The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #171724   Message #4154760
Posted By: Pappy Fiddle
11-Oct-22 - 09:27 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Chernobyl (Michael Alpert)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Chernobyl (Michael Alpert)
Another copy on YT has the lyrics in the comments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DkhDpV_1ZU I'll provide here the English translation given by "ItzhakAndresH" 11 years ago, which leaves out the "witz tza tza" at the end of each line. Google Translate sez this is Russian... or Yiddish... or Krio... but doesn't give any meaning for any of these. Feeding it the English and asking for Yiddish yields what looks like what the singer is pronouncing but Google's phonetic attempt is much different.

One way to get information, like on Facebook, is to post something clearly wrong and someone will get all indignant and post the right info you're wanting.

1. A maysele fun okh un vey
Pasirt in land fun KGB
Dort in mitn Ukraine
Rut zikh sheyn nit mer di Shkhine

A tale of grief and woe
Came to pass in the land of the KGB
There, in the middle of the Ukraine
The Divine Spirit no longer rests

Zogn zog ikh aykh dem pshat
Az in Chernobyl baym Pripat
Darf di Shkhine mer nit rien
Fun zikh aleyn tut alts sheyn glien

I'll give you the lowdown
In Chernobyl by the Pripyat River
The Divine Spirit need no longer glow
Everything is already glowing by itself

2. Energye, oy, s'iz a prakht!
Nor a toyesl hot men gemakht
Dort in land fun Rus dem shtoltsn
Hot me di velt shier nit farshmoltsn

Energy, oh, it's great
But someone made a little mistake
There, in the proud land of the Russ
They almost melted down the world

Alts in ordnung, karasho!
Hot gesagt Politbyuro
Nor baym rekhtn un baym linkn
Hot men moyre milskh tsu trinkn

Everything's fine, under control
Said the Politburo
But on both right and left
Everyone's afraid to drink the milk

3. Zint der tsimes fun Pripyat
Di gantse velt hot faynt salat
Fun Kamtshatke biz Kanade
Trinken darf men limonade

And since the mess on the Pripyat
The whole world's hate salad
From Kamchatka to Canada
Everybody has to drink soda

To vos hob ikh tsu yenem ort?
S'iz yidn flegn voynen dort
Itstert, af di keyver oves
Es tantst a nayer malkhamoves

So what does that place have to do with me?
It's Jews who used to live there
Today, on our ancestor's graves
A new Angel of Death is dancing

4. Meynt nit, az dos ken gesheyn
In yenem vaytn land aleyn
Tsi in Kiev, tsi Detroit
Khapn vest dem zelbn toyt.

Don't think it can only happen
In that far-off land
Be it Kiev or Detroit
Death will catch up with you all the same