Oyfn veg shteyt a boym,
Shteyt er ayngeboygn,
Ale feygl funem boym
Zaynen zikh tsefloygn.

Dray keyn mayrev, dray keyn mizrekh,
Un der resht - keyn dorem,
Un dem boym gelozt aleyn
Hefker far dem shturem.

Ikh vel zitsn oyfn boym
Un vel im farvign
Ibern vinter mit a treyst
Mit a sheynem nign.

Zogt di mame: - nite, kind -
Un zi veynt mit trern -
Vest kholile oyfn boym
Mir far froyrn vern.

Zog ikh: -mame, s'iz a shod
Dayne sheyne oygn
Un eyder vos un eyder ven,
Bin ikh mir a foygl.

Veynt di mame: - ltsik, kroyn,
Ze, um gotes viln,
Nem zikh mit a shalikl,
Kenst zikh nokh farkiln.

Di kaloshn tu zikh on,
S'geyt a sharfer vinter
Un di kutshme nem oykh mit -
Vey iz mir un vind mir...

- Un dos vinter-laybl nem,
Tu es on, du shovte,
Oyb du vilst nit zayn keyn gast
Tsvishn ale toyte...

Kh'heyb di fligl, s'iz mir shver,
Tsu fil, tsu fil zakhn,
Hot di mame ongeton
Ir feygele, dem shvakhn.

Kuk ikh troyerik mir arayn
In mayn mames oygn,
S'hot ir libshaft nit gelozt
Vern mir a foygl...

And momma cries, and says "Itzik, my Crown,
As G-d would want, take a scarf with you,
Lest you catch cold.

"Put on your galoshes,
It will be a severe winter.
And take your fur hat, too.
Woe is me!

"And wear you warm underwear, foolish child,
Lest you become a guest of the dead."

I lift my wing, but it's hard...
Too many things, too many things
Has momma put on her weak little fledgling.

I look sadly into my momma's eyes;
Her love did not allow me to become a bird.

By the wayside stands a bent tree.
All the birds have flown away,
And the tree stands deserted.

Mayn kind, mayn treyst, du forst avek
Ze zay a zun a guter
Dikh bet mit trern un mit shrek
Dayn traye libe muter
Du forst, mayn kind, mayn eyntsik kind,
Ariber vayte yamen.
Akh kum ahin nor frish gezunt
Un nit farges dayn mamen.
Yo! For gezunt un kum mit glik,
Ze yede vokh a brivele shik,
Dayn mames harts, mayn kind, derkvik

Refrain
A brivele der mamen
Zolstu nit farzamen
Shrayb geshvind, mayn lib kind
Shenk ir di nekhome,
Di mame vet dayn brivele lezn
Un zi vet genezn
Heylst ir shmerts, ir biter harts
Derkvikst ir di neshome

Dos akhte yor, ikh bin aleyn
Dos kind iz vayt farshvumen
Dos kindersh harts iz hart vi a shteyn
Kayn eyntsik briv bakumen
Vi ken mayn kind nokh hobn mut?
Vi geyt im ayn dos lebn
Ez mus im geyn dort zeyer gut
Vil er kayn nakhnikht gebn
Kh'hob im geshikt a hundert briv,
Un er hot nokh kayn shum bagrif,
Az mayne shmertsn zenen zeyer tif.

Refrain

In shtot New York, a raykh hoyz
Mit hertser, on gefiln
Dort voynt ir zun er lebt gor groys
Mit a gliklekhe familye
A sheyne froy, un kinder tsvey
Mit likhtike geshtaltn
Un az er zitst un kvelt fun zey
Hot er a briv derhaltn
Dayn muter toyt! Es iz geshen,
In lebn hostu ir farzen,
Dos iz ir leste vuntsh geven
A kidishl der mamen
Zolstu nit farzamen
Zog geshvind mayn lib kind
Shenk ir di nekhome
Di mame vet dayn kadishl hern
In ir keyver gern
Heylst ir shmertz ir biter harts
Derkvikst ir di neshome

A letter to mother

My child, my comfort, you're going away
Please be a good son
With tears and trembling
Your dear, faithful mother begs you
You're going away my one and only child
Across the distant seas
Arrive there safely and in good health
And don't forget your mother
Yes, go in health and with good fortune
And be sure to write a letter each week
To delight your mother's heart

Refrain
A letter to your mother
Don't delay
Write soon, my beloved child,
And give her solace
Your mother will read your letter
And she will be comforted
You'll heal her pain and her aching heart
And revive her spirits

Eight years now, I've been alone
My child has wandered far away
His childish heart is hard as stone
I've not received a single letter
How can he still have courage?
How has life treated him?
He must be well of
And doesn't want me to know
I've sent a hundred letters
And he hasn't the slightest notion
How deep my grief is

Refrain

In New York City, a wealthy home
Full of hearts without pity
There lives her child in luxury
With his happy family
A beautiful wife, two children
With radiant faces
And as he sits and beams with joy
He receives a letter
Your mother is dead!
It has come to pass
In life you neglected her
This was her last wish
Say Kaddish for your mother
Don't delay
Say it soon, my beloved child,
And give her solace
Your mother will hear your kadish
In her grave gladly
You'll heal her pain and her bitter heart
And revive her spirits

1.
Az ikh tu mir dermonen
Mayne kindershe yorn,
Punkt vi a kholem
Zet dos mir oys.
Vi zet oys dos hayzele,
Vos hot amol geglantzt,
Tzi vakst nokh dos beymele,
Vos ikh hob farflantzt?

Refrain:
Oy, oy, oy Beltz, mayn shtetele Beltz,
Mayn heymele, vu ikh hob
Mayne kindershe yorn farbrakht.
Beltz, mayn shtetele Beltz,
In ormen shtibele,
Mit ale kinderlekh dort gelakht.
Oy, eden Shabes fleg ikh loyfn
Mit ale inglekh tzuglaykh
Tzu zitzn unter dem grinem beymele,
Leynen bay dem taikh
Oy oy oy Beltz,
Mayn shtetele Beltz,
Mayn heymele, vu kh'hob gehat
Di sheyne khaloymes a sakh.

2.
Dos shtibl is alt,
Bavaksn mit mokh
Dos shtibl is alt,
In fentzter keyn gloz
Dos shtibl is alt,
Tzeboygn di vent,
Ikh volt shoyn zikher
Dos vider nit derkent

Refrain

1.
When I recall my childhood,
I feel like I am having a dream.
how does the little house look,
which used to sparkle with lights?
Does the little tree grow which I planted long ago?

Refrain:
Beltz, my little town!
The little house where I spent my childhood!
The poor little room where I used to laugh with other children!
Every Shabes I would run to the river bank to play with other children under a little green tree.
Belz, my little town!
My little town where I had so many fine dreams!

2.
The little house is old and overgrown wit moss.
The old roof collapsed and the windows are without glass.
The attic is crooked, the walls bent.
I would never recognize it...

Refrain.

Kh'vel dir zogn, dir glaykh tzu hern
Az du zolst mir libe derklern
Ven du redst mit di oygn
Volt ikh mit dir gefloygn vu du vilst
S'art mikh nit on
Ven du host a bisele seykhl
Un ven du vaytzt dayn kindershn shmeykhl
Vendu bist vild vi indianer
Bist afile a galitsianer
Zog ikh: dos art mikh nit.

Bay mir bistu sheyn,
Bay mir hos tu heyn,
Bay mir bistu eyner oyf der velt.
Bay mir bistu sheyn,
Bay mir hostu heyn,
Bay mir bistu tayerer fun gelt.

Fil sheyne meydlekh hobn gevolt nemen mir,
Un fun zay ale oys-geklibn hob ikh nor dikh.

I will say to you so that you would hear
"I love you."
When you speak with your eyes,
I would fly with you wherever you wish -
I do not care where."
When you have a bit of sense
And when you show your childlike little smile
When you are wild as an Indian
Even if you were a Galitzyaner,
I say: It doesn't bother me.

To me, you are lovely,
To me, you are charming.
To me, you are the only one in the world.
To me, you are lovely,
To me, you are charming,
To me, you are more precious than money.

Many pretty girls
Wanted me for a husband
But among them all I chose only you.