Re: di grine kuzine

[Inna Barmash <ibarmash...>]

Jenny,

I found a singable translation on this page (see both english and yiddish
lyrics below):
http://www.cs.chalmers.se/~ilya/lit/ABislLb2.htm

Tzu mir iz gekumen a kuzine,
Shein vie gold iz sie geven die grine.
Beckelach vie roite pomerantzen,
Fiselach vus beyten sich tzum tantzen,
  (repeat last 2 lines of each verse)

Nisht gegangen iz zi nor geshprungen,
Nisht geret hot zi nor gezungen.
Lebedik un freylekh yeder mine,
Ot azoy geven iz mayn kuzine.

Un azoy ariber zaynen yorn,
Fun mayn kuzine iz atel gevoren.
Peydis hot zi yorn lang geklibn,
Biz fun ir iz gornisht nit geblibn.

Haynt az ikh bagegn mayn kuzine,
Un ikh freg ir, «`s'makhstu epes grine?»
Zifst zi op un ikh leyn in der mine ?
«Brenen zol Columbus's medine.»


 THE GREENHORN COUSIN (trans: unknown)

Have you heard about my greenhorn cousin?
She has boys around her by the dozen.
Her red and rosy cheeks just draw your glance in,
Her dainty feet just begging to go dancin'.
  (repeat last 2 lines of each verse)

And when she walked, it seemed like she was dancin',
And when she talked, her voice was so entrancin'.
Pretty as a doll, you should `a seen `er,
That's how I remember my kuzine.

As time went by, I saw my greenhorn cousin,
Working day and night, it seemed for nothin'.
Her payday checks just barely had her eatin',
A life of toil just simply had her beaten.

Not long ago, I saw my greenhorn cousin,
And I asked her, «Grine, so what's buzzin'?»
She sighed and said, «The sweatshop has undone me,
Curses on Columbus' discovery.»


Jenny Levison wrote:

> good morning -- a musician friend of mine is looking for a singable english
> version of di grine kuzine -- does anyone know one?
>
> Thanks,
> Jenny
>

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