The lines of the advent of the Messiah appear in numerous Sabbath “God of Abraham” prayers. The melody was used for a Hebrew song “Na-aleh L’artsenu” (On to Our Land). Zalmen Mlotek also submitted an English hymn “Praise Ye the Lord” which Herbert Fromm set to this melody. This song, rendered by Lorin Sklamberg, was one of the most popular songs in the Klezkamp Folk Arts Program.
A little string, a little pearl
the Messiah, son of David, is sitting at the head.
He holds a goblet in his right hand
and says a blessing for the entire land.
Oh, amen and amen, this is the truth,
the Messiah will come this year!
If he comes by wagon–
there will be good years.
If he comes riding–
there will be good times.
If he comes by foot–
the Jews will establish themselves in the Land of Israel!
Shnirele perele, gilderne fon,
Moshiekh ben Dovid zitst oybn on.
Halt a bekher in der rekhter hant,
Makht a brokhe oyfn gantsn land.
Oy, omeyn veomeyn, dos iz vor,
Meshiekh vet kumen hayntiks yor!
Vet er kumen tsu forn,
Veln zayn gute yorn.
Vet er kumen tsu raytn,
Veln zayn gute tsaytn.
Vet er kumen tsu geyn,
Veln di yidn in erets-yisroel aynshteyn!
שנירעלע־פּערעלע, גילדערנע פֿאָן,
משיח בן דוד זיצט אױבן אָן,
האַלט אַ בעכער אין דער רעכטער האַנט,
מאַכט אַ ברכה אױפֿן גאַנצן לאַנד.
אױ, אָמן־ואָמן — דאָס איז װאָר,
משיח װעט קומען הײַנטיקס יאָר.
װעט ער קומען צו פֿאָרן,
װעלן זײַן גוטע יאָרן.
װעט ער קומען צו רײַטן,
װעלן זײַן גוטע צײַטן.
װעט ער קומען צו גײן,
װעלן די ייִדן אין ארץ־ישׂראל אײַנשטײן.
Song Title: Shnirele Perele, Gilderne Fon
The Songs of Generations: New Pearls of Yiddish Song anthology comprises songs that were either never printed before or appeared in rare and inaccessible publications — sometimes in different versions and without proper sources. Most of the songs in this book were submitted by readers of Chana and Yosl’s column “Perl fun der yidisher poezye” (Pearls of Yiddish Poetry) in the Yiddish newspaper Der Forverts (The Forward), initiated in October, 1970. Over 25 years, thousands of songs were collected in correspondence and on cassettes from readers throughout the world, and they represent a veritable national Yiddish song archive. Chana Mlotek, in her introduction, writes, “In the course of years the inquiries, contributions and enthusiasm of these readers have kept our own interest unflagging and have reinforced our dedication to this effort. And in recent years our participants have also been augmented by new readers from the former Soviet Russia, who receive our newspaper there or from newly-arrived immigrants in this country and Israel.”
