| A BRIVELE DER MAMEN |
| YIDDISH |
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Mayn kind, mayn treyst, du forst avek
Ze zay a zun a guter
Dikh bet mit trern un mit shrek
Dayn traye libe muter
Du forst, mayn kind, mayn eyntsik kind,
Ariber vayte yamen.
Akh kum ahin nor frish gezunt
Un nit farges dayn mamen.
Yo! For gezunt un kum mit glik,
Ze yede vokh a brivele shik,
Dayn mames harts, mayn kind, derkvik
Refrain
A brivele der mamen
Zolstu nit farzamen
Shrayb geshvind, mayn lib kind
Shenk ir di nekhome,
Di mame vet dayn brivele lezn
Un zi vet genezn
Heylst ir shmerts, ir biter harts
Derkvikst ir di neshome
Dos akhte yor, ikh bin aleyn
Dos kind iz vayt farshvumen
Dos kindersh harts iz hart vi a shteyn
Kayn eyntsik briv bakumen
Vi ken mayn kind nokh hobn mut?
Vi geyt im ayn dos lebn
Ez mus im geyn dort zeyer gut
Vil er kayn nakhnikht gebn
Kh'hob im geshikt a hundert briv,
Un er hot nokh kayn shum bagrif,
Az mayne shmertsn zenen zeyer tif.
Refrain
In shtot New York, a raykh hoyz
Mit hertser, on gefiln
Dort voynt ir zun er lebt gor groys
Mit a gliklekhe familye
A sheyne froy, un kinder tsvey
Mit likhtike geshtaltn
Un az er zitst un kvelt fun zey
Hot er a briv derhaltn
Dayn muter toyt! Es iz geshen,
In lebn hostu ir farzen,
Dos iz ir leste vuntsh geven
A kidishl der mamen
Zolstu nit farzamen
Zog geshvind mayn lib kind
Shenk ir di nekhome
Di mame vet dayn kadishl hern
In ir keyver gern
Heylst ir shmertz ir biter harts
Derkvikst ir di neshome |
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| Yiddish - A LITTLE LETTER TO MOM |
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My child, my comfort, you're going away
Please be a good son
With tears and trembling
Your dear, faithful mother begs you
You're going away my one and only child
Across the distant seas
Arrive there safely and in good health
And don't forget your mother
Yes, go in health and with good fortune
And be sure to write a letter each week
To delight your mother's heart
Refrain
A letter to your mother
Don't delay
Write soon, my beloved child,
And give her solace
Your mother will read your letter
And she will be comforted
You'll heal her pain and her aching heart
And revive her spirits
Eight years now, I've been alone
My child has wandered far away
His childish heart is hard as stone
I've not received a single letter
How can he still have courage?
How has life treated him?
He must be well of
And doesn't want me to know
I've sent a hundred letters
And he hasn't the slightest notion
How deep my grief is
Refrain
In New York City, a wealthy home
Full of hearts without pity
There lives her child in luxury
With his happy family
A beautiful wife, two children
With radiant faces
And as he sits and beams with joy
He receives a letter
Your mother is dead! It has come to pass
In life you neglected her
This was her last wish
Say Kaddish for your mother
Don't delay
Say it soon, my beloved child,
And give her solace
Your mother will hear your kadish
In her grave gladly
You'll heal her pain and her bitter heart
And revive her spirits |
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