In response to numerous requests for the words to Avraham Reisen's famous Yiddish poem "A Sukkeleh" we post the words and translation. Enjoy!
A Sukkeleh
A Sukkeleh, a klaineh Foon breitlach gemeinah Hab ich mir a sukkeleh gemacht Tzudekt dem dach Mit a bisseleh s’chach Zitz ich mir in Sukkeleh banacht
A vint, a kaltan Bloz durch di shpaltan Un di lichtelach Zei leshen zich fil Is iz mir a chidush Vai ich mach mir kiddush Un di lichtelech zei brenen gantz shtill
Zum ershten gericht Mit a bloson gezicht Brangt mer mein tochterel arein Zi shtelt zich avek Un zakt mit shrek Tatenyu di Sukkah falt bald ein
Zi nisht kein naar Hab nit kein tzar Zal dir Sukke geit tan ba’ang Es iz shoin gar Bald tzvei toizant yar Un di Sukkeleh shteit nach gantz leing
A sukkaleh, quite small, Wooden planks for each wall; Lovingly I stood them upright. I laid thatch as a ceiling And now, filled with deep feeling, I sit in my sukkaleh at night.
A chill wind attacks,
Blowing through the cracks;
The candles, they flicker and yearn.
It’s so strange a thing
That as the Kiddush I sing,
The flames, calmed, now quietly burn.
In comes my daughter,
Bearing hot food and water;
Worry on her face like a pall.
She just stands there shaking
And, her voice nearly breaking,
Says “Tattenyu, the sukkah’s going to fall!”
Dear daughter, don’t fret;
It hasn’t fallen yet.
The sukkah’s fine;
banish your fright.
There have been many such fears,
For nigh two thousand years;
Yet the sukkeleh's still standing
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