This is a song that is on Mandy Patinkin's CD 'Mamaloshen' (Mother Tongue). It is very beautiful and I thought very appropos to the Chanukah and Christmas seasons. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did! -- Áine

Der Alter Tzigayner/White Christmas
By: Abraham Ellstein and Jacob Jacobs/Irving Berlin

Dort oyf a bergele
Unter dem frayen himl,
Vayt fun dem rashikn shtot's geriml,
Shteyt zikh a khatkele aleyn oyf an ort
An alter tsigayner voynt dort.
Dort hern ziky tener zeyer zise
Vos veynen in minor
Ven oyf zayn fidl fargeyt zikh der alter tsigayner
Mit zayn gantsn fayer un bren
Nor via tsigayner ken.

A tsigayner melody iz azoy sheyn
Hert ir es, fargest ir es nit, neyn
Vayl zi is varem, hartsik, ful mit kheyn
A modne kraft,
Zi git aykh libe un oykh lebnshaft
Hert ir es nor eyn mol
Git es keyn ru
S'farkisheft aykh di melody

Ven ir hert es,
Dakht zikh aykh s'iz prost, naiv
Un ir hot dan gornit kayn bagrif
Vi es rirt on di neshome tif.
Fun yede tsayt,
Zi filt aykh on mit lust un freylekhkayt,
Un haltn vilt ir eybik ot a di
Di klangen fun der melody:

'Ikh khulem fun a vaysn nitl
Nor aza nitl ikh farshtey
Vu di beymer glantsn
B'eys kinder tantsn
Un hern gleklekh in dem shney
Ikh khulem fun a vaysn nitl
Ikh benk nokh yene vinter teg
Zayt gebentsht un gliklekh un fayn
Zoln ayere nitl teg vays zayn'

Ven der tsigayner shpilt tsu zayn lidl
In hartsn git a bri
Fun zayn fidl der klang
Dervekt dayn neshome's farlang
Dayn blut es kokht un es zit
Zayn fidl dem boygn er tsit
Nemt in di himlen shvebn
Es glust zikh nor tsum lebn
Dos lebn vert dan azoy git

Ven der tsigayner shpilt tsu zayn lidl
In hartsn git a bri
Fun zayn fidl der klang
Dervekt dayn neshome's farlang
Dayn blut es kokht un es zit
Zayn fidl dem boygn er tsit
Nemt in di himlen shvebn
Es glust zikh nor tsum lebn
Dos lebn vert dan azoy git
Dos iz dem alter tsigayner's lid.

The Old Gypsy/White Christmas

There on a little hill
under the free sky,
far from the noisy city confusion,
stands there a cat alone on one spot--
an old gypsy lives there.
Very sweet tones are heard there
that cry in a minor key
when the old gypsy plays on his fiddle
with his soul on fire
only as a gypsy can.

A gypsy melody is so beautiful
that once you hear it, you will never forget it
because it is warm, soulful, full of charm.
A strange craft,
it gives you love and also a lust for life.
Hear it but once
and it gives no rest,
you're spellbound by the melody.

When you hear it,
you might think it's pedestrian, naive,
and you then have no idea
how deeply it touches the soul.
Each time
it fills you with lust and joyousness,
and you want to hold on forever
to the sounds of the melody:

'I'm dreaming of a white Christmas,
just like the ones I used to know,
where the treetops glisten
and children listen
to hear sleigh bells in the snow.
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
with ev'ry Christmas card I write:
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white.'

When the gypsy plays his song,
in your heart you feel a fire.
The sounds from his fiddle
awaken the yearnings of your soul.
Your blood cooks and boils.
He draws his fiddle's bow,
and the skies begin to move.
Your passion is to live-
life becomes so good.

When the gypsy plays his song,
in your heart you feel a fire.
The sounds from his fiddle
awaken the yearnings of your soul.
Your blood cooks and boils.
He draws his fiddle's bow,
and the skies begin to move.
Your passion is to live-
life becomes so good.
That is the old gypsy's song.