Researching Yiddish penny songs (tenement song broadsides of theater and variety show songs, 1895-1925)
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Saturday, May 21, 2016

Dos ferdl (The little horse) - in which Sigmund Mogulesco and Abraham Goldfaden try Gilbert & Sullivan

Here's an early political cartoon of King George V attempting unsuccessfully to ride on the American colonists. The metaphor was not new when Goldfaden and Mogulesco used it in this 1908 song from the show Ben Ami (it's spelled in the sheet music Dus ferdil). In the show it was sung by Bessie Tomashefsky.

I wish I could present these songs the way I hear them in my head. I don't feel right asking my pianist friends to help any more, what's in it for them? No money, no glory. So I struggle away with my own nonexistent piano skills.

Then, I think: "I should put a bunch of Gilbert and Sullivan style fiddle tracks on this," but then, I run out of time and don't do it. I guess I'm just presenting blueprints so if other musicians want to perform the songs properly they have a place to start from.

Here's my recording from today. This is the last of four songs I prepared at the same time. Now I should go do some other things for a while.


Transliteration and translation after the jump. This was the first time I've seen the word smirno (pay attention) - it's from Russian.

Dem rayter makht es fargenign raytn on a sof
a tayer ferdele tsu krign un raytn nor derof
Dos ferdele meg vern mider es art nit dem yungatsh
Er shmayst un rayst fun dem di glider mit der baytsh
Un tsit men iber shtark di leytse dos ferdl vert fardrislekh
un heybt dos uf di mide pleytse un driget mit di fislekh
es rayst zikh op un loyft avek galop
Men falt arop un men tsebrekht dem kop.

Vyo vyo s'iz shoyn nit di tsaytn
Vyo vyo men lozt af zikh nit raytn
Oykh a ferd vil haynt nit meyn
Vi far a kayser shmirno shteyn
Arop meyukhes tsu ale rukhes vyo vyo

Dem fabrikant makht fargenign shklafn on a sof
A gutn arbeter tsu krign - oy rayt er oykh derof
Der arbeter meg vern mider - im art dos keynmol neyn
Er nogt un zoygt im oys di glider - biz in beyn
Tsit er iber shtark di leytse - der shklafe vert fardrislekh
Oy heybt er oys zayn mide pleytse - un driget mit di fislekh
Er rayst zikh op bafrayt zikh mit eyn klop
Er varft arop dem boss tsebrekht zayn kop
Vyo Vyo es iz shoyn nit di tsaytn
Vyo vyo men lozt af zikh nit raytn
Der arbeter vil haynt nit meyn vi far a kayser Smirno shteyn
Arop meyukhes tsu ale rukhes vyo vyo

Es makht di mener fargenign un shtolts gor on a sof
A vaybele a gut tsu krign un shrayen nokh derof
Dos vaybl vert fun tsores mider, es iz ir ba im shlekht
Er loyft arum mit gute brider durkh di nekht
Az er tsit iber shtark di leytse dos vaybl vert fardrislekh
Oy heybt zikh uf ir shvakhe pleytse un driget mit di fislekh
Zi rayst zikh op un gibt di baytsh a hop
Varft im arop un er brekht azh dem kop
Vyo vyo es iz shoyn nit di tsaytn
Vyo vyo men lozt af zikh nit raytn
Di vayber viln oykh nit meyn
Far zeyer mener smirno shteyn
Arop meyukhes tsu ale rukhes vyo vyo

The rider enjoys riding endlessly, getting a good horse and riding on it.
The horse may get tired but the lout doesn't care!
He smites and tears at its limbs with the whip.
When you pull hard on the reins the horse gets annoyed
It lifts its tired shoulders and kicks its legs.
It tears off into the air and gallops away.
You fall off and break your head.

"Giddyup!" This isn't the time.
"Giddyup!" People don't let you ride on them.
These days nobody wants to pay attention to the rider.
Down with the bigshot, to the devil with him! "Go!"

The factory owner gets endless pleasure having slaves,
Getting a good worker and riding on him.
The worker may get tired but the boss doesn't care, no,
He gnaws and sucks from the worker's limbs, right to the bone.
He pulls hard on the reins. The slave gets annoyed,
he raises his tired shoulders and kicks his legs.
He tears himself away, to freedom, with one blow,
He throws down the boss and breaks his head.

"Giddyup!" This isn't the time.
"Giddyup!" People don't let you ride on them.
The worker doesn't believe in paying attention to a king.
Down with the bigshot, to the devil with him. "Go!"

Men are pleased and endlessly proud to get a good wife and brag about her.
The wife gets tired out by troubles, things don't go will with him,
He runs around with his buddies all night.
When he pulls hard on the reins the wife gets annoyed
She raises her soft shoulders and kicks out with her feet
She tears away and gives a jolt to the whip
She throws him out and breaks his head

"Go!" It's not the time. "Go!" People don't let you ride on them.
The wives also don't believe in paying attention to their husbands.
Down with the bigshot, to the devil with him. "Go!"



For sheet music and/or performances contact me: jane@mappamundi.com

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