Text & Translation
Der Filosof
Yiddish source:
Anon.
mit dayn ketsishn moyekhl
Kum amol tsum Rebn’s tish
un nem zikh dort on seykhl
A damfshif hot er oysgetrakht
un (er) nemt zikh dermit iber
Der Rebbe shpreyt zayn tikhl oys
un fort dem yam ariber.
An ayznban hot er oysgeklert
un er meynt (az) er iz dermit a khorets
Der Rebbe shpot, der Rebbe lakht
er darf es oyf kapores
Tsi den veystu vos der Rebbe trakht
beshas er zitst beyekhides?
In eyn minut in himl flit
un est nor shales sides.
The Philosopher
English translation ©
Helen Beer
with your cat’s brain
Come for once to the Rabbi’s table
and take on some wisdom there.
He thought up a steamboat
and he takes it over
The Rabbi spreads his hankie/cloth out
and crosses the sea.
He thought up a train
and he thinks that with that, he’s clever
The Rabbi sneers, the Rabbi laughs
he has no need of it.
Do you know then what the Rabbi thinks
whilst he sits alone.
In one minute he flies into the sky
And just eats his Sabbath meal there.
Der Filosof
Yiddish source:
Anon.
The Philosopher
English source:
Helen Beer
Vos farshteystu filosof
What do you understand, you philospher
mit dayn ketsishn moyekhl
with your cat’s brain
Kum amol tsum Rebn’s tish
Come for once to the Rabbi’s table
un nem zikh dort on seykhl
and take on some wisdom there.
A damfshif hot er oysgetrakht
He thought up a steamboat
un (er) nemt zikh dermit iber
and he takes it over
Der Rebbe shpreyt zayn tikhl oys
The Rabbi spreads his hankie/cloth out
un fort dem yam ariber.
and crosses the sea.
An ayznban hot er oysgeklert
He thought up a train
un er meynt (az) er iz dermit a khorets
and he thinks that with that, he’s clever
Der Rebbe shpot, der Rebbe lakht
The Rabbi sneers, the Rabbi laughs
er darf es oyf kapores
he has no need of it.
Tsi den veystu vos der Rebbe trakht
Do you know then what the Rabbi thinks
beshas er zitst beyekhides?
whilst he sits alone.
In eyn minut in himl flit
In one minute he flies into the sky
un est nor shales sides.
And just eats his Sabbath meal there.
Composer
Velvl Zbarzher
Velvel Zbarjer, who was Galician Jewish, was a Brody singer. Following in the footsteps of Berl Broder, his "mini-melodramas in song" were precursors of Yiddish theatre. Read more here.
