Klezmer Conservatory Band - Papirosn / Freylekhe Yidelekh

Lyrics in Yiddish (see below for English): A kalte nakht a nepeldike fintster umetum Shteyt a yingele fartroyert un kukt zikh arum Fun regn shitst im nor a vant A koshikl halter in hant Un zayne oygen betn yedn shtum: Ikh hob shoyn nit keyn koyekh mer arumtsugeyn in gas Hungerik un opgerisn, fun dem regn nas Ikh shlep arum zikh fun baginen Keyner git nit tsu fardinen Ale lakhn makhn fun mir shpas Kupitye koyft zhe koyft zhe papirosn Trukene fun regn nit fargosn Koyft zhe, bilik benemones Koyft un hot oyf mir rakhmones Ratevet fun hunger mikh atsind Kupitye koyft zhe, shevebelakh antikn Dermit ver ir a yosiml derkvikn Umzist mayn shrayen un mayn loyfn Keyner vil bay mir nit koyfn Oysgeyn velikh muzn vi a hunt Mayn tate in milkhome hot farloyrn zayne hent Mayn mame hot di tsores mer oyshaltn nit gekent Ying in keyver zi getribn Bin ikh oyf der velt farblibn Umgliklakh un elnt vi a shteyn Breklakh klayb ikh oyf tsum esn oyf dem altn mark A harte bank iz mayn geleger in dem kaltn park In dertsu di politsyantn Shlogn mikh mit shverdn, kantn, S'helft nit mayn bet, mayn geveyn — A cold night, foggy, and darkness everywhere A boy stands sadly and looks around. Only a wall protects him from the rain He holds a basket in his hand and his eyes beg everyone silently: I don't have any strength left to walk the streets hungry and ragged, wet from the rain, I shlep around from dawn. Nobody gives me any earnings, everyone laughs and makes fun of me Buy my cigarettes! Dry ones, not wet from the rain Buy real cheap, Buy and have pity on me. Save me from hunger now Buy my matches, wonderful ones, the best, and with that you will uplift an orphan. My screaming and my running will be for naught. Nobody wants to buy from me- I will have to perish like a dog. My father lost his hands in the war My mother couldn't bear her troubles anymore And was driven to her grave at a young age I was left on this earth unhappy and alone like a stone I gather crumbs to eat in the cold market A hard bench in the cold park is my bed and on top of that, the police beat me with the edges of their swords and sticks my pleas and my cries are of no use. I had a little sister, a child of nature Together we shlepped around for an entire year. When with her, it was much easier for me. My hunger'd weaken when I glanced at her Suddenly she became weak and sick died in my arms on a street bench And when I lost her I lost everything Let death come already for me, too.