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

Update: This song is no longer lost. Itzik Gottesman found it for me and there is a new post about it here.

застольная народная песня Черт возьми?

DOS FLESHELE 1.24

Geven bin ikh a mentsh eyner
Bakant geven in der gantser velt
Haynt iz far mir alesding tsu
Tsulib dir, mayn fleshele, okh! Tshort vosmi!

Gehat hob ikh a kale Gitele
Antlofn iz zi, der tayvl veyst zi vu
Zi hot mir geton mayn lebn derkutshn
Tsulib dir, mayn fleshele, okh! Chort vozmi!

men varft mir shteyger nokh in di gasn
shlogt im - shrayt men - dem bosyak
zogt mir, menshn, farvos tut ir mikh hasn?
Tsulib dir, mayn fleshele, okh! Chert voz'mi!

Vu iz mayn foter? Vu iz mayn muter?
Vu iz mayn heymat, zogt mir vu?
Fun vandern iz mir shoyn mayn lebn far'mies't
Tsulib dir, mayn fleshele, okh! Chort vozmi!

S'vert mir erger in di letste tsaytn
Kh'bin shoyn alt un krank un farshmakht
Un, ikhg shtarb avek! mayne libe laytn
durkh dir, mayn fleshele, oy, a gute nakht!

Labels: booze, persecution