"Ekh! Rumania, Rumania, Rumania … Geven amol a land a zise, a sheyne."

(Photo source)

"Aaaaah, Rumania, Rumania, Rumania, Rumaaaaaaaaaaania!!!" As I worked this morning, the Barry Sisters (Claire and Merna Barry - originally Clara and Minnie Bagelman, born in the Bronx in a Yiddish-speaking home) came on the radio with their marvellous rendition of Aaron Lebedeff's ode (first recorded in 1925) to the country of my heart.

According to THIS site, "Aaron Lebedeff (1897-1958) was the Maurice Chevalier of the Yiddish stage and one of the top song-and-dance men of the Yiddish theatre. A star of the Second Avenue theatre district for 16 straight seasons, his lively delivery of this sort of material is considered to be without peer. He penned many of his own songs both in English and Yiddish. His Yiddish lyrics were very idiomatic. One reviewer said they "virtually defied translation. . . with a humour that is difficult to render into English."

In Mémoires des Juifs de Roumanie (Chebana/Mercier Mure-Ravaud, p.22) it is described as a very popular folk-song sung by the Jews of Romania emigrated to Israel, heavy with great nostalgia for 'the good life' they had once known during the 'better' interbellum period and which omits any hint of the oppression forced upon them by the Romanian state prior to what was seen by many as this 'golden era'. Those who remembered this 'good life' (somewhat idealised), passed their memories through stories and songs such as this on to their children and grandchildren who, sooner or later, would forget the Romanian language and the 'beautiful Carpathian country'. Seen from that stand-point, the song is profoundly moving.

Completely distracted from what I was doing, off I went in search of a translation. Below, please find the Yiddish first, followed by an approximation (very) into English from Yiddish Songs and Lyrics, whereby most of the Yiddish humour is sadly lost - but never mind - you get the jist! Listen to the Barry Sisters HERE and the original HERE.

Enjoy!!

Rumania, Rumania (Yiddish)

Ekh! Rumania, Rumania, Rumania …
Geven amol a land a zise, a sheyne.
Ekh! Rumania, Rumania, Rumania …
Geven amol a land a zise, a fayne.
Dort tsu voynen iz a fargenign;
Vos dos harts glust kenstu krign:
A mamaligele, a pastramele, a karnatsele,
Un a glezele vayn, aha … !

Ay, in Rumania iz dokh git
Fun keyn dayges veyst men nit
Vayn trinkt men iberal -
M’farbayst mit kashkaval.
Hay, digadi dam …

Ay, in Rumania iz dokh git
Fun keyn zorgn veyst men nit.
Vayn trinkt men, s’meg zayn shpet
Men farbayst a kastrovet.
Hay digadi dam …

Oy, gevald, ikh ver meshige!
Ikh lib nor brinze, mamalige;
Ikh tants un frey zikh biz der stelye
Ven ikh es a patlazhele
Dzing ma, tay yidldi tam …
Ay, s’iz a mekhaye, beser ken nit zayn!
Ay, a fargenign iz nor Rumeynish vayn.

Di Rumeyner trinkn vayn
Un esn mamalige;
Ver es kisht zayn eygn vayb,
Ah, yener is meshige.
Zets, dzing ma, tay yidl di tam …

“Yokum purkon min shmayo”
Shteyt un kusht di kekhene, Khaye,
Ongeton in alte shkrabes;
Makht a kugel likoved Shabes.
Zets! Tay ti didl di tam …

Iz Myshe Khayim ongekumen
Dos beste kheylik tsugenumen;
Moyshe Khayim, Borukh Shmil -
Khapt a kitsl in der shtil.
Zets, dzing ma, tay yidl di tam …

Un dos meydl nebekh blozt zikh
Un zi vil nit, nor zi lozt zikh
Tshu!

Git tsu kishen iz a moyd
Ven zi is alt zekhtsn;
Ven men kisht an alte moyd,
Heybt zi on tsu krekhtsen.
Zets! Tay yidl di dam …
Ay, s’iz a mekhaye, beser ken nit zayn!
Ay, a fargenign iz nor Rumeynish vayn …

Romania, Romania (English)

Oh! Romania, Romania, Romania …
Once there was a land, sweet and lovely.
Oh! Romania, Romania, Romania …
Once there was a land, sweet and fine.
To live there is a pleasure;
Whate'er your heart desires is yours;
Mamaliga, pastrami, sausages,
And a glass of wine, aha … !

Ay, in Romania life's so good;
No one has a care in the world;
Everywhere they’re drinking wine -
And having a bite of cascaval.
Hay, digadi dam …

Ay, in Romania life is so good;
No one has a care in the world.
They drink wine, though it’s late;
And enjoy a plate of pickles.
Hay, digadi dam …

Oh, my, help, I’m going crazy!
I care only for cheese and mamaliga
I dance and leap to the stars
When I eat a patlazhele.
Dzing ma, tay yidldi tam …
What a pleasure, what could be better!
Oh, the only delight is Romanian wine.

Romanians drink wine
And eat mamaliga;
And he who kisses his own wife,
Is completely nuts.
Zets, dzing ma, tay yidl di tam …

“May salvation come from heaven … “
Stop and kiss the cook, Khaye,
Dressed in rags and tatters;
She makes a pudding for the Sabbath.
Zets! Tay ti didl di tam …

Moyshe Khayim comes along
And takes away the best part;
Moyshe Khayim, Borukh Shmil -
Tickle her on the sly.
Zets! Tay tidl di tam …

And the girl pouts, alas,
Seems unwilling, but allows it.
Tshu!

It’s good to kiss a lass
When she’s sweet sixteen;
If she kisses an old man,
She'll only grumble.
Zets! Tay yidl di dam …
What a pleasure, what could be better!
Oh, the only delight is Romanian wine …

(Okay, dreadful translation in English, I know, so pretend you can speak Yiddish, sing along with the words and ad lib to fade....!!!)

Comments

[Diane]

All my aunts and grandmothers as well as my home owned the Barry Sisters albums. I grew up listening to their music and trying to figure out what my parents were saying when they spoke Yiddish in front of us. My favorite song of theirs has always been Romania, and I have been searching for the meaning. Now I have it. You are doing such a great service for those of us that had grandparents who would not speak of the old country. Please try and translate more of their music. Bless you!

[Georgeta]

So nice to hear this song again. It's been a long time - and with the information you write it is even more dearer than I remember!



Thank you!

[sairj]

Rocky's Dad, thank you sooooo much for Dave T... what a King indeed. Stupendous!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrFVVUM4cPA&feature=related Wow!! What a big gap in my musical education!!!! I ain't called Sarah for nought!!

[Rocky's Dad]

Oh, Sarah, you made my day! (or maybe I should say "my evening"...). I love klezmer music (I am half Jew myself).



Here's another nice version of the song: http://youtu.be/K74sXKKus1w. Also, have you ever listened to Dave Tarras (the King of Klezmer)? Check this out: http://youtu.be/zyj3oD5r9Hw.



תודה רבה

[silvia]

I am sure it must be "pătlăgele" another name for tomatoes or for egg plants. We call sometimes "pătlăgele roşii" the tomatoes and "pătlăgele vinete" the egg plants (aubergines).

:-)