ADD: Royte Pomarantsn (Michael Alpert)

Subject: Lyr Req: Royte Pomerantzen (Michael Alpert)
From: GUEST,Rachel S.
Date: 05 Oct 22 - 09:17 PM

Can anyone give me the lyrics to this song in Yiddish, Royte Pomerantzen, sung by Michael Alpert with his band Brave New World?

The song is on YouTube and Spotify (without lyrics) and my Yiddish isn’t good enough to transcribe the words myself. I do seem to recall that the lyrics were included with the album but I no longer have the original CD case or notes. Hope someone can help!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Royte Pomerantzen (Michael Alpert)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Oct 22 - 12:58 AM

Hi, Rachel - I have the song listed as "Royte Pomarantsn" (Blood Oranges)

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=SQWdmcJ373A&list=OLAK5uy_lq1c32ydl1P65LqSkSFv8OJ_jwOYxa0aM

Such Blood Oranges are mentioned in the song "di grine kuzine," but I see no other connection to the Green Cousin. So, I'm coming up zero on this one, too.
I'm so ashamed....
-Joe-

Here's a page that offers a translation of at least part of the song:
https://www.klezmershack.com/bands/bow/royte/bow.royte.html:

"Musicians, don't go easy on the strings! / With friends around you left and right, / and eyes aglow with joy, delight ... no more thinking black and white / just a true and open heart / a beggar and a wanderer no more."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Royte Pomerantzen (Michael Alpert)
From: GerryM
Date: 06 Oct 22 - 07:31 AM

First two stanzas, of six:

Royte pomerantsn,
Es tsit zikh nor in tantsn,
Me makht a shnepsl, hulyet vi a nar.
Mosh Gheorghe bay dem fidl
Shpilt a rumeynish lidl,
Dertsu tantst men a vulekhish bulgar.

Oy a simkhe, oy a freyd.
Men iz fun glik tsum shtarbn greyt,
Klezmerl, di struninkes nit shpar!
Arumgeringelt nor fun fraynd,
Un freyd fun ale oygn shaynt,
Me filt dokh nisht kayn zorgn, nisht kayn tsar.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Royte Pomerantzen (Michael Alpert)
From: GerryM
Date: 09 Oct 22 - 04:24 AM

Next two stanzas:

Yidn, heybt zikh nor di fislekh,
Di neshome, khotsh tsubislekh,
Zol zikh freyen mit dem hartsn glaykh,
Trinkt oys nokh a glezl vayn
Un derkvikt zikh mamesh fayn,
Zol flisn fun nekhome gor a taykh!

Karshn, eplekh, shvartse flomen,
Borukh Mordkhe, orur Homen,
S'freyt zikh gor af tish un, oy, af benk,
S'iz freyd faranen on a shir,
Un mayn taybl do bay mir,
Dos lebn iz a rizike geshenk.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Royte Pomerantzen (Michael Alpert)
From: GerryM
Date: 09 Oct 22 - 05:49 PM

Final installment (instalment, outside the US):

Royt di pomarantsn,
Di blimelekh, di krantsn,
Di beklekh fun mayn taybele, mayn kroyn,
Nito mer kayn stradanye,
Nor freylekhe kompanye,
To gib a zung "Dayeynu!" nor, un shoyn!

Di velt iz dokh a prakht, a tsatske,
Shpilt a freylekhs, a kazatske,
S'harts zol zayn a dreyster, a hulyak.
Nit kayn vays, un nit kayn shvarts,
Nor an emes, ofn harts,
Shoyn nit mer kayn betler, kayn bosyak.

[note spelling: pomarantsn, not pomerantzen]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Royte Pomarantsn (Michael Alpert)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Oct 22 - 07:32 PM

I am in awe! And now that I see the words typed out, it almost makes sense to me. I get the general idea, but not enough for me to attempt a translation.
Thank you, Gerry.

OK, we know that "Royte pomerantsn" is blood red oranges (yuck) [Pomerantz is the German word for bitter Seville oranges], so I started with "Es tsit zikh nor in tantsn." Google tells me that "es tsit zikh" is a common phrase, but it won't translate it from Yiddish to English - and of course I know that tantsn is tanzen (dance) in German. And the third line is something about playing like a peasant. And in the fourth and fifth lines, Georgie is playing a Rumanian song on the fiddle. But then a Bulgarian dance gets in there in the sixth line.

And hey, that's only the first verse.

Rachel, please let us know that you've seen this so I can correct the spelling of the song title in the thread title.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: ADD: Royte Pomerantzen (Michael Alpert)-pomarantsn
From: GerryM
Date: 09 Oct 22 - 11:08 PM

Joe, according to Henry Sapoznik, in the book, Klezmer!, whether the bulgar dance has anything to do with Bulgaria is a matter of pure speculation. In any event, he writes, "The bulgar is a circle dance played at a moderate to lively tempo. The rhythmic uniqueness that gives this tune its lift is its subdivision of the beats in its 8/8 meter: two groups of three and one group of two played 1'23 1'23 1'2. When the drums or rhythm section plays this beat against the bass playing a steady "oom-pah" the truly unique character of the inner rhythm emerges, not unlike the clave beat in Latin music, which, like the bulgar, is inferred even if not actually played throughout."

The liner notes have an English translation. Maybe I'll post that here, in installments.

Subject: RE: ADD: Royte Pomerantzen (Michael Alpert)-pomarantsn
From: leeneia
Date: 10 Oct 22 - 12:29 PM

I was intrigued, so I found a YouTube video which lets you see and hear three bulgars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XhENCiitU4

The accent is on the GAR.

Subject: RE: ADD: Royte Pomerantzen (Michael Alpert)-pomarantsn
From: GUEST,Rachel S.
Date: 15 Oct 22 - 01:13 PM

Thank you, Mudcata, especially GerryM and Joe! (Yes, I misspelled the title, feel free to correct). I’ve wanted these lyrics for years. You guys are the best.