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User Name Thread Name Subject Posted
Felipa ADD: Songs of Mordecai Gebirtig (1877-1942) (46) LYR ADD: Shifrele's Portrait (M. Gebirtig) 29 Jan 22


Although I don't read proper Yiddish in Hebrew alphabet myself, I appreciate Monique posting the proper lyrics here so that we don't only have transliterations and translations.

I've started looking up the six titles which Keberoxu listed. It is not hard to find them on the web, just time consuming. And often more than one composer has set a particular Gebirtig poem to music.

https://www.milkenarchive.org/music/volumes/view/the-art-of-jewish-song/work/shifreles-portret/

album liner notes by Neil W. Levin for a recording by Performers: Ida Rae Cahana, Soprano; John Musto, Piano; with tune composed by Maurice Rauch:

"Shifrele’s portret, to a poem by Mordechai Gebirtig, is probably Rauch’s best-known song today. A brokenhearted father longs for his daughter and speaks to a picture of her. He imagines her still filled with hope that they will see each other again: “The war won’t last much longer; I will soon come back to you.” He will not see her again."

Hebrew letters can be found at https://lyricstranslate.com/en/shifreles-portret-shifreles-portrait.html

SHIFRELE'S PORTRET

Af der vant, links fun mayn bet,
hengt mayn tokhter shifreles portret.
oft mol in der mit der nakht,
ven ikh benk nokh ir un trakht,
ze ikh vi zi kukt af mir,
her ikh vi zi redt…

Tateshi! kh’veys s’iz dir bang,
s’vet der krig shoyn nit gedoyern lang,
kumen vel ikh bald tsu dir.
s’klapt der friling shoyn in tir.
shmeykhlt lib tsu mir un redt
shifreles portret…

TRANSLATION

On the wall, left of my bed
Hangs my daughter Shifrele’s portrait.
Often, in the tired night,
When I long for her and think,
I see how she looks at me,
I hear how she speaks:

“Papa, I know you are sad.
The war won’t last much longer.
I will soon come back to you.
Spring is already knocking at the door.”
Smiling lovingly at me, it speaks—
Shifrele’s portrait.

Shifrele's Portret sung by Ida Rae Cahana (Maurice Rauch tune)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43X7NVNNGxo (video of YIVO concert)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucj8tNvzKkU (from the album)

The above recording treats Shifrele's Portret as an "art song" . I personally prefer the singing of Daniel Kempin to his own tune. You can hear that at
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/song/shifreles-portrait, from where I copied the following notes:

"Yiddish folk poet and songwriter Mordecai Gebirtig was born in 1877 in Krakow, Poland.

... "Shifrele's Portrait" was written in Krakow in December 1939, shortly after the outbreak of World War II. Gebirtig's eldest daughter, Shifre, lived in Lvov, and was separated from her family when the Soviets annexed Lvov. In this brief song, Gebirtig, gazing at his daughter's photograph, imagines himself in conversation with her. She assures him that the war will end soon, and that parent and child will be reunited."

The translation given is very similar to the one above (by M Levin?)

On the wall, to the left of my bed,
Hangs my daughter Shifrele's portrait.
Often, in the middle of the night,
When I think of her, and miss her so,
I see how she looks at me,
I hear what she says:

"Daddy dear! I know that you're sad,
But the war won't last too very long;
Soon I shall return to you --
Peace will soon knock at the door."
Smiling lovingly, so speaks
Shifrele's portrait.

as is the one from yet another recording
https://benjyfoxrosen.bandcamp.com/track/shifreles-portret

Translations by Benjy Fox-Rosen with Julie Dawson and Josh Waletzky:
http://www.benjyfoxrosen.net/uploads/1/6/9/9/16990818/two_worlds_english_translation.pdf

On the wall to the left of my bed,
Hangs my daughter Shifrele's portrait.
Often in the middle of the night,
When I long for her and reflect,
I see how she looks at me,
I hear her speak...
"Daddy! I know how you suffer.
The war will not last much longer.
I will come to you soon,
Spring is already knocking at the door."
She smiles when she speaks to me,
Shifrele's portrait.


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