Скачать или смотреть Papirosn (Herman Yablokoff) - Rowan Etzel

Papirosn (Cigarettes) is a Yiddish folk song by Herman Yablokoff. It's one of those that sounds happy but is actually quite dark... Performed during one of my Bowdoin voice recitals on 5/11/18.

Lyrics:

A kalte nakht, a nepldike, finster umetum
Shteyt a yingele fartroyert un kukt zikh arum
Fun regn shitst im nor a vant, a koshikl halt er in hant
Un zayne oygn betn yedn shtum

Ikh hob shoyn nit keyn koyekh mer arumtsugeyn in gas
Hungerik un opgerisn, fun dem regn nas
Ikh shlep arum zikh fun baginen
Keyner git nit tsu fardinen
Ale lakhn makhn fun mir shpas

Kupitye, koyf zhe, koyf zhe papirosn
Trukene, fun regn nit fargosn
Koyf zhe, bilik benemones
Koyft un hot oyf mir rakhmones
Ratevet fun hunger mikh atsind

Kupitye, koyf zhe shvebelekh antikn
Dermit vet ir a yoseml derkvikn
Umzist mayn shrayen un mayn loyfn
Keyner vil bay mir nit koyfn
Oysgeyn vel ikh muzn vi a hint

Translation:

A cold night, foggy, darkness everywhere
A boy stands sadly and looks around
Only a wall protects him from the rain
He holds a basket in his hand
And his eyes beg everyone silently:

I don't have any strength left to walk the streets
Hungry and ragged, wet from the rain
I walk around from dawn
Nobody gives me any earnings
Everyone laughs and makes fun of me

Please, Buy my cigarettes!
Dry ones, not wet from the rain
Buy real cheap
Buy and have pity on me
Save me from hunger now

Buy my matches, wonderful ones, the best
And with that you will uplift an orphan
My cries and my running will be for naught
Nobody wants to buy from me
In the end I'll perish like a dog