Words to My Yiddishe Momme

[Mindy Lawton ((919)543-0971) <mlawton...>]

After many weeks of searching for the Engish words to the Yiddish
song "My Yiddishe Momme" I finally broke down and bought the
Connie Francis Tape and tried to figure out the words myself.
I believe I got most of them but I do have a few questions remaining.
What I believe the words to the song to be are below and here are my
questions:

 - The first line with arrows sounds something like "a skippered
   vessel in the vale" but since I am not sure what that means I am
   not sure it is right.  Also, I'm not even sure that line is English.
 - The second line is definately Yiddish but if someone could tell me
   what it meant that would be great.
 - In between that one line of Yiddish and the next stanza there are
   two stanza's in Yiddish.  Can someone confirm that those two stanzas
   in Yiddish are just a duplication of what was said in English or
   am I missing half of the song.

Thank you for all of your help.  You can post responses back onto this
forum or send them directly to me at mlawton @ vnet.ibm.com
                                                          Mindy

MY YIDDISHE MOMME

Of things I should be thankful for,
I've had a goodly share;
And as I sit here in the comfort,
Of a cozy chair;
My fancy takes me to a humble,
East-side tenement;
Three flights up in the rear,
To where my childhood days were spent.

It wasn't much like paradise,
But mid the dirt and all;
There sat the sweetest angel,
One that I fondly call;
A Yiddishe Momme,
A skippered??? vessel in the vale???   <------------------------
A Yiddishe Momme,
Oy vey ve bitter ven ze fair.          <------------------------

Her jewels and her treasures;
She found them in her baby's smiles;
Oh I know that I owe what I am today;
To that kind little lady so old and gray;
To that wonderful Yiddishe Momme,
Of mine.

My Yiddishe Momme.