A Sukele, a Kleyne

Yiddish Folk Song

A sukele a kleyne,

A little sukkah

mit breytelekh gemeyne

with simple boards,

hob ikh mir mit tsures tsunoyfgeklopt.

I barely put together.

Tsugedekt deym dakh,

I covered the roof

mit a bisele skhakh.

with a little skhakh,

un ikh zits mir in sukele un trakht.

and I sit in the little sukkah and think.

Der vint der kalter,

The cold wind

bluzt derekh di shpalter

blows through the cracks

in lesht mir di lekhtelekh shir oys.

and almost blows the candles out.

Herts nor a khidesh,

Listen to this wonder -

kom makh ikh nor kidish.

only when I finish saying the kiddush,

Der vint lesht di lekhtelekh oys.

then the candles blow out.

Mit a groys geveyn,

With a great cry,

mit a biter geshrey,

with a bitter yell,

kimt dekh mayn vabele aran.

my wife comes inside.

Her nor mayn man,

Listen my husband,

Der vint varft dus sikele bold an,

The wind will soon blow the sukkah

Oy, vus vet dernukh dem zan?

down,
Oh, what will happen then?

Gey zay nisht keyn nar,

Dont be a fool,

un hob nisht keyn tsar,

and dont have any grief,

un loz dir der vint nisht ongeyn.

and dont worry about the wind.

vifl vintn sveln brimen,

No matter how many winds will roar

vifl doyres sveln kimen,

No matter how many generations will

dos sikele vet eybik shteyn.

come,
the sukkah will always remain standing.

'

* 17-18

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