Digital Tradition Mirror

Mayn Ru'e Platz

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Mayn Ru'E Platz
(W. Morris Rosenfeld; tune Trad.)

TRANSCRIPTION OF YIDDISH, a 1000 year old language: The YIVO
transcription standard would have it, far from German:

TRANSC., ala Mlotek (adapted transcr):

SOURCE: Morris Rosenfeld (1862-1923) ["NY sweatshop poet"]

 " Nit zukh mikh vu di mirtn grinen!
   Gefinst mikh dort'n nit, mayn shats.
   Vu lebens velkn bay mashinen;
   Dort'n iz mayn ru'e plats,
   Dort'n iz mayn ru'e plats.

 " Nit zuch mikh vu di feygl zingen.
   Gefinst mich dort'n nit, mayn shats.
   A shklaf bin ich, vu keytn klingen;
   Dort'n iz mayn ru'e plats,
   Dort'n iz mayn ru'e plats.

 " Nit zuch mikh vu fontanten shpritsn.
   Gefinst mikh dort'n nit, mayn shats.
   Vu trern rinen, tseyner kritsn;
   Dort'n iz mayn ru'e plats,
   Dort'n iz mayn ru'e plats.

 " Un libstu mikh mit varer libe,
   tawh kum tsu mir mayn guter shats,
   Un hater oyf mayn harts dos tribe,
   Un makh mir zis mayn ru'e plats,
   Un makh mir zis mayn ru'e plats. "

Well, while perhaps not clear for general uninitiated, nevertheless, YIVO
is Yiddish standard transcription. (ie YIVO%correspondent German:
bay%bei, mayn%mein; but above I added apostrophe to signal syllable,
ru'e, dort'n, which is not in Yivo...)

CHORDS(tabs?) copied from Silverman:
TRANSC. (first stanza once more with feeling)

        Am       C           Am
 " Nit zukh mikh vu di mirtn grinen!
                 C     E7        Am
   Gefinst mikh dort'n nit, mayn shats.
                          C
   Vu lebens velkn bay mashinen;
    D#   G7           C
   Dort'n iz mayn ru'e plats,
    E7   Am Dm   D#E7  Am
   Dort'n iz mayn ru'e plats.

TRANSLATION: For comparison, off the bookshelf, as given in E. Mlotek,
_Mir trogn a gezang!_ (1972), and in J.  Silverman, _The Yiddish
Songbook_:

TRANSL., FIRST MLOTEK'S:
     "Don't look for me where myrtles grow, you will not find me
there, my love. Where lives wither at machines -- that is my
resting place.

     "Don't look for me where birds sing, you will not find me
there,  my love. I am a slave, and where chains ring -- that is
my resting place.

     "Not where fountains splash, but where tears flow and teeth
gnash --  that is my resting place.

     "And if if you love me truly, come lighten my heart and
sweeten my  resting place." (trns as in -E. Mlotek, 3rd ed. 1982,
p. 150.)


HERE JERRY SILVERMAN'S, P. 164:
      "Don't look for me where myrtles blossom. Dear, there you'll
never see my face. Where lives are wasted in the factr'y; there
you'll find my  resting place.

     "Don't look for me where birds are singing. Dear, there
you'll never see my face. A slave am I where chains are ringing;
there you'll find my  resting place.

     "Don't look for me 'mong fountains splashing. Dear, there
you'll never see my face. Where tears are flowing, teeth are
gnashing; there you'll find my  resting place.

     "And if your love is truly burning, then come to me in fond
embrace, and put an end to all my yearning, and make it sweet --
my resting place." (trns as in -J. Silverman, 1983, p. 164.)

SOURCE: of course, the text is poem by Morris Rosenfeld (1862-1923), a NY
"sweatshop poet".  The tune, I don't know source of the tune. but old
very popular  Yiddish song, my greatgrandmother's favorite.

YW

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