Adaptation of a song by Sh. Kahn, music by E. Teitelbaum. A ghetto adaptation titled “Oyf Shnorita” (Begging) starts: “I was walking with quick steps, dragging a full sack; my legs bent from fatigue and water dripped from my shoes.”
I go a’ walking with quick, quick steps,
to the fair, to the fair to buy a horse,
with my purse a’ ringing, ringing
and singing, singing myself a little song.
It’s still far, very far, to the city,
and here’s a tavern by the roadside, by the roadside
wide open is the door, is the door
innkeeper, give a glass, a glass to me!
Another glass, another, another class
the innkee — the innkeeper pours.
Who cares about the city or the fair
I don’t need any horse, don’t need it.
Didn’t buy the horse, didn’t buy,
and I drank the money, it’s long gone,
and now I am jumping, jumping from my troubles
and singing, singing myself a little song.
Shprayz ikh mir mit gikhe, mit gikhe trit,
Nokh a ferdl tsum yarid, tsum yarid,
Mitn tayster kling ikh mir, kling ikh mir,
Un a lidl zing ikh mir, zing ikh mir. . .
Tsu der shtot iz vayt nokh, zeyer vayt,
Shteyt a kretshme bay der zayt, bay der zayt,
Breyt tseefnt iz di tir, iz di tir,
— Kretshmer, gib a glezl, a glezl mir!
Nokh a glezl, nokh eyns, nokh a gloz
Gist mir on der bale — der balebos.
Vos mir shtot un ven mir, ven yarid,
Az keyn ferdl darf ikh nit, darf ikh nit.
S’ferdl hob ikh nit gekoyft, nit gekoyft,
Un dos gelt shoyn lang farzoyft, lang farzoyft,
Un far tsores shpring ikh mir, shpring ikh mir,
Un a lidl zing ikh mir; zing ikh mir.
שפּרײַז איך מיר מיט גיכע, מיט גיכע טריט,
נאָך א פֿערדל צום יאַריד, צום יאַריד,
מיטן טײַסטער קלינג איך מיר, קלינג איך מיר,
און אַ לידל זינג איך מיר, זינג איך מיר. . .
צו דער שטאָט איז װײַט נאָך, זײער װײַט,
שטײט אַ קרעטשמע בײַ דער זײַט, בײַ דער זײַט;
ברײט צעעפֿנט איז די טיר, איז די טיר,
— קרעטשמער, גיב אַ גלעזל, אַ גלעזל מיר!
נאָך אַ גלעזל, נאָך אײנס, נאָך אַ גלאָז
גיסט מיר אָן דער באַלע- דער באַלעבאָס.
װאָס מיר שטאָט און װען מיר, װען יאַריר,
אַז קײן פֿערדל דאַרף איך ניט, דאַרף איך ניט.
ס’פֿערדל האָב איך ניט געקױפֿט, ניט געקױפֿט,
און דאָס געלט שױן לאַנג פֿאַרזױפֿט, לאַנג פֿאַרזױפֿט,
און פֿון צרות שפּרינג איך מיר, שפּרינג איך מיר
און אַ לידל זינג איך מיר, זינג איך מיר.
Song Title: Shprayz Ikh Mir
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.
