[Ellen F. Prince <ellen@central.cis.upenn.edu>]

		      Oyfn Pripetshik 'In the Fireplace'
			Mark M. Warshawsky (1840-1907)

Oyfn pripetshik brent a fayerl,	
on-the wood-stove burns a fire-diminutive
'In the fireplace burns a little fire,'

Un in shtub iz heys.
and in room is hot
'And in the room it's hot.'

Un der rebe lernt kleyne kinderlekh
and the rabbi teaches little children-diminutive
'And the rabbi is teaching tiny little children'

Dem alef-beyz.
'The alphabet.'

	[in the yiddish communities of eastern europe, male children started
	school at the age of three, taught by a rabbi. in fact, 'rabbi' 
        means 'teacher'. the children started off by learning the hebrew
	alphabet, so as to be able to read the bible and other sacred texts.]
Refrain:
	Zet zhe, kinderlekh, gedenkt zhe, tayere,
	see PARTICLE, children-diminutive, remember PARTICLE, dear,
	'So see, little children, do remember, dear ones,'

	Vos ir lernt do.
	what you learn here
	'What you're studying here.'

	Zogt zhe nokh a mol un take nokh a mol
	say PARTICLE still a time and indeed still a time
	'So say again and yet again'

	Komets-alef: 'o'!
	Kamets-A: O
		[meaning that the combination 'kamets-aleph' is read 'o']
		['kamets' = the name of the diacritic indicating the vowel 'o']
		[the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet is called 'aleph'
			and is basically equivalent to the letter 'a', though
			it is sometimes silent, as it is here]

Lernt, kinder, mit groyse kheyshek,
'Learn, children, with great desire,'

Azoy zog ikh aykh on.
so say I you PARTICLE
'This is what I'm telling you.'

Ver s'vet gikher fun aykh kenen ivre,
who it-will quicker from you know Hebrew
'Whoever learns the quickest [to read] Hebrew,'

Der bakumt a fon.
the receives a flag
'he will get a flag.'	[little flags were given as awards.]

Refrain: [Same as above except for last line:]
	Komets-beyz: 'bo'!
	'Kamets-B: BO!'
		[the second letter of the alphabet is called 'beyz'
			and is basically equivalent to the letter 'b']

Az ir vet, kinder, elter vern,
as you will, children, older become,
'When you get older, children,'

Vet ir aleyn farshteyn,
will you alone understand,
'You'll understand yourselves,'

Vifl in di oysyes lign trern,
how-many in the [Hebrew] letters lie tears,
'How many tears there are in the Hebrew letters,'

Un vifl geveyn.
'And how many cries.'

Refrain: [Same as above except for last line:]
	Komets-gimel: 'go'!
	'Kamets-G: GO!'
		[the third letter of the alphabet is called 'gimel'
			and is basically equivalent to the letter 'g']

Az ir vet, kinder, dem goles shlepn,
as you will, children, the exile drag,
'When you trudge through the Diaspora [i.e. outside of Israel],'

Oysgemutshet zayn,
worn-out be,
'[when you] are worn out,'

Zolt ir fun di oysyes koyekh shepn,
shall you from the letters strength draw,
'May you draw strength from these letters,'

Kukt in zey arayn!
look in them in!
'Look right at them!'

Refrain: [Same as above except for last line:]
	Komets-daled: 'do'!
	'Kamets-D: DO!'
		[the fourth letter of the alphabet is called 'daled'
			and is basically equivalent to the letter 'd']
