Yiddish Curiosities: a library of wonderful but forgotten Yiddish songs from the late 1920s and after (includes Polish Jewish Cabaret). Have a listen!

Here is the version of Mikhl Gordin's song "Di Mashke" which was printed in Itzik Zhelonek's book. My off-the-cuff translation is below.

Ikh vil dikh mashke erlikh haltn
kh'vel shteyn far dir vi far an altn
ikh vel dikh erlikh haltn mashke
vayl ikh darf in dayne laske

tra la la la la la la la tra la la la la la la la
tra la la la la la la la tra la la la la

Beshas der shadkhn iz gekumen tsu mayn zeydn
Dem tatn mit der mamen a shidukh redn
Hot men geredt un geredt umzist
Biz dos glezl mashke hot zikh arayngemisht
Tsulib der mashke iz der shidukh geshlosn
Der tate iz gevorn der mames khosn

M'hot take bald khasene gemakht
Un getrunken mashke a gantse nakht
Mit groyse glezer hobn getrunken ale
Lekoved dem khosn un lekoved der kale
Durkh mashke hot der tate di mame genumen
Durkh mashke bin ikh oyf der velt gekumen

Ikh gedenk nokh bay mayn bris
Iz dos glezl mashke nisht arop fun tish
Der oylem hot geshrien: Mazl tov!
Dos kind zol vaksn un zayn a rov
Ot deriber trink ikh a rov-kus
Deriber trink ikh on a mos

Ikh gedenk as m'hot mikh in kheyder gebrakht
Hot men gehulyet biz shpet in der nakht
Un der rebe Reb Kheshl
Hot getrunken fun gantsn fleshl
Un bay im in kheyder hob ikh gekrign a pule
Tsu trinken mashke gor a fule

Oyf mayn bar-mitzve hob ikh gezogt a droshe
Az nemen a bisl mashke iz gor nishkoshe
Az aleyn bekovedu vebeetsmu. Der kayser
Iz dokh bimkhile a shiker a groyser
Derfar, brider, orem un raykh,
Lomir trinken ale glaykh

Ikh gedenk oyf mayne tnoyim
Hobn ale getrunken vi di goyim
Un men hot tep gebrokhn
Un di mashke iz fun tish nisht aropgekrokhn
Un ikh hob nisht gekukt, vos ikh bin a khosn
Un ale vayle arayngegosn

Ikh gedenk az men hot mikh tsu der khupe gefirt
Hot men genumen a bisele shpirt
Un der rov hot gezogt di brokhes
Un in bekher iz geblibn a kadokhes (malaria, nothing at all)
Un ikh bin geshtanen vi a fayner yung
Un gelekt dem bekher mit der tsung

Bald nokh der khasene
Hob ikh zikh mit der vayb ongehoybn krign
Zenen mir geforn tsu a gutn yidn
Hot der guter yid undz gegebn a shmire
Mir zoln ariber oyf a naye dire
Un oyf der nayer dire
Hob ikh dos vayb nisht gehert
Un ale vayle arayngekert

Mayn bisele yorn, ven ikh vel oyslebn
Vil ikh men zol mir in keyver mitgebn
A fesele mashke noent bay der vant
A groyser gloz in der rekhter hant
Tsu tkies-hameysim bin ikh vider do
Un trink bald mashke in der ershter sho



Whiskey, I'll hold you in respect, I'll respect you like an elder
I'll hold you in respect, whiskey, because I need your favors

When the matchmaker came to my grandfather to propose a match
They talked and talked in vain until a glass of whiskey was mixed in
Thanks to whiskey the match was agreed upon, and my father became my mother's bridegroom.

Soon came the wedding and there was whiskey all night. Everybody drank from big glasses, in honor of the bride and groom. It was thanks to whiskey my father took my mother, it was thanks to whiskey I came into the world.

I also remember my circumcision. The table was never without a glass of whiskey. The guests shouted congratulations! The child will grow up to be a rabbi! That's why I drink from a great big glass (rov-kos) - and I drink limitlessly

I remember when they took me to school, they celebrated late into the night. And the rabbi drank from the bottle, and it was from him in school I learned to drink a lot of whiskey

At my bar-mitzvah I gave a speech, that it's not bad at all to take a little whiskey one's own self. The czar is (pardon me) a great drunkard. Therefore, brothers, poor and rich, let's drink, all together.

I remember at the signing of my marriage contract everybody drank like the goyim. And the glass was broken and the whiskey never crept off the table. And I didn't notice I was a bridegroom and was pouring down my throat the whole time.

I remember when I was taken to the khupe. One took a bit of booze. And the rabbi said the blessings, and in the cup there was nothing left at all. And I stood like a fine young man and licked the cup with my tongue.

Soon after the wedding I began fighting with my wife. We went to see a good guy, he gave us an amulet so we could go to a new apartment. And in the new apartment I couldn't hear my wife and all the while I'm gulping it down...

My few years, when I've lived them out, I want to be taken to the grave, a flask of whiskey close by the wall, a big glass in my right hand. When the dead are raised I'll be here again and I'll soon be drinking whiskey, in the first hour

Labels: battle between the sexes, booze, humor & satire, religion