Oyfn Veg Shteyt a Boym

On the Road Stands a Tree

Oyfn Veg Shteyt a Boym

On the road stands a tree,Oyfn veg shteyt a boym,
Standing all bent,Shteyt er ayngeboygn,
All the birds from the treeAle feygl funem boym
Are flying around.Zaynen zikh tsefloygn.

Three to the west, three to the east,Dray keyn mayrev, dray keyn mizrekh,
And the rest - nowhere,Un der resht - keyn dorem,
And the tree left aloneUn dem boym gelozt aleyn
Abandoned to the storm.Hefker far dem shturem.

I say to my mother: -listen,Zog ikh tsu der mamen: -her,
Don't scold me,Zolst mir nor nit shtern,
I will, mom, one and twoVel ikh, mame, eyns un tsvey
Soon become a bird...Bald a foygl vern...

I will sit on the treeIkh vel zitsn oyfn boym
And bid it farewellUn vel im farvign
Over the winter with comfortIbern vinter mit a treyst
With a beautiful tune.Mit a sheynem nign.

Mother says: -no, child -Zogt di mame: - nite, kind -
And she cries with tears -Un zi veynt mit trern -
You will, God forbid, on the treeVest kholile oyfn boym
Become frozen for me.Mir far froyrn vern.

I say: -mom, it's a shameZog ikh: -mame, s'iz a shod
Your beautiful eyesDayne sheyne oygn
And whether or not, when,Un eyder vos un eyder ven,
I am a bird to myself.Bin ikh mir a foygl.

Mother cries: -quiet, dear,Veynt di mame: - ltsik, kroyn,
See, by God's will,Ze, um gotes viln,
Take yourself with a scarf,Nem zikh mit a shalikl,
You can still change.Kenst zikh nokh farkiln.

The boots are on,Di kaloshn tu zikh on,
A sharp winter is comingS'geyt a sharfer vinter
And take the coat too -Un di kutshme nem oykh mit -
Woe is me and find me...Vey iz mir un vind mir...

- And take the winter coat,- Un dos vinter-laybl nem,
Put it on, you weak one,Tu es on, du shovte,
If you don't want to be a guestOyb du vilst nit zayn keyn gast
Among all the dead...Tsvishn ale toyte...

I lift my wings, it's hard for me,Kh'heyb di fligl, s'iz mir shver,
Too many, too many things,Tsu fil, tsu fil zakhn,
Mother has called outHot di mame ongeton
Her little bird, the weak one.Ir feygele, dem shvakhn.

I look sadly intoKuk ikh troyerik mir arayn
My mother's eyes,In mayn mames oygn,
Her love did not allowS'hot ir libshaft nit gelozt
Me to become a bird...Vern mir a foygl...

On the road stands a tree,Oyfn veg shteyt a boym,
Standing all bent,Shteyt her ayngebogen,
All the birds from the treeAle feygl funem boym
Are flying around...Zaynen zikh tsefloygn...