“Afn Veg Shteyt a Boym” or “The Bent Tree”
Poem by Itzik Manger
Transliteration of Yiddish Poem / Literal English Translation by Josh Waletzky
Afn veg shteyt a boym, / On the road stands a tree,
Shteyt er ayngeboygn, / It stands bent over,
Ale feygl funem boym / All the birds of the tree
Zaynen zikh tsefloygn. / Have dispersed.
Dray keyn mizrekh, dray keyn mayrev, / Three toward the east, three toward the west,
Un der resht keyn dorem, / And the rest toward the south,
Un dem boym gelozt aleyn / And have left the tree alone
Hefker far dem shturem. / Unlooked-after before the storm.
Zog ikh tsu der mamen, "her, / I say to my mother, “Listen,
Zolst mir nor nit shtern, / Don't interfere with me,
Vel ikh, mame, eyns un tsvey / Mother, I will in no time
Bald a foygl vern. / Soon become a bird.
Ikh vel zitsn afn boym / I will sit on the tree
Un vel im farvign / And will put him to sleep
Ibern vinter mit a treyst, / Over the winter with consolation,
Mit a sheynem nign." / With a beautiful melody.”
(refrain)
Zogt di mame, "nite, kind," / Says the mother, “No, child,”
Un zi veynt mit trern, / And she cries with tears,
"Vest kholile afn boym / “On the tree, God forbid, you will
Mir farfroyrn vern." / Freeze to death on me."
Zog ikh, "mame, s'iz a shod / Says I, “Mother, (your tears) are a waste of
Dayne sheyne oygn, / Your beautiful eyes,
Un eyder vos un eyder ven, / Before you know it,
Bin ikh mir a foygl." / I will become a bird.”
Veynt di mame, "Itsik, kroyn, / Cries the mother, “Itsik, my crown,
Ze, um gotes viln, / For God's sake,
Nem zikh mit a shalikl, / Take with you a scarf,
Kenst zikh nokh farkiln. / You can catch cold.
Di kaloshn tu zikh on, / Put on your galoshes,
S'geyt a sharfer vinter, / It is a bitter winter,
Un di kutshme nem oykh mit, / And also take the fur hat,
Vey iz mir un vind mir." / Woe is me, woe is me.”
(refrain)
"Un dos vinter-laybl nem / “And your winter undershirt
Tu es on, du shoyte, / Put on, you blockhead,
Oyb du vilst nit zayn keyn gast / If you do not want to be a guest
Tsvishn ale toyte." / Among the dead.”
Kh'heyb di fligl, s'iz mir shver, / I lift up my wings, it's hard for me,
Tsu fil, tsu fil zakhn / In too many, too many things
Hot di mame ongeton / Has my mother dressed
Ir feygele, dem shvakhn. / Her little bird, the weak one.
Kuk ikh troyerik mir arayn / I gaze sadly into
In mayn mames oygn, / My mother's eyes,
S'hot ir libshaft nit gelozt / Her love has not let me
Vern mir a foygl. / Become a bird.
Afn veg shteyt a boym, / On the road stands a tree,
Shteyt er ayngeboygn, / It stands bent over,
Ale feygl funem boym / All the birds of the tree
Zaynen zikh tsefloygn. / Have dispersed.
(refrain)
Transliteration of “Afn Veg Shteyt a Boym” by Itzik Manger
Afn veg shteyt a boym,
Shteyt er ayngeboygn,
Ale feygl funem boym
Zaynen zikh tsefloygn.
Dray keyn mizrekh, dray keyn mayrev,
Un der resht keyn dorem,
Un dem boym gelozt aleyn
Hefker far dem shturem.
Zog ikh tsu der mamen, "her,
Zolst mir nor nit shtern,
Vel ikh, mame, eyns un tsvey
Bald a foygl vern.
Ikh vel zitsn afn boym
Un vel im farvign
Ibern vinter mit a treyst,
Mit a sheynem nign."
(refrain)
Zogt di mame, "nite, kind,"
Un zi veynt mit trern,
"Vest kholile afn boym
Mir farfroyrn vern."
Zog ikh, "mame, s'iz a shod
Dayne sheyne oygn,
Un eyder vos un eyder ven,
Bin ikh mir a foygl."
Veynt di mame, "Itsik, kroyn,
Ze, um gotes viln,
Nem zikh mit a shalikl,
Kenst zikh nokh farkiln.
Di kaloshn tu zikh on,
S'geyt a sharfer vinter,
Un di kutshme nem oykh mit,
Vey iz mir un vind mir."
(refrain)
"Un dos vinter-laybl nem
Tu es on, du shoyte,
Oyb du vilst nit zayn keyn gast / If you do not want to be a guest
Tsvishn ale toyte."
Kh'heyb di fligl, s'iz mir shver,
Tsu fil, tsu fil zakhn
Hot di mame ongeton
Ir feygele, dem shvakhn.
Kuk ikh troyerik mir arayn
In mayn mames oygn,
S'hot ir libshaft nit gelozt
Vern mir a foygl.
Afn veg shteyt a boym,
Shteyt er ayngeboygn,
Ale feygl funem boym
Zaynen zikh tsefloygn.
(refrain)