I played it over and over, and their songs were forever etched in my memory. Thirty-five years later, I found myself haunted by one tune in particular: Raisins and Almonds. This lullaby, written as a show tune in 1880, evokes the scene of a widow, comforting her only infant son among the ruins of the Temple. She rocks him, and intones his destiny as a trader of raisins and almonds. Hope in the wake of disaster. Optimism tinged with melancholy. This song has widespread appeal among European Jews.
My grandmother sang this song with my dad as a child, and singing it with my dad seemed like a good way to get a little conversation about his musical memories going.
Here's a very touching version by Benedetta Manfriani
Rozhinkes mit Mandlen (Raisins and Almonds) in A minor
Am Em Am
In dem beis hamikdosh, in a vinkl cheider
Em B7 Em
Zitzt di almoneh, bas tzion alein
Em C G7 C
Ihr ben yochidl yidelen viegt zi keseder
G7 Am E7 Am
Zingt ihm tzum shlofn a liedele shein.
Dm Am
Alelulelulelu(x2)
Am E7
Unter yideles viegele,
Am G7 C
Shteit a klor vaise tzigele
Dm6 E7 Am
Dos tzigele iz gefohren handlen
Dm Am
Dos vet zain dain beruf
Dm6 E7 Am
Rozhinkes mit mandlen
E7 Am
Shlof-zshe yideleh shlof
TRANSLATION:
In the temple, in the corner of a chamber,
The widow The Daughter of Zion is sitting all alone.
As she rocks her only son Yidele to sleep,
She sings him a pretty song, a lullaby.
Under Yidele's cradle, there stands a snow-white kid
that has been to market.
It will be your calling, too -
Trading in raisins and almonds,
And now sleep, Yidele, sleep
(Translation thanks to Raquel Merlot )
