"Tom Trauberts Kloglid (Shiker vi Lot in Hamburg)"
Click CC for subtitles
From the album "The Building and Other Songs"
by Daniel Kahn & Jake Shulman-Ment
oriente.de/en/
RELEASE DATE: MAY 12, 2023 on Oriente Musik and Flavoredtune Records
Video by Daniel Kahn & Michael Fetscher
Recorded August, 2022 in White Fir Studios, Trochtelfingen-Steinhilben
Produced with support from Albert Kunze and Festival Yidishe Muzik Stuttgart
Original Song:
"Tom Traubert's Blues (Four Sheets to the Wind in Copenhagen)"
by Tom Waits from the album "Small Change"
Yiddish Lyrics by Daniel Kahn with Josh Waletzky:
Di shikere levone,
Iz a miese matone,
Dos hob ikh kosher fardint.
Mir zeyen zikh morgn,
Tsi vilst mir oysborgn
A dolar tsi dray tsi fir. Gey ikh
Vandern, valgern, voglen, valsirn,
Ver vet geyn a Matilde mit mir?
Kh’bin a kleyn balebesl,
Blind afn gesl,
Af di zelner do ver ikh in kas,
Keyner farshteyt nisht,
Alts iz tsebrokhen,
Di shtivl in gantsn flitsh nas. Lomir
Vandern, valgern, voglen, valsirn,
Du vest geyn a Matilde mit mir
Es biln di klovem, es shpiln ganovem,
Farfirenish on a shir.
Gebetlt a nodl, narkotik hagodl,
Kh’gey iber di hayzer far dir…
Mit mashke ikh vogl, bagrobn in rogl,
Dos likhtl balaykht dayn tir.
Kum-zhe Vandern, valgern, voglen, valsirn,
Du vest geyn a Matilde mit mir.
Bloyz eynmol tsekisht zikh,
Shoyn eynmol farmisht zikh,
Un der kaliker gazlen veys,
Fremde naronem, di kalte simonem,
Di zoynes handlen mit shveys un fleysh,
Zey vandern, valgern, voglen, valsirn,
Ver vet geyn a Matilde mit mir?
Kh’darf nit keyn rakhmones.
Bay di borkhem me zogt:
Khaloymes zey shtarbn in shtot,
Retsikhishe shtayglekh,
Zikhroynes un rukhes,
Fun alemen bin ikh afn barot…
Vandern, valgern, voglen, valsirn,
Du vest geyn a Matilde mit mir.
To zogt shoyn, git loshn,
Tafsonem, matrosn,
Bay di altitshkes redt zikh arum,
Az Matilde iz shuldik,
Derharget a hundert
Un zi yogt un plogt dikh umetum…
Vandern, valgern, voglen, valsirn,
Du vest geyn a Matilde mit mir.
S’iz an alt tshemodantshik
In a shtoybik akhsantshik
Un an eybik ofn vund…
Nisht keyn primadona mit odekolon
Af a hemdl tseshmirt
Mit blut un bronfn…
A gute nakht ale gaskinder,
Nakhtvekhters, likhttsinders,
A gute nakht Matilde dertsu…
TOM TRAUBERT'S SONG OF LAMENT (AS DRUNKEN AS LOT IN HAMBURG)
Translation of the Yiddish
The drunken moon is a lousy gift, but I've earned it square and kosher.
See you tomorrow, could you spot me a dollar or three or four?
I'm going Wandering, roaming, rambling, waltzing, who'll dance a Mathilda with me?
I'm a small-time big shot, blind in the alley, I'm mad at the soldiers here.
No one understands, everything busted. My boots are sopping wet.
Let's go Wandering, roaming, rambling, waltzing, you'll dance a Mathilda with me.
The dogs are baying, the thieves are playing, temptation without end.
I begged a needle, Narcotic the Magnificent, I'd beg door to door for you.
I ramble with whisky, buried in the corner, the light shines on your door…
Come wandering, roaming, rambling, waltzing, you'll dance a Mathilda with me.
Just one time all kissed up, already all mixed up. The infirm bandit knows,
Foreign fools and cold omens, and the prostitutes deal in sweat and flesh,
They wander, roam, ramble, waltz. Who'll dance a Mathilda with me?
I don't need pity. The fugitives say that dreams are dying in town.
Murderous traps, memories and ghosts, I'm at the mercy of them all.
Wandering, roaming, rambling, waltzing, you'll dance a Mathilda with me.
So tell me, speak up, jailors, sailors. The old folks are saying,
That Mathilde is guilty, murdered a hundred and she hounds you everywhere.
Wandering, roaming, rambling, waltzing, you'll dance a Mathilda with me.
It's an old suitcase, in a dusty hotel, and an eternally open wound.
No prima donna with perfume on a shirt, stained with blood and brandy.
Good night, all street children, night watchmen, lamplighters.
Good night, Mathilda, too…
5 май 2023
