Kalte nakht a nepldike finster umetum,
Shteyt a yingele fartroyert un kukt zikh arum.
Fun regn shitst I'm nor a vant,
A koshikl halt er in hant,
Un zayne oygn betn yedn shtum.
Ikh hob shoyn nit keyn koyekh mer
Arumtsugeyn in gaz, hungerig un
Opgerizn fun dem regn naz.
Ikh shlep arum zikh fun baginen,
Keyner git nisht tsu fardinen,
Ale lakhn, makhn fun mir shpaz.
Mayn tate in milkhome hot farloyrn zayne hent,
Mayn mame hot di tsores mer oyshaltn nisht gekent.
Yung in keyver zi getribn,
Bin ikh oyf der velt farblibn,
Ungliklekh un elnt vi a shteyn.
Breklekh klayb ikh oyf tsum ezn
Oyf dem kaltn mark,
A harte bank iz mayn geleger in dem kaltn park.
In dertsu di politziantn, shlog mikh shvern kantn,
Zhelft nit mayn betn, mayn geveyn.
Kupitye koyft she, koyft she papirosn,
Trukene fun regn nisht fargozn.
Koyft she bilik benemones,
Koyft un hot oyf mir rakhmones,
Ratevet fun hunger mikh atsind.
Kupitye koyft she shvebelakh antikn,
Dermit verd ir a yosiml derkvikn.
Umzizt mayn shrayen un mayn loyfn,
Keyner vil bay mir nit koyfn,
Oysgeyn vel ikh muzn vi a hunt.
Ikh hob gehat a shvesterl, a kind fun der natur,
Mit mir tsusamen zikh geshlept hot zi a gants yor.
Mit ir geven iz mir fil gringer, laykhter vern flegt
Der hunger, ven ikh fleg a kuk ton nor oyf ir.
Mit amol gevorn iz zi shvakh un zeyer krank,
Oyf mayne hent iz zi geshtorbn oyf a gazn-bank.
Un az ikh hob zi farloyrn, hob ikh alts ongevoyrn,
Zol der toyt shoyn kumen oykh tsu mir.
Kupitye koyft she, koyft she papirosn,
Trukene fun regn nisht fargozn.
Koyft she bilik benemones,
Koyft un hot oyf mir rakhmones,
Ratevet fun hunger mikh atsind.
Kupitye koyft she shvebelakh antikn,
Dermit verd ir a yosiml derkvikn.
Umzizt mayn shrayen un mayn loyfn,
Keyner vil bay mir nit koyfn,
Oysgeyn vel ikh muzn vi a hunt.
