KlezCalifornia wishes you a sweet Peysekh/Passover. Here are The Four Questions (Di Fir Kashes) in Yiddish, and a popular song for the end of the Seder, Who Knows One? (Mu Asapru).
If you are not sure of the melodies, leave your name and phone number for KlezCalifornia at 415.789.7679, and we will sing it to you. Hint: “The Four Questions” is sung to the gemoreh-nign.
If you are not familiar with Yiddish transliteration, a pronunciation guide is below the songs.
The Four Questions (Di Fir Kashes)
Mah nishtano ha-laylo ha-zeh mikol ha-ley-loys?
Farvos iz di dozikeh nakht fun Peysekh andersh fun aleh nekht fun a gants yor?”
(Why is this Seder night different from all the nights of the whole year?)
Sheh-b-khol haleyloys – Aleh nekht fun a gants yor esn mir say khomets say matso, ober di nakht fun Peysekh esn mir nor matso?
(Why is it that every night we eat khomets or matzo, but on this Peysekh night, we eat only matzo?)
Sheh-b-khol ha-ley-loys – Aleh nekht fun a gants yor esn mir a-ler-ley grinsn, ober di nakht fun Peysekh esn mir bitereh grinsn?
(Why is it that every night we eat all kinds of greens, but on this Peysekh night, only bitter herbs?)
Sheh-b-khol ha-ley-loys – Aleh nekht fun a gants yor tunken mir ayn afileh eyn mol ober di nakht fun Pesakh tunken mir ayn tsvey mol?
(Why is it that every night we dip at most one time, but on this Peysekh night, we dip twice?)
Sheh-b-khol ha-ley-loys – Aleh nekht fun a gants yor esn mir say zitsndik, say ongeshpart, ober di nakht fun Peysekh esn mir aleh ongeshpart?
(Why is it that every night we eat sitting up straight or reclining, but on this Peysekh night, we eat reclining?)
Who Knows One? (Mu Asapru)
Mu asapru, mu adabru, oys-khu, oys-khu,
yam-ta-da-ta-dam,
Ver ken zogn, ver ken redn,
Vos di eyns batayt?
Eyner iz dokh Got,
Un Got iz eyner,
Un vayter keyner, hey!
Tsvey zenen di lukhes,
Dray zenen di oves,
Fir zenen di imes,
Finf zenen di khamushim,
Zeks zenen di mishnayes,
Zibn zenen di vokhnteg,
Akht teg iz der bris,
Nayn khadoshim trogt men,
Tsen zenen di gebot,
Elf zenen di shtern,
Tsvelf zenen di shvotim,
Draytsn iz men bar mitsveh,
Un eyner iz dokh Got….
(Who knows one?
God alone is one.
And the others are nothing.
Two are the tablets,
Three are the patriarchs,
Four are the matriarchs,
Five are the books of Moses,
Six are the volumes of Mishneh,
Seven are the days of the week,
At eight days there is a bris,
Nine are the months of pregnancy,
Ten are the commandments,
Eleven stars (in Joseph’s dream),
Twelve the tribes (of Israel),
At thirteen one is bar-mitsveh,
But God alone is one.)
Transliteration hints:
Vowels:
a as in father
e as in lemon
i as in a range of sounds from a short i (as in kid) to almost a long i (as in deer)
o as in not
u as in due
ey as in grey
ay as in aye
oy as in boy
Consonants:
kh as in Bach
dzh as in judge
g as in give
sh as in shoot
ts as in fits
tsh as in pinch
zh as in measure