Tumbalalaika

Shteyt a bucher, shteyt un er tracht

Tracht in tracht a gantze nacht

Vemen tzi nemen un nit farshemen

Vemen tzi nemen un nit farshemen

Once, long ago, there was a young man

Who stayed up all night devising his plan

He thought up a riddle second to none

She who could answer would be the one

Tumbala, Tumbala, Tumbalalaika

Tumbala, Tumbala, Tumbalalaika

Tumbalalaika, shpiel balalaika

Tumbalalaika, freylich zol zayn

Maidl, maidl, 'ch vil bay dir fregn

Vos ken vaksn, vaksn on reign

Vos ken brenen un nit oyfern

Vos ken benken, veynen on trern

Tell me, my beauty, tell me if you know

What needs no rain and yet it can grow

Tell me what can burn all through the years

Tell me what can yearn and cry without tears

Tumbala, Tumbala, Tumbalalaika

Tumbala, Tumbala, Tumbalalaika

Tumbalalaika, shpiel balalaika

Tumbalalaika, freylich zol zayn

Narishe bucher, vos darfstu fregn

A shtein ken vaksn, vaksn on regn

Libe ken brenen un nit oyfern

A harts ken benken, veynen on trern

Oh, foolish boy, surely you know

A rock needs no rain, and yet it can grow

It's love that can burn all through the years

And a heart that is yearning cries without tears

Tumbala, Tumbala, Tumbalalaika

Tumbalalala, Tumbalalala, Tumbalalaika

Tumbalalaika, shpiel balalaika

Tumbalalaika, freylich zol zayn

Tumbala, Tumbala, Tumbalalaika

Tumbala, Tumbala, Tumbalalaika

Tumbalalaika, shpiel balalaika

Tumbalalaika, fraylich zol zayn

Tumbalalaika, fraylich zol zayn

Tumbalalaika, fraylich zol zayn