Vi azoy lebt der kayser?

Op deze koude doch fraaie zaterdag, een muzikaal intermezzo.



Paul Robeson brengt een prachtig stuk uit de Jiddische volksmuziek.


voor de meezingers onder ons:

Rabosay, rabosay, khakhomim on a breg,	Gentlemen, endlessly wise,
Kh'vel aykh fregn, kh'vel aykh fregn,	I want to ask you a question.
- Nu, freg zshe, freg zhe, freg,	- Nu, ask, ask, ask:
Entfert ale oyf mayn shayle:	Everybody answer my question:
Vi azoy trinkt der keyser tey?	How does tsar drink tea?
Me nemt a hitele tsuker,	You take a cylinder of sugar,
Un me makht in dem a lekhele,	And carve a hole on the top,
Un me gist arayn heyse vaser,	And into it you pour hot water
Un me misht, un me misht ...	And then stir and stir.
Oy, ot azoy, oy, ot azoy,	Oy, just like that, oy, just like that,
Ot azoy trinkt der keyser tey!	That's how the tsar drinks tea.
Rabosay, rabosay, khakhomim on a breg	Gentlemen, gentlemen, endlessly wise,
Kh'vel aykh fregn, kh'vel aykh fregn.	I want to ask you a question.
- Nu, freg zhe, freg zhe, freg.	- Nu, ask, ask, ask:
Entfert ale oyf mayn shayle:	Everybody answer my question:
Vi azoy est der keyser bulbes?	How does the tsar eat potatoes?
Me nemt a fesele puter	You take a barrel of butter
Un me shtelt avek dem keyser oyf der anderer zayt,	And you place it opposite the tsar
Un a rote soldatn, mit harmatn,	And a company of soldiers, with cannons,
Shisn di bulbes durkh der puter	Shoot the potatoes through the butter
Dem keyser glaykh in moyl arayn ...	Straight into the tsar's mouth.
Oy, ot azoy, oy, ot azoy,	Oy, just like that, oy, just like that,
Ot azoy est der keyser bulbes!	That's how the tsar eats potatoes.
Rabosay, rabosay, khakhomim on a breg,	Gentlemen, gentlemenn, endlessly wise,
Kh'vel aykh fregn, kh'vel aykh fregn.	I want to ask you a question.
- Nu, freg zhe, freg zhe, freg.	- Nu, ask, ask, ask:
Entfert ale oyf mayn shayle:	Everybody answer my question:
Vi azoy shloft der keyser bay nakht?	How does the tsar sleep at night?
Me shit on a fuln kheyder mit federn,	You fill a room with feathers
Un me khmalet ahin arayn dem keyser,	And you wham the tsar in,
Un dray polk soldatn	And three regiments of soldiers
Shteyen a gantse nakht un shrayen:	Stand all night and shout:
Sha! Sha! Sha!	Shah! Shah! Shah!
Oy, ot azoy, oy, ot azoy,	Oy, just like that, oy, just like that,
Ot azoy shloft der keyser bay nakht!	That's how the tsar sleeps at night.

tekst uit jewishfolksongs.com