Der Milnern's Trern,,, The Miller's Tears

click on the title to hear and watch the video. This is one of my favorite yiddish songs.   The words are terribly painful, but  the melody is actually tender and not pained.   I always thought of this song as an individual lament.   A commentary suggests this is an allegory for living under the czar. Sidor Belarsky was a Ukranian singer who died in 1974. Lyrics" Oy, vifl yorn zenen farforn Oh how many years have passed Zayt ikh bin a milner ot to do. Since I’ve been a miller here? Di reder dreyen zikh The wheels turn Di yorn geyen zikh, The years pass Ikh bin shoyn alt un grayz un gro. I’m growing old and grey. S’iz teg faranen There are days Ch’vil mikh dermonen I would have wanted to remember Tsi kh’hob gehat a shtikl glik— If I had only had a bit of happiness Di reder dreyen zikh The wheels turn Di yorn geyen zikh The years pass Keyn entfer iz nit do tsurik. No reply do I hear Ch’hob gehert zogn I’ve heard it said Men vel mikh faryogn They want to drive me out Aroys fun dorf Away from here Un fun der mil. And from the mill. Di reder dreyen zikh The wheels turns Di yorn geyen zikh The years pass Oy, on an ek un on a tsil. Without end and without purpose Fun glik fartribn Exiled from happiness bin ikh geblibn I remain without it On vayb, on kind ot do aleyn. Without wife or child–myself alone Di reder dreyen zikh The wheel turns Di yorn geyen zikh, The years pass Un eylent bin ikh vi a shteyn. I am lonely as a stone Vu vel ikh voynen Where will I live? Ver vet mikh shoynen Who will care for me? Ikh bin shoyn alt I’m already old Ich bin shoyn mid – I’m already tired Di reder dreyen zikh The wheels turn Di yorn geyen zikh, The years pass Un oykh mit zey geyt oys der yid. And with them too goes the Jew. translated by Richard Silverstein (with initial assistance from Jenny Levison’s translation at Zemerl) After listening to the above link for the traditional song, check this out: http://www.myspace.com/yiddishprincess