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Tayere Malke

Dear Malke
טײַערע מלכּה

Song by folk poet Mark Markovich Warshawsky (1840-1907), author and composer of many popular Yiddish songs like “Oyfn pripetshik” (At the fireplace), “Di mizinke oysgegebn” (The youngest daughter’s wedding). This melody was later used for Yosl Kotler’s song “Simkhe mit zayn yidene” (Simkhe and his wife). A second melody was published in 1928 in 90 geklibene yidishe folkslider and recorded by such contemporary singers as Theodore Bikel and Martha Shlamme. On the record Songs of Freedom and Resistance, Zalmen Mlotek combines the two melodies, both of which are presented here. The song is traditionally sung at the Workmen’s Circle annual Third Seder in New York.

Illustration of musical notes from the books

Lyrics

Dear Malke,
May you be well!
Fill up the goblet,
The goblet with wine.
Bim-bam-bam, bim-bam!

From this goblet,
Which gleams so prettily,
My grandfather would drink
My grandfather himself.

There have been bad times,
As sometimes happen,
But I held on to the goblet
With iron and steel.

It would amuse all the children,
As you know.
From my father the goblet
Passed to me.

Dear Malke,
May you be well!
For whom shall I drink this wine?

I drink for the little spark of Jewishness
That struggles and never tires.

I drink to life without end
I want to drink for those who departed.

I drink for my enemies,
But don’t reveal it.
Look, tears are spurting
From the goblet.

Sing louder and louder:
God, You are great!
Malke, put away the goblet.
The song is ended.

Tayere Malke —
Gezunt zolstu zayn!
Gis on dem bekher,
Dem bekher mit vayn.
Bim-bam-bam, bim-bam!

Fun dem dozikn bekher,
Er glantst azoy sheyn,
Hot getrunken mayn zeyde,
Mayn zeyde aleyn.

Geven shlekhte tsaytn,
Vi es makht zikh a mol
Nor dem bekher hob ikh gehaltn —
Ayzn un shtol;

Er hot mesameyekh geven ale kinder
Bekant is dos dir,
Funem tatn iz der bekher
Gekumen tsu mir!

Tayere Malke,
Gezunt zolstu zayn!
Far vemen zol ikh trinken
Dem dozikn vayn?

Lekhayim vil ikh trinken
Far dem pintele yid,
Vos mutshet zikh tomid
Un vert keyn mol nit mid!

Lekhayim vil ikh trinken,
Un take on an ek,
Far di vos zaynen geforn
Oyf eybik avek!

Kh’trink far mayne sonim
Nor zog zey nit oys!
Kuk, trern zey shpritsn
Fun bekher aroys!

Zingt hekher un hekher:
Got, du bist groys!
Bahalt, Malke, dem bekher,
Dos lidl iz oys.

טײַערע מלכּה —
געזונט זאָלסטו זײַן!
גיס אָן דעם בעכער,
דעם בעכער מיט װײַן.
בים־באַם־באַם, בים־באַם!

פֿון דעם דאָזיקן בעכער,
ער גלאַנצט אַזױ שײן,
האָט געטרונקען מײַן זײדע,
מײַן זײדע אַלײן.

געװען שלעכטע צײַטן,
װי עס מאַכט זיך אַ מאָל,
נאָר דעם בעכער האָב איך געהאַלטן —
אײַזן און שטאָל!

ער האָט משׂמח געװען אַלע קינדער,
באַקאַנט איז דאָס דיר,
פֿונעם טאַטן איז דער בעכער
געקומען צו מיר!

טײַערע מלכּה,
געזונט זאָלסטו זײַן!
פֿאַר װעמען זאָל איך טרינקען
דעם דאָזיקן װײַן?

לחײם װיל איך טרינקען
פֿאַר דעם פּינטעלע ייִד,
װאָס מוטשעט זיך תּמיד
און װערט קײן מאָל ניט מיד!

לחײם װיל איך טרינקען,
און טאַקע אָן אַן עק,
פֿאַר די װאָס זײַנען געפֿאָרן
אױף אײביק אַװעק!

כ’טרינק פֿאַר מײַנע שׂונאים,
נאָר זאָג זײ ניט אױס!
קוק, טרערן זײ שפּריצן
פֿון בעכער אַרױס!

זינגט העכער און העכער:
גאָט, דו ביסט גרױס!
באַהאַלט, מלכּה, דעם בעכער,
דאָס לידל איז אױס.

Song Title: Tayere Malke

Composer: Mark Markovich Warshawsky
Composer’s Yiddish Name: מאַרק מ. װאַרשאַװסקי
Lyricist: Mark M. Warshavsky
Lyricist’s Yiddish Name: מאַרק מ. װאַרשאַװסקי
Time Period: Unspecified

This Song is Part of a Collection

Yontefdike Jeg Song Book Cover

Yontefdike Teg: Song Book for the Yiddish Holidays

Written by Chana Mlotek and her sister Malke Gottleib, Yontefdike Teg, a holiday songbook, was originally dedicated to Aaron Fishman, a beloved Yiddish educator, whose devotion to Yiddish culture inspired countless students who went on to become leaders in education and the arts. Because of Aaron Fishman’s long-term loyalty to the Yiddish shules (schools), the Yontefdike Teg collection was designed to serve the Yiddish shule and also to be an integral part of the Jewish home. The songs were chosen from material that was used in various types of Yiddish shules. Some of the songs even stem from the very beginning of the modern Yiddish shule in Europe and in America. In the collection, remarkable material can also be found, such as: songs sung in the Yiddish shules in Argentina; revived folksongs; adaptations from Avrom Goldfaden melodies; and new original music. The forty songs were chosen on the basis of first-hand experience of teaching Yiddish songs to children in the Yiddish shules and intentionally selected to be easily memorized and give great joy in singing.

The selection of the songs in this collection reflects the teaching practice in the modern Yiddish shule. There are more songs for the holidays of Chanukah, Purim and Pesach than for other holidays, largely because people are more likely to devote themselves to these holidays than to the others. Some songs represented a special significance for the editors. For example, the charming Khatsi-halayla (In the middle of the night) was chosen by the Arbeter Ring shules in Philadelphia, with which Aaron Fishman had close ties for many years. A second song, Shavuos, for which Aaron Bromberg (עייה), another teacher, had written the lyrics, has become a Chassidic tune that was taught by Leibush Lehrer, someone who had a very great universal influence. A notable innovation in this collection is that the songs are published in Yiddish, together with an English transliteration and an English summary for each song. Both the Yiddish and English transliterations conform to YIVO usage, the highest academic Yiddish language authority. The music is set in keys that are not difficult for young voices and that young fingers can easily play on the piano.

Those who have undertaken responsibility in the preparation of this collection are all active practitioners of Yiddish training, music and art. In addition, they all possess another underlying commonality: all were born in the United States, graduates of the Yiddish shules where, in several instances, they learned to sing the songs for the first time. They have all continued their interest and enthusiasm for the Yiddish shule. Not only have Yiddish songs enriched their private lives, but through these Yiddish songs, friends and family have developed love and respect for Yiddish music and Yiddish cultural works. In the original introduction, Mlotek and Gottleib write: It is our hope and aim that for Jewish children and their parents, the Jewish holidays in the shule and in the home will always be accompanied by Yiddish song and that Yiddish song will always help fortify the Jewish home and the Jewish holidays.

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