Researching Yiddish penny songs (tenement song broadsides of theater and variety show songs, 1895-1925)
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Half of each issue of Katzenelenbogen's Lider magazin comprised the lyrics to songs from one Yiddish operetta. I'm mostly ignoring those songs, since generally they're available as sheet music from the Library of Congress website. But here's one example, from the issue that featured texts from Dovids fidele (Dowids fiedele, David's violin), an opera by Lateiner & Mogulesco

On the sheet music it's transliterated Shiker Lied (Noiach kuplet) which these days would be transliterated as Shiker lid (Noyekh kuplet)

The music is found in a folio here: Dowid's fiedele

For ease of reading I redid the sheet music onto one page. Click to see/save the full-sized page.



The tune is very repetitive but the words are fun. Somebody should write it a new tune. And of course pronounce neyn "nayn" or the song doesn't rhyme.

The Yiddish lyrics, transliterated, and a translation after the jump.

The Drunkard's Song

I swear no, no, no, I'm not drinking
I'm throwing drinking away
Except for just this time and one more swig

Only occasionally for melancholy, then I have to drink a fearful amount
And by a corpse, for sorrow, drinking's indispensable
And when my heart gnaws I have to drink all day

But beyond that I swear, no...

And when I meet up with a khasid, then I have to drink again
And when my wife scolds me then I have to drink, endlessly
When lying down and getting up how can one manage without drinking

But beyond that I swear, no...

And Friday evening by the kiddush, then one has to drink remarkably
And when one sits at the table one drinks before and after the fish
And when it's my father's yartseit, how can a bit of liquor be amiss?