Kinder-yorn Childhood Years Mordekhai Gebirtig
Kinder-yorn, zise kinder-yorn
Eybik blaybt ir vakh in mayn zikorn;
Ven ikh trakht fun ayer tsayt,
Vert mir azoy bang un leyd (layd)
Oy, vi shnel bin ikh shoyn alt gevorn.
Nokh shteyt mir dos shtibl far di oygn,
Vu ikh bin geboyrn, oyfgetsoygn,
Oykh mayn vigl, ze ikh dort,
Shteyt nokh oyf dem zelbn ort —
Vi a kholem iz dos alts farfloygn.
Un mayn mame, akh, vi kh’fleg zi libn,
Khotsh zi hot in kheyder mikh getribn;
Yeder knip iz fun ir hant
Mir nokh azoy gut bakant —
Khotsh keyn tseykhn iz mir nisht farblibn.
Nokh ze ikh dikh, Feygele, du sheyne,
Nokh kush ikh di royte beklekh dayne,
Dayne oygn ful mit kheyn
Dringen in mayn harts arayn,
Kh’hob gemeynt, du vest a mol zayn mayne.
Kinder-yorn, yunge sheyne blumen!
Ts’rik tsu mir vet ir shoyn mer nisht kumen;
Yorn alte, troyerike,
Kalte, more-shkhoyredike,
Hobn ayer sheynem plats farnumen.
Kinder-yorn, kh’hob aykh ongevoyrn
Mayn getraye mamen oykh farloyrn,
Fun der shtub nishto keyn flek,
Feygele iz oykh avek,
Oy, vi shnel bin ikh shoyn alt gevorn.
Childhood years, sweet childhood years
Forever will you stay awake in my memory
When I think of your time
I become so regretful and grieving
Oh, how quickly I’ve become old
Next the little house stands before my eyes,
Where I was born and raised,
Also my cradle, I see it there,
It still stands in the same place
Like a dream this has all flown away.
And my Mama, ah, how I used to love her,
Even though she pushed me to Hebrew school
Every pinch from her hand
Is still familiar to me —
Even though no marks have stayed on me
Next I see you, Feygele, you lovely one
Next I kiss your red cheeks
Your eyes, filled with charm
Penetrate my heart
I had thought you would some day be mine.
Childhood years, young, lovely flowers
You will never return to me.
Old years, sad
Cold, mournful
Have taken your lovely place.
Childhood years, I have lost you
My faithful mother is also lost
No trace remains of the house
Feygele is also gone
Oh, how quickly I’ve become old.