"Oy dortn, dortn" and "Sher

Oy dortn, dortn [adapted from Ida Smith's version, recorded by Ruth Rubin in Patterson, NY in 1956 / sung in dialect]


Performed March 21, 2020 by Eléonore Biezunski, Associate Sound Archivist at YIVO


Link to Ida Smith's version on the Ruth Rubin website: https://exhibitions.yivo.org/items/sh...


Oy, dortn, dortn ibern vaserl,
Oy dortn, dortn ibern brik
Fartribn hosti mikh iber vaytene yamen,
In benken benk ikh nokh dir tsirik !

Oy, di gotenyu, oy got in himl,
Oy, helf mir gotenyu, s’iz mir nisht git !
Shoyn dray-fir yorelekh, vi mir shpiln a libe,
Un khasene hobn beyde kenen mir nit.

Oy dayne eygelekh vi di shvartse karshelekh,
Dayne lipelekh vi rozeve papir.
Un dayne fingerlekh, vi tint in feder –
Oy, shraybn brivelekh zolsti tsi mir.

Oy, dayne brivelekh vel ikh leyenen,
In vel kishn yeyder os.
In mit zidike trerelekh vel ikh zey bagisn,
Oy, biz s’vet vern fil der kos.



Translation:


Oh, there, across the water, / There, far across the bridge, / You were parted from me over distant seas, / And I yearn so much to have you back again.


Oh God, dear God, / Help me, God, I feel terrible. / For 3-4 years we have been courting. / And we still cannot get married.


Oh, your eyes like little black cherries, / And your lips–like pink crepe paper. / And your fingers, like the quill and the ink, / Oh, do write letters to me!


Oh, I will read you dear letters, / And will kiss each letter (of the alphabet), My burning tears will pour over them, / Until the goblet will be full.