Lyr Req: O Mein Papa (Yiddish)

Subject: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: Genie
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 03:02 AM

"Oh, My Papa" is from a Yiddish musical of about 1947, and the original title was, of course, "Oh, Mein Papa," but I have never been able to find the lyrics in Yiddish. Anyone have them?

Father's day approacheth fast.

Genie

Subject: Lyr Add: O MEIN PAPA (German - Amstein & Burkhard
From: masato sakurai
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 03:15 AM

O mein Papa (with MIDI)

~Masato

---

Why don't people post actual lyrics any more?
-Joe Offer-

---

O MEIN PAPA

Melodie - Paul Burkhard, 1911-1977

Jürg Amstein

Papa wie ein Pfeil Sprang hinauf auf die Seil. Eh la hopp, eh la hopp, eh la hopp! Er spreizte die Beine Ganz breit auseinand', Sprang hoch in die Luft Und stand auf der Hand. Eh la hopp, eh la hopp, eh la hopp! Lachte: Haha! Und machte: Haßa Ganz sachte Haßa Und rief: Eh la hopp! Eh la hopp! Eh la hopp! Er ritt auf die Seil Ganz hoch in die Luft. Eh la hopp, eh la hopp, eh la hopp! Das konnte er machen Zwölf mal ohne Mih! Er lachte dazu Und fürchte sich nie! Eh la hopp, eh la hopp, eh la hopp! O mein Papa War eine wunderbare Clown. O mein Papa War eine große Kinstler. Hoch auf die Seil, Wie war er herrlich anzuschau´n! O mein Papa War eine schöne Mann! Wie, wie er lacht, Sein Mund sie sein so breit, so rot Und seine Aug' Wie Diamanten strahlen. O mein Papa War eine wunderbare Clown. O mein Papa War eine große Kinstler! Hoch auf die Seil, Wie war er herrlich anzuschau'n! O mein Papa War eine schöne Mann! Ein schöner Mann! Ein schöner Mann!

Das Lied wurde geschrieben für die 1939 in Zürich uraufgeführte musikalische Dialektkomödie "Der schwarze Hecht" (eine Fassung für Deutschland entstand etwa zehn Jahre später unter dem Namen "Feuerwerk"). - Rudolf Bolli.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: Genie
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 03:24 AM

Wunderbar, Masato! Aber das is auf Deutsch, nicht wahr?

The Yiddish lyrics would be a little different, wouldn't they? Or was it originally written in German, not Yiddish?

Also, I didn't realize it went back to 1939, not just 1947. Thanks for the info. You're always such a fount of knowledge!

Genie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: Genie
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 03:27 AM

Ich will sagen, "...das ist auf Deutsch..."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: masato sakurai
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 04:17 AM

Genie, I don't know about the original, but found this info in James J. Fuld, The Book of World-Famous Music, 4th ed. (Dover, 1995 p. 403):

"mw. Paul Burkhard. Published Nov. 17, 1948 [copyright records; LC], by Musikverlag und Bühnenvertrieb Zürich A.G., Zurich. Possible first edition: Front cover has a drawing of a master of ceremonies and is black and white. s. Der Schwarze Hecht. [...] Published on the same day was a booklet of four songs from the show, including O Mein Papa. The musical show was retitled Feuerwerk about Dec., 1950. Oh! My Pa-Pa, with English words by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons, was published in 1953. Burkhard was born in Zurich in 1911 and was a conductor and composer in Switzerland. He died in 1977 in Zurich."

I think the show was "premiered in April, 1939"; sheet music was published later. Incidentally, there's a French version sung by Tino Rossi (Oh ! Mon Papa).

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: Genie
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 04:32 AM

Merci beaucoup, Masato! Especialement pour les mots en Français! Genie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 05:41 AM

Genie, I did a Google search for "Oh Mayn Papa", which would be the Yiddish transliterated spelling, and found nothing, so I assume there were never Yiddish words, just German translated into English. I'd always assumed it was a Yiddish song, too. Thanks to Masato (as usual) for his excellent scholarship.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: Haruo
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 01:15 PM

German is not my strong suit (and I have lots of linguistic suits, some strong), indeed I do better in Yiddish (perhaps because I get more practice at it), but it looks to me like the German version Masato linked to is in standard Hochdeutsch, whereas the original lyrics (if I'm deciphering the footnote correctly) would have been in Schwyzertütsch or some Allemannic dialect (and those dialects actually have some points in common with Yiddish and at odds with the German standard).

Genie, you started out saying the song was from a 1947 Yiddish musical; do you have any info on that (or were you just guessing)? It's not at all impossible that it could have been put into and produced in Yiddish in New York before the German revival with the homogenized, pasteurized German text. However, a search at Zemerl turns up nothing. Might be worth posting a query there, though. If it is in some way Jewish, they'd be a likely resource for details.

Liland

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 01:33 PM

"Der Schwarze Hecht" by Burkhart, 1939, which contained the song, was German. Many Yiddish-speakers, of course, would know and speak German as well.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: The Pooka
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 01:40 PM

Also, another good resource --- the Folksbiene Yiddish Theatre, operated by Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring, NYC. If it's Yiddish, these folks will know it.
[e-mail] or 212-889-6800 ext. 203.
For general info, Click here

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: Haruo
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 02:44 PM

Dicho, the footnote reads "Das Lied wurde geschrieben für die 1939 in Zürich uraufgeführte musikalische Dialektkomödie "Der schwarze Hecht" (eine Fassung für Deutschland entstand etwa zehn Jahre später unter dem Namen "Feuerwerk"). - Rudolf Bolli." The term "Dialektkomödie" coupled with the fact that it was written by a Zürcher and first produced in Zürich strongly suggests that it was not in German but in Schwyzertütsch, which as I noted shares some features with Yiddish that are absent from the Hochdeutch standard. (Whether mutual intelligibility is higher or lower between Yiddish and Schwyzertütsch than between Yiddish and Hochdeutsch I have no idea.)

Thanks, Pooka. I suppose a letter to the editor of Forverts might elicit something, too, though it takes me a while to write a letter in acceptable Yiddish.

Liland

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: Genie
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 03:12 PM

Liland, my info on the song's origins came from notes I've seen printed on sheet music of the song. Sometimes that sort of info is incorrect, of course, and the copyright date can refer to the sheet music itself, not necessarily the original compostion. [E.g., I've often seen old sheet music for "My Wild Irish Rose" with the © date 1910 or 1912; now I learn the original © was 1899.]

If the play was revived "...zehn Jahren später...," under a different name, that may be the source of the late 1940's date that I saw.

IIRC, one book I had which gave the English lyrics and notes about the musical was a book of songs from Yiddish theater and music hall.

If the song was originally written in Hochdeutsch, that would explain why I've yet to find, among the residents or staff of the Jewish retirement facilities where I do music, anyone familiar with the Yiddish words.

Thanks for the links, folks. I'll check them out.

Genie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: The Pooka
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 03:26 PM

Liland - So, not to worry. Write to Forward in English. They'll translate & Forward it to Forverts. After all, they're the same folks(biene :).

But seriously folks: Adrienne Cooper and Zalman Mlotek, among others, at Arbeiter Ring/Folksbiene are expert scholars, and performers, of Yiddish songs including theatre music. I bet they would know.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 04:23 PM

The musical comedy "Der schwarze Hecht," music by Paul Burkhard and lyrics by Jürg Amstein, was performed at the Schauspielhaus in Zurich on April 1, 1939. The comedy was based on a story by Emil Sautters, "Der Sächzigscht Giburstag," Swiss-German dialect (guess at trans.- The Eventful Birthday). The performance of "Der schwarze Hecht" was in German with Swiss-German dialect. A cd by a Zurich cast is available as Tudor 815, in German, but with Swiss-German dialect interlarded.

"Das Feuerwerk" was a revision by Erik Charell and Robert Gilbert, presented in Munich in 1950.

Some Songs listed for the Zurich album contain dialect.
1. Vorspiel
2. Mamme, jetzt hördoch uf mit Bluemeschprütze!
3. Lied der Köchin
4. Geburtstagduett und Hustenlied
5. Wie bald wird mir alt
6. Es war nicht leicht, doch ist's erreicht!
7. Die welt ist gross und weit.
8. Ich wott hüt nöd vernümpftig sy!
Ich hab ein kleines süsses Pony.
Etc., 21 songs.
It would be very interesting to hear this Zurich album. I doubt that the lyrics of "O mein Papa! (track 10) would have any resemblance to those sung as "O My Papa" by Eddie Fisher in his hit record.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: Haruo
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 04:46 PM

Dicho, anent "Der Sächzigscht Giburstag", I would take it to be "The Sixtieth Birthday", not "Eventful", but it's just a guess. It would indeed be interesting to listen to the Zürich album.

Pooka, I know I (or Genie) could write to Forverts in English, but for what? My Yiddish needs the exercise. :) But it is slower going. At the moment I'm trying to read an article entitled "Perl fun der yidisher poezie" in the May 31 issue, by Hannah (sp?) Mlotek. There should be music for this:

Der vinter iz gekumen,
der shney shit un shit,
mir zitsn in tsimer
un zingen a lid.

A lid un a shpil,
a tentsl derbay,
mir freyen zikh ale
vi s'volt gevezn may.

Anybody got a midi? (I haven't actually looked for one, I just transcribed the words out of the paper, p. 14.)

Liland

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: The Pooka
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 07:18 PM

Liland - I knew you knew; I was just making a very lame joke (lom schpas???) re forwarding to the Forward.

I do not have the Yiddish at all, at all; but my wife is studying it, with particular interest in the music. I *think* that Hannah, or Chane (sp?), Mlotek is the mother of Zalman Mlotek whom I cited earlier. Their family is renowned in the Yiddish music world.

Good luck with the research & best wishes.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Jun 02 - 12:27 PM

then there is the version the Freudian therapists sing:

O, Mein Caca, to me you were so beautiful...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: Genie
Date: 11 Jun 02 - 01:39 AM

Actually, Dicho, there seems to be quite a bit of overlap in meaning between the German lyrics posted above and Eddie Fisher's English version, though it's far from a word-for-word 'translation.'

The German song seems to have a Part 1, though, with Part 2 corresponding to the English version. Does Part 1 have the same tune?

Genie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 11 Jun 02 - 02:06 AM

Good work, Liland,
you made the right guesses. Der Sächzigscht Giburstag is the Sixtieth Birthday, and the Black Pike was written in the Zürich dialect.
The song in question is neither dialect nor correct high language, but a slightly reduced form of German as spoken by foreigners (note the usual difficulties with gender and strong forms).
In the early 50ies Fireworks was also a movie wherein the female singer - my memory may fail me - acted an Italian. Unfortunately I forgot the lady's name, but it might have been young Lili Palmer (?)

Wilfried

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 11 Jun 02 - 10:54 AM

Genie,
the tune given here with a clickie is incomplete. It only covers the lyrics from "Oh mein Papa" on to the end.
The part before has another melody. Especially the "Eh la hopp" requires a totally different tune which I still remember (heard it about 50 yrs ago, never forgot it).

Liland,
having reread your remarks about German, Schwyzerdütsch and Yiddisch may I point out that the latter two languages must be subsumed under the great German family of languages.
The earliest level is still preserved in Yiddish as Middle High German with inclusion of Hebrew words and phrases.
Today New High German is the standard language used in all countries were German is spoken; so in Austria, the Helvetic Confederation, and in the German part of Belgium.
Albeit we consider the Swiss New High German as a disease of the throat, our Confederate neighbours insist that they are speaking Standard German correctly - maybe with a slightly different intonation. So let it be ...
And then there are the many local dialects, evolving in different ways and preserving different levels of progress. The Schwyzerdütsch (I never heard the term used by native speakers referring to their language) might be a level between local dialects and the Standard (High) Language.
The intelligibility between the languages is a problem of lexemes mostly - the Swiss use some other words than the average Germans, and Yiddish has its Hebrew parts with a changed intonation. So it all depends on coming round and talking a lot together. The same applies to how to become a good musician, viz.
the three eyzes:
1. training,
2. training,
3. training.

Wilfried

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: Genie
Date: 11 Jun 02 - 11:48 AM

Thanks, Wilfried.

But was there supposed to be a blue clickie in your last post?

Genie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Jun 02 - 01:37 PM

Thanks, Wilfried, for clearing up the errors in our posts and for the explanation of the situation in Switzerland. I have done translations of scientific German and even published some botanical translation, but the language as spoken is beyond me.
There is a brief historical explanation at this site: Feuerwerk

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 12 Jun 02 - 02:27 AM

Genie,
my fault: I should have written: "masato's clickie".
Dicho,
Thanks for the link to "Feuerwerk". Now I begin to remeber what I might have seen in my tender time of youth. I only remembered the song "Oh mein Papa" because of the beautiful lady who sang it in the movies. May be any song about a beloved father touches the orphan's heart, but this one did it especially.
Interesting that you are doing scientific translations from German to English. Admirable - I'm doing it sometimes the other way. Lucky me.
If I might be of some help, don't hesitate to ask.

Wilfried

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: Wolfgang
Date: 12 Jun 02 - 11:06 AM

Lilli Palmer was it in the film.

I, however, remember this song sung by Lyss Assia.

Now, for a real audio also to the first part of that tune click here.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 13 Jun 02 - 05:38 AM

Wolfgang
Thanks. How could I forget; growing old, eh?

Wilfried

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 15 Jun 02 - 12:29 PM

Eddie Fisher's English version, with chords, is given here in the Forum.

The lyrics are given several places on the 'Net. This one had the most complete copyright citation, so I copy it here: From http://www.family.org/docstudy/solid/a0005774.html

Eddie Fisher, "Oh, My Papa," copyright 1953, RCA-Victor Records, English words by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons; music and original lyric by Paul Burkhard; copyright 1948, 1950 Musikverlag und Buhnenvertrieb Zurich A.G. Zurich, Switzerland; copyright 1953, Shapiro, Bernstein, & Co. Inc., New York. Copyrights renewed. All rights reserved.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa: orig. Yiddish lyrics
From: Genie
Date: 17 Jun 02 - 02:11 AM

Wolfgang, thanks so much for the MP3!

Jim D., Your copyright citation is similar to the one that gave me the idea that the song was first published in the late 1940's [but the one I saw referred to the musical as well]. I already knew the English words and chords, but it's nice to know the song is in the DT. It's really a standard, where songs about fathers are concerned.

Jeanene

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Mein Papa (Yiddish)
From: GUEST,pia sarda
Date: 31 Jul 10 - 10:09 AM

It's already 2010, but this song was suddenly on my mind... and I wondered if the accent and the 'German' was Yiddish. I think: YES. And I LIKE IT a lot..... And I like this discussion... No power (nazi etc.) will ever really destroy something solid and true! - Shalom,-pia/artist