Yankele

Lyrics Mordecai Gebirtig Music Mordecai Gebirtig
Performers Esther Bluwol, Raphaële Lannadere

Sleep, sleep Yankele, my handsome son
Close your little black eyes
My little one, now that you have all your teeth
Must you make your mother sing you to sleep?

A little boy who has all his teeth
And who will soon go to school
And learn Torah and Talmud
Must he cry when his mama rocks him to sleep?

A little boy who will learn to read
And make his father very proud
A little boy who will be so smart
Must he keep his mother awake all night?

A little boy who will be so smart
And be a brilliant shopkeeper
A little boy old enough to be engaged
Must he stay in his bed, all wet?

Sleep, then, my handsome groom
Sleep while you are still in your cradle by my side
Your mother will shed many tears
Before she makes a man of you

Shlof zhe mir shoyn Yankele, mayn sheyner
Di eygelekh di shvartsinke makh tsu
A yingele vos hot shoyn ale tseyndelekh
Muz nokh di mame zingen ay-lyu-lyu

A yingele vos hot shoyn ale tseyndelekh
Un vet mit mazl bald in kheyder geyn
Un lernen vet er khumesh mit gemore
Zol veynen ven di mame vigt im eyn?

A yingele vos lernen vet gemore
Ot shteyt der tate kvelt un hert zikh tsu
A yingele vos vakst a talmid-khokhem
Lozt gantse nekht der mamen nisht tsu ru?

A yingele vos vakst a talmid-khokhem
Un a geniter soykher oykh tsu glaykh
A yingele a kluger khosn-bokher
Zol lign azoy nas vi in a taykh

Nu shlof zhe mir, mayn kluger khosn-bokhe
Dervayl ligstu in vigele bay mir
S’vet kostn nokh fil mi un mames trern
Biz vanen s’vet a mentsh aroys fun dir