Di Grine Kuzine
Tsu mir iz gekumen a kuzine
Sheyn vi gold iz zi geven, di grine
Bekelakh vi royte pomerantsn
Fiselakh vos betn zich tsum tantsn.
Herelakh vi zaydn-veb gelokte
Tseyndelekh vi perelakh getokte
Eygelakh vi himl-bloy in friling
Lipelekh vi karshelekh a tsviling.
Nisht gegangen iz zi, nor geshprungen
Nisht geret hot zi, nor gezungen
Lebedik un freylekh yede mine -
Ot aza geven iz mayn kuzine.
Un azoy ariber tseyner yorn
Fun mayn kuzine iz a tel gevorn
"Peides" hot zi vokhenlang geklibn
Biz fun ir iz gornisht nit geblibn.
Haynt az ikh bagegen mayn kuzine
Un ikh freg ir: S'makhtsu epes, Grine?
Ziftst zi op, un kh'leyen in ir mine:
Brenen zol Colombus' es medine!
There came to me a green cousin,
And a beauty, and a green one.
Little cheeks like red oranges
Little feet that only beg to dance.
(Und dan gekummen meyne nexdorke
Voz zi hot a millinery shtorke
A dzhob hot zi gehad for meyne kusine!
A zei sheyn iz Columbus’es medineh!.)
(And then came my next-door neighbor
What she had a small millenary store
She had a job for my cousin!
How wonderful, Columbus’s country!)
And now after tens of years,
My cousin became a wreck,
(Work for) Paydays took their toll
From her, nothing good remained..
Now when run into my cousin
And I ask, how are you doing, Greenie?
She sighs and I can read it in her eyes:
“Go to hell, Columbus’s country.”
Di Grine Kuzine
Tsu mir iz gekumen a kuzine
Sheyn vi gold iz zi geven, di grine
Bekelakh vi royte pomerantsn
Fiselakh vos betn zich tsum tantsn.
Herelakh vi zaydn-veb gelokte
Tseyndelekh vi perelakh getokte
Eygelakh vi himl-bloy in friling
Lipelekh vi karshelekh a tsviling.
Nisht gegangen iz zi, nor geshprungen
Nisht geret hot zi, nor gezungen
Lebedik un freylekh yede mine -
Ot aza geven iz mayn kuzine.
Un azoy ariber tseyner yorn
Fun mayn kuzine iz a tel gevorn
"Peides" hot zi vokhenlang geklibn
Biz fun ir iz gornisht nit geblibn.
Haynt az ikh bagegen mayn kuzine
Un ikh freg ir: S'makhtsu epes, Grine?
Ziftst zi op, un kh'leyen in ir mine:
Brenen zol Colombus' es medine!
There came to me a green cousin,
And a beauty, and a green one.
Little cheeks like red oranges
Little feet that only beg to dance.
(Und dan gekummen meyne nexdorke
Voz zi hot a millinery shtorke
A dzhob hot zi gehad for meyne kusine!
A zei sheyn iz Columbus’es medineh!.)
(And then came my next-door neighbor
What she had a small millenary store
She had a job for my cousin!
How wonderful, Columbus’s country!)
And now after tens of years,
My cousin became a wreck,
(Work for) Paydays took their toll
From her, nothing good remained..
Now when run into my cousin
And I ask, how are you doing, Greenie?
She sighs and I can read it in her eyes:
“Go to hell, Columbus’s country.”