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Ikh vig mikh un vig un vig mikh alts ayn un kholem bay tog un bay nakht, un trink alts dem zelbn farshikerdikn vayn vi der, vos er shloft, ven er vakht. Ikh zing mir un zing alts in leydn a lid, dos lidl fun hofenung un glik. Ikh zing es vi der, vos banemt alts nokh nit, az er hot mer keyn veg nisht tsurik. Ikh dertseyl mir keseder dos maysele sheyn fun lebn in libe-geflekht, un khazer es iber, khotsh kh'gloyb nisht aleyn, un fil az der sof vet zayn shlekht. Ikh shpil oyf un shpil mir dem nign atsind fun nekhtns, vos zenen farbay, ikh shpil alts glaykh vi kh'volt gevezn shtok blind, ikh bafray zikh fun emes, ikh bafray... Ikh lakh un ikh kaykh -- azoy lakh ikh zikh oys fun mir un mayn narishn shpil, un dokh shpint a kholem a nayer zikh oys -- on hofenung dergeyn ven tsum tsil.
Authorship:
- by Leibu Levin (1914 - 1983), copyright © by Ruth Levin, (re)printed on this website with kind permission [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Selma Meerbaum-Eisinger (1924 - 1942), "Schlaflied für mich", written 1941
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Leibu Levin (1914 - 1983), "Viglid far mir" [text verified 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Hadassah Haskale) , title 1: "Lullaby to myself", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Ruth Levin
This text was added to the website: 2007-09-22
Line count: 20
Word count: 154
I'll rock me and rock me and rock on and on And dream in the day and by night And drink the same old intoxicating wine, Like one who though awake sleeps tight. I'll sing me and sing on in sorrow a song, A rhyme full of hope and of luck, I'll sing just like someone who still doesn't know That for him there will be no way back... I'll tell me a story a magical tale Of true love that's heaven's decree, And before it is over, the spell will fail And I'll sense it ends unhappily. I'll play and I'll play on a tune from those nights That are vanished and lost to me. I'll play and I'll play as if I were struck blind, I'll be free of the truth -- I'll "be free"... I'll laugh and I'll chaff, such a laugh I'll let out At myself and my foolish play, And keep spinning a dream that will not come about -- While hoping it will anyway...
Authorship:
- Translation from Yiddish (יידיש) to English copyright © 2007 by Hadassah Haskale, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Hadassah Haskale. Contact: contact: Ruth Levin, ruta (DOT) levin (AT) gmail (DOT) com
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact:
Based on:
- a text in Yiddish (יידיש) by Leibu Levin (1914 - 1983), copyright © by Ruth Levin, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Selma Meerbaum-Eisinger (1924 - 1942), "Schlaflied für mich", written 1941
This text was added to the website: 2007-09-21
Line count: 20
Word count: 168