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Di Goldene Pave - Folksongs

[See lectures: The Golden Peacock / Jewish Weddings]


Here are three versions of the folksong:
1. From the Ginzburg and Marek / Yosl and Chana Mlotek collections;
2. From the Beregovsky collection;
3. "Zay zhe mir gezunt" - a version sung by Lifshe Schaechter-Widman and transcribed on "The Yiddish Song of the Week" 

 

1. Folksong, from Jewish Folksongs in Russia, by Ginzburg and Marek, 1901

Iz gefloygn di goldene paveThe golden peacock flew 
iber ale yamen.over all the seas,
Lozt-zhe grisn *, gildene foygl,May you, golden bird, greet *
mayn liber, hartsiger mamen.my dearly beloved mother.
  
Gefloygn, gefloygn di gilderne foyglThe golden bird flew and flew
Iber ale taykhn (2)over all the rivers,
Lozt-zhe grisn *, gildene foygl,May you, golden bird, greet *
mayn libn, hartsign tatn.my dearly beloved father.
  
Es kumt tsu flien di goldene paveThe golden bird comes flying
fun a fremdn land (2)from a foreign land,
Hot zi farloyrn dem gildenem federShe has lost the golden feather
mit a groysn shand.to her great shame.
  
S'iz nit azoy der gildener federIt's not so much the golden feather
vi di pave aleyn (2)as the peacock herself,
S'iz nit azoy der fremder zunIt's not so much the unknown son
vi di tokhter aleyn.as the daughter herself.
  
Vi iz biter, mayn libe muter,How bitter it is, my beloved mother,
a feygele oyf dem yam.to be a bird at sea.
Azoy is biter, mayn libe muterThat's how bitter it is, my dear mother,
az m'krigt a shlekhtn man.when one gets a bad husband.
  
Vi es iz biter, mayn lib muter,How bitter it is, my beloved mother,
a vaser on a fish,to be water without fish,
Azoy iz biter, mayn libe muter,That's how bitter it is, my dear mother,
az m'zitst bay a fremdn tish.to sit at a stranger's table.
  
Vi iz biter, mayn libe muter, How bitter it is, my beloved mother,
a feygele on a nest.to be a bird at sea.
Azoy is biter, mayn libe muter,That's how bitter it is, my dear mother,
bay a shver un shviger oyf kest.to board with parents-in-law.
  
Vi iz biter, mayn lib muter,How bitter it is, my beloved mother,
a feygele on a zamd.to be a bird without a shore [sand]
Azoy iz biter, mayn lib muter,That's how bitter it is, my dear mother,
az m'vert farvogelt in a fremde land.to be a wanderer in a strange land.
  
* Alternate version: 
Lost gerisn *, gildene foygl,Torn * from me, golden bird,
mayn liber mamen / hartzign tatn. are my beloved mother / father.

  

2. Folksong, from Jewish Folksongs, by Moshe Beregovsky

Di mame hot zikh opgegebn un hot mikh avekgegebnMother gave me up and gave me away
Far tsvey un fertsik mayl, mayl,Forty-two miles away,
Un hot mir ongezogt un ongezogtAnd she told me
Az ikh zol shoyn ba ir keynmol nit zayn, zayn.that I can't ever visit her.
  
Bin ikh nit gevezn a yor un tsvey, a yor un tsvey,I didn't for a year and two, a year and two
Iz dokh mir gevorn zeyer vey, zeyer vey,I began to feel very, very bad,
Hob ikh zikh gemakht gring vi a feygele, gring vi a feygele,I made myself light as a bird, light as a bird
Un bin tsu ir gefloygn.And flew to her.
  
Gefloygn, gefloygn, der goldener foygl, der goldener foyglThe golden bird flew, flew
Ibern gedikhtn vald, valdOver dense forests
Un hot dort farloyrn dem goldenem feder, dem goldenem federAnd lost there a golden feather
In a fremdn land, land.In a foreign land.
  
Tut mir nit azoy bank der goldener feder, der goldener federI don't feel so badly about the golden feather
Vi di pave aleyn, vi di pave aleynAs for the peacock,
Zint ikh bin avek fun mayne tate-mame, mayne tate-mameSince I have been away from my parents
Zits ikh un yomer, un veyn un veyn.I sit and weep, wail and wail.
  
Ba mayn mamen gilderne fingerlekh af di finger, af di fingerAt my mother's I had golden rings on my fingers
gilderne fingerlekh af di fingergolden rings on my fingers
Ba mayn shviger, geshtorbn fun hunger, geshtorbn fun hungerAt my mother-in-law's, I starve of hunger
geshtorbn fun hunger.Starve from hunger.