DER GALITSIANER KABALLERO (Lyrics: (L. Markowitz)

TRANSLITERATION OF YIDDISH TEXT

1.Aleyn bin ikh a Galitsianer,
gevolt vern Amerikaner.
Nor vi dortn iz "slek" - nokh Meksik avek.
Un yetst bin ikh a Meksikaner.

2. In Meksike iz git-o, yes - sir.
Me git dort a trink un a fres - sir.
Mit gur vaynik gelt ken men brenen dort a velt.
Leybn vi got in Odes -o.

3. Nor di payes getun a sherl,
gekoyft mir a "het" a sombrero.
A royt zaydn hemd, un di hor sheyn farkemt.
Ikh zug aykh kh'bin a " kabalerl".

4. Ikh hob shoyn getun dortn ales.
Kh'ob oysgezikht far mir a sheyne kale.
Di pekh shvartse hur, di shlanke figur.
Z'hot gebrent vi a heyse "tamale".

5. Zi hot getantst mit ire fis un ire hento,
un geshoklt mit ir sakrament-o.
Nokh a por glezlekh vayn, gefilt hot zi fayn.
Bavizn ir gantsn "talento"

6. Oy, di bist bay mir a "chikita",
mir gebisn azoy vi a "meskita".
Z'hot geshvorn on a shir, tray blaybt zi mir.
Farblaybt zi mayn seniorita.

7. Ir libe iz gevorn beshayter.
Geholdzt, un gekisht un azoy vayter.
Nokh a kish gibn ir, zugt zi glakh tsu mir,
az zi hot du a man a "bullfighter"
.
8. Hert vi pasirt ot di sibe,
ayn mol erklert zikh in libe.
Halt shoyn nuvnt mit ir, plitsling efnt zikh di tir,
un ir man kimt arayn in der shtibe.

9. Ir man iz a riz an "atlet-o".
In hant halt er gor a "stillet-o".
Er hot mir ongekhapt, mayne beyner tseklapt.
Kh'bin gelign tsvey vokhn in Bet-o.

10. Ikh shver, az ikh mayn nisht reyn vits-e.
Ikh fil ven ikh shtay, ven ikh zits-e.
Tsu vern Meksikaner, oder Amerikaner
Fur ikh krik nokh Galitsie.

TRANSLATION

1. Myself, I am from Galicia,
wanted to be an American.
But since there was no work, I went off to Mexico
and now I am an Mexican.

2. In Mexico it’s good – Oh yes-sir.
One drinks and eats well.
With little money you can still live it up
and live like God in Odessa.

3. I just cut-off my side locks
and bought a hat, a sombrero.
A red silk shirt and nicely combed hair.
I tell you I am a real caballero [gentleman]

4. I have already done everything there.
I have sought out for me a pretty bride.
With pitch black hair and a slender figure –
She burned like a hot tamale.

5. She danced with her hands and her hands-o
and shook her Sacrament-o.
After a few glasses of wine, she felt fine.
and showed her best talent-o.

6. O you are my “chiquita”
She bit me like a mosquito.
She swore with no end, that she would stay faithful
to me.
And remain my seniorita.

7. Her love became more wanton.
We necked and we kissed and so forth.
After I kissed her, she says to me,
that she has a husband, a bullfighter.

8. Listen to how this incident played out.
I declared my love for her
Was getting closer to her, when suddenly the door
opens.
And her husband enters the room

9. Her husband was a giant, an athlete-o
In his hand he holds a stillet-o.
He caught me and beat my bones.
I lay in bed for two weeks-o.

10. I swear that I am not joking.
I can feel it when I stand, when I sit.
Should I become a Mexican or American?
I am going back to Galicia

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source - Efim Chorny, Moldova. I was able to copy from pdfs provided by Mr Chorny for his song workshop; I didn't need to type the lyrics(see previous message, 12.52 pm today, Mudcat time). I have come across a couple of other Yiddish songs which propose a return to Eastern Europe, a theme that later became unpopular and unmentioned (unsung) due to the holocaust.