"Aa-ah, aah-ah, Baby" in Yiddish by Wendy Joseph

3. Wendy Joseph (1952); Lynwood, CA; Pacific NW, Trees, trees, tall tress…. Fresh air, Mountains, Wind, Birds. Sleep comes to him in blue or red color. He sung "Raisins and Almonds.":

Druben (here name of child) kraddelein

Steht ein klor weiss Zegelein,

Zegelein gegessen Mandeln

Rosenkrus mit Mandeln

Aa-ah, aa-ah, baby,

Aa-ah, aa-ah, baby,

Aa-ah, aa-ah, baby

,Aa-ah, aa-ah, baby (name of baby)

Translation by Wendy:

Next to Samuel's little ctadle

Stands a pure white goat,

Goat eats almonds

Raisin cakes with almonds.

from http://web.archive.org/web/20091027102112/http://www.geocities.com/canada_studies/maynard/rlyrics.html -  The founder of the modern Yiddish theatre, Abraham Goldfaden, wrote the poem in 1880 as part of his operetta Shulamis, which features a mothers singing a lullaby to her son. The poem is an allegory of the Jewish people's longing to return to their homeland:

Under Baby’s cradle in the night
Stands a goat so soft and snowy white
The Goat will go to the market
To bring you wonderful treats
He’ll bring you raisins and almonds
Sleep, my little one, sleep.

This well known lullaby may be paraphrased as follows: 'Under little Yidele's cradle is a snow white billy goat; This billy goat has been to market; And so it shall be Yidele's calling too - To go to market and trade in raisins and almonds; But sleep now, my Yidele, sleep'.

In a vinkl cheyder
Zitst di almone, bas-tsion, aleyn
Ihr ben yochidle yideln vigt zi keseider
Un zingt im tzum shofn a ledeleh sheyn.
Ai-lu-lu
Unter Yideles vigele
Shteyt a klor-vise tsigele
Dos tsigele iz geforn handlen
Dos vet zine dine baruf
Rozhinkes mit mandlen
Slof-zhe, Yidele, shlof.

Translation: In the temple corner sits a widowed daughter of Zion, rocking her only son. She sings, "Someday you will trade in raisins and almonds... that will be your calling. Sleep now little one, sleep.".
 

Under baby’s cradle in the night

Stands a goat so soft and snowy white

The goat will go to the market
To bring you wonderful treats
He’ll bring you raisins and almonds
Sleep, my little one, sleep.

Under baby's cradle in the night
Stands a goat so soft and snowy white
The goat will go to the market
To bring you wonderful treats
He'll bring you raisins and almonds
Sleep, my little one, sleep.

In dem beys hamikdashIn a vinkl kheyde

Zitzt di almone Bas Zion aleyn.
Ir ben yokhidl Yidele
Vigt zi keseyder
Un zingt im tzu shlofn a lidele sheyn: ay-lu-lu...
Unter Yidele's vigele
Shteyt a klor vayse tzigele
Dos tzigele is geforn handlen
Dos vet zayn dayn baruf,
Rozhinkes mit mandlen
Shlof zhe Yidele, shlof.
In dem lidl, mayn kind,
Ligt fil neviyes.
Az du vest amol zayn tzezeyt oyf der velt.
A soykher vestu zayn
Fun ale tvues.
Un vest in dem oykh fardinen fil gelt: ay-lu-lu...
Az du vest vern raykh, Idele,
Zolst zikh dermonen in dem lidele,
"Rozhinkes mit mandlen",
Dos vest zayn dayn baruf.
Yidele vet ale handlen.
Shlof zhe, Yidele shlof.
In the temple, in the corner of a chamber,
The widow The Daughter of Zion is sitting all alone.
As she rocks her only son Yidele to sleep,
She sings him a pretty song, a lullaby.
"Under Yidele's cradle, there stands a snow-white kid
that has been to market.
It will be your calling, too -
Trading in raisins and almonds,
And now sleep, Yidele, sleep.
In this pretty lullaby, my child, there lie many prophecies.
Some day you'll be wandering in the wide world -
You will choose to be a tradesman,
And you'll be trading and earning a lot of money.
When you grow rich, Yidele,
you will recall this pretty song about raisins and almonds.
It will be your calling -

Yidele will be trading in all wares.
Sleep, then, Yidele, sleep!

 

In dem beis hamikdosh, in a vinkl cheider

Zitzt di almoneh,bas tzion alein

Ihr ben yochidl yidelen viegt zi keseder
Zingt ihm tzum shlofn a liedele shein.


Unter yideles viegele,
Shteit a klor vaise tzigele
Dos tzigele iz gefohren handlen
Dos vet zain dain beruf
Rozhinkes mit mandlen
Shlof-zshe yideleh shlof

Under little ones cradle in the night,
came a new little goat snowy white.
The goat will go to the market,
and Mother her watch will keep.
He'll bring you back raisins And almonds.
So sleep my little one,sleep.

In dem Beis-HamikdoshIn a vinkl cheyder

Zitst di almone, bas-tsion, aleyn
Ihr ben yochidle yideln vigt zi keseider
Un zingt im tzum shofn a ledeleh sheyn. Ai-lu-lu
Unter Yideles vigele
Shteyt a klor-vise tsigele
Dos tsigele iz geforn handlen
Dos vet zine dine baruf
Rozhinkes mit mandlen
Slof-zhe, Yidele, shlof.