Di Goldene Pave - Folksongs

[See lectures: The Golden Peacock / Jewish Weddings]


Here are three versions of the folksong:
1. From the Ginzburg and Marek collection;
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 (2)over all the seas,
Lozt-zhe gerisn, gilderne foyglMay the golden bird greet
mayn libe, hartsige 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 gerisn, libe foygl,May the golden bird greet
Mayn libn, hartsign tatn.my dearly beloved father.
  
Iz gefloygn di goldene paveThe golden bird flew
iber ale felder (2)over all the fields,
Hot zi farlorn dem goldernem federShe lost the golden feather
in di fremde lender.in foreign lands.
  
S'iz nit azoy der golderner federIt's not so much the golden feather
vi di pave aleyn (2)as the peacock itself,
S'iz nit azoy der fremder zunIt's not so much the unknown son
vi di tokhter aleyn.as the daughter herself.
  
Vi es iz biter, mayn lib muter,How bitter it is, my beloved mother,
a feygele on a nest,to be a bird without a nest,
Azoy iz biter, mayn lib muter,That's how bitter it is, my dear mother,
bay a shver un shviger oyf kest.to board with a bad mother-in-law.
  
Vi iz biter, mayn lib muter,How bitter it is, my beloved mother,
a vaser on a fish (2)to be water without a 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 strange table.
  
Vi iz biter, mayn lib muter,How bitter it is, my beloved mother,
a fish on a fan (2)to be a fish without a pan,
Azoy iz biter, mayn lib muter,That's how bitter it is, my dear mother,
az m'krigt a shlekhtn man.when one gets a bad man.
  
Vi iz biter, mayn lib muter,How bitter it is, my beloved mother,
a feygele on a zamd (2)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.

  

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.