Mayn mames shabes likht

[My mother's Shabbat candles]

by Jack Yellen

[See lecture: Shabbat]

S'iz fraytik nakht, ikh zits un trakht	It's Friday night, I sit and think,
Vos hot di tsayt fun undz gemakht,	what the time has done to us,
Vi mir zaynen vayt farvandert funem veg,	How far we have strayed from our way,
Un vi gut iz zaynen geven di alte teg.	And how good the old days were.

Kh'vel keynmol nit fargesn	I'll never forget
mayn mames shabes likht,	my mother's Shabbat candles,
Di kinder zaynen gezesn	The children used to sit
baym tish, azoy sheyn gedikht.	at the table, decked out beautifully.
Der tate makht dem kidush,	Father would say Kiddush
Vi zis is, vos ikh her,	How sweet is what I hear,
S'iz take nit keyn khidush,	It's not new
Az s'flist fun oyg a trer.	that a tear would flow from our eyes.

Vu men hot dem yid fartribn,	Wherever the Jew has been driven,
Fun im ash gemakht,	turned into ash,
Far undz zaynen di likht farblibn	For us the lights have remained
vi shtern in di nakht.	like stars in the night.

Bney Yisroel zaynen mir,	We are the Children of Israel,
Un vu der yid farkrikht,	And wherever the Jew goes,
Dort vet eybik shaynen	There, for ever, will shine
di mames shabes likht.	Mother's Shabbat candles.

שירי עם יהודיים