Lederberg, Esther M.
Russian oven-bed <<печь с  лежанкой     или     печь с  полатями>>

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Russian oven-bed 1
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"Oyfen Prepetchik"

Oyfn pripetshik brent a fayerl,
Un in shtub iz heys,
Un der rebe lernt kleyne kinderlekh
Dem alef-beys. 		On the oven/bed burns a little fire,
And the room is hot,
And the rabbi teaches little children
The Hebrew Aleph-bet. (in English: alpha-bet)
Refren:
Zet zhe, kinderlekh, gedenkt zhe, tayere,
Vos ir lernt do;
Zogt zhe nokh a mol, un take nokh a mol,
Komets alef - o! 		Refrain:
So see, dear children, remember then, loving little ones,
What you are learning here;
Say again, and yet again,
The komets (vowel under the) Aleph (is pronounced) - O!
Lernt, kinder, mit groys kheyshek -
Azoy zog ikh aykh on:
Vers'vet gikher fun aykh kenen ivre,
Der bakumt a fon. 		Study, children, with great desire -
This is what I am saying to you:
The one among you who learns Ivrit (Hebrew) fastest,
That one will receive a flag.
Refrain:
Zet zhe, kinderlekh, ... 		Refrain:
Listen carefully, ...
Lernt, kinder, hot nit moyre,
Yeder onheyb iz shver;
Gliklekh iz der, vos hot gelernt toyre -
Tsi darf der mentsh nokh mer? 		Study, children, have no fear,
Every beginning is hard,
Happy is the one who studies Torah (the five books of Jewish law and ethics) -
What person needs more?
Refrain:
Zet zhe, kinderlekh, ... 		Refrain:
Listen carefully, ...
Ir vet, kinder, elter vern,
Vet ir aleyn farshtey,
Vifl in di oysiers lign trern
Un vi fil geveyn. 		When, dear children, when you will be older
You will understand it all,
How many tears lie in the letters
And how much crying.
Refrain:
Zet zhe, kinderlekh, ... 		Refrain:
Listen carefully, ...
Az ir vet, kinder, dem goles shlepn,
Oysgemutshet zayn,
Zolt ir fun di oysies koyekh shepn -
Kukt in zey arayn! 		As you will, children, endure our exile (suffering),
You will be exhausted,
You will draw strength from these letters -
Look into the letters!
Refrain:
Zet zhe, kinderlekh, ... 		Refrain:
Listen carefully, ...
The music heard in the background is a version of "Oyfen Prepetchik"
The celebrated Yiddish song, "Oifen pripitchek" refers to a part of an "oven-bed". To be explicit, the Russian word <<припечек>> (prepechek) refers to a stone projection attached to the oven-bed. This projection is like a shelf and could be used as a kind of warm bench to sit upon. Small children could even get warmth sleeping on the <<припечек>> (prepechek).

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