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

A couplet from Gekoyfte Khosn sung by Izaac Feld. The Syrena Grand Record label spells it thus: "Geh mach es macht sich nit" from Gekojfter Chosen. ["Der gekoyfter khosn," a tragi-comedy in three acts, music by H. Wohl, directed by Herman Fenigstein, staged in 1933 in Vilna]

I'm looking for the melody of this tune, if you know it or where it can be found please write: jane@mappamundi.com

Ikh bin nisht keyn foyler
A mentshele a voyler
Ikh ken a sakh zakhn dos
Vos yeder eyner heyst
Ikh hob a sakh mayles
Ken oykh paskenen shayles
Ikh hob lib tsu ton
vos yeder eyner veyst
Ikh bin nisht keyn krikher
Oykh nisht keyn glikn-zukher
Ikh bin oykh nisht keyn sharlatan
Fun ale zibn zakhn
Ikh ken oykh a lebn makhn
Far a vayb bin ikh zeyer a guter man

Gey makh, az es makht zikh nisht
Gey lakh, az es lakht zikh nisht
Ales iz bay mir farkert
Nem khotsh un krapir
Ikh hob zi lib, ikh gey shir oys
Un zi lakht zikh fun mir oys
Gey makh, az es makhts zikh nisht
Der veytik iz zeyer groys

A bokher in di yorn
Vos iz shoyn opgeforn
Hot gevolt dos gantse lebn
Zayn far zikh aleyn
Ven a shidukh flegt zikh makhn
Flegt er zikh oyslakhn
Itst iz er oyf groyse tsores
Hert vos es iz geshen:
Er hot mit a meydl
Geheyrat zeyer gants eydl
Gemeynt hot er,
as er iz nokh alrayt
Itst veynt di sheyne dame
Zi vil oykh zayn a mame
Un der man vert tsemisht
Un er zogt zikh shtilerheyt

Gey makh, az es makht zikh nisht
Gey lakh, az es lakht zikh nisht
Ales iz bay mir farkert
Es kumt gornisht aroys
Er hot gemeynt s'vet geshen a nes
Der bokher iz toyt shoyn vi a mes
Gey makh, az es makht zikh nisht
Der veytik iz dokh groys

Labels: battle between the sexes, humor & satire, modernity