On 20 May 2025 I sang "Man in a Hat". This song was recorded by The Klezmatics, and is all in English, with lyrics by David Lindsay, except for the first verse. The first verse is in Yiddish and is taken from a completely different song, recorded by Max Wilner, many years before The Klezmatics. Wilner's song is entirely in Yiddish, and his recording can be found on the web under the name "Frailachs Zine" (a more standard spelling would be "Freylekh Zayn"). I don't know whether Wilner wrote that song, or whether it is much older. The Klezmatics use Wilner's tune for their song.

Here is the Yiddish verse (transliterated):


A lidl zing ikh itst far aykh vos iz a mekhaye
Di melodi'z an alte nor di verter zenen naye
Dos gezungen hobn undzere zeydes un oykh babes
Un der tate flegt gezungen nokhn kigl-shabes

Here is the translation The Klezmatics give for the Yiddish verse – it's not quite word-for-word:

A regular delight right now, I'll sing a song for you.
Though the melody is old, the words are all brand new.
Our grandpas used to sing it, and our grandmas sang it too.
And our fathers sang it shabbes after consuming traditional delicacies.

Lyrics of the first verse in Hebrew characters (Monique)

אַ לידל זינג איך איצט פֿאַר אײַך, װאָס איז אַ מחיה,
די מעלאָדיע'ז אַן אַלטע, נאָר די װערטער זײַנען נײַע,
דאָס געזונגען האָבן אונדזערע זײדעס און אױך באָבעס,
און דער טאַטע פֿלעגט געזונגען נאָכן קוגל־שבת.

Recording by The Klezmatics in their CD "Jews with Horns"

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