Russian/English/Yiddish - Bublitchki / Bublichki

Subject: englsih lyrics to Yiddish song Bublitchk
From: squeeze box
Date: 22 Oct 06 - 04:02 PM

Does anyone know the Englsih lyrics to the Yiddish song "Bublitchki? It was a song written after the Russian Civil War and concerns a poor street vendor.

Thanks

Squeese Box

Subject: RE: English lyrics to Yiddish song Bublitchk
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Oct 06 - 06:13 PM

Hi, Squeeze Box, I think Zemerl.com has the song you're seeking:

Bublichki/Beygelach

Music: klesmorim

Subject: RE: English lyrics to Yiddish song Bublitchki
From: Joe_F
Date: 22 Oct 06 - 09:28 PM

I have known this song for a long time, but only in Russian. About 10 years ago, someone on rec.music.folk told me it was an Odessa cabaret song from the 1920s. I have never heard it in Yiddish or in English. The Russian words have more of a satirical cast:
^^
Noch' nadvigayetsa,
Fonar' shatayetsa,
Svet prolivayetsa
V nochnuyu tmu.
Ya, neumytaya,
Tryap'em prikritaya,
I vsya razbitaya,
Edva brozhu.

Kupite bublichki,
Goryachi bublichki,
Gonite rublichki
Syuda skorey,
I v noch' nenastnuyu
Menya neschastnuyu,
Torgovku chastnuyu,
Ty pozhaley.

Otets moy pyanitsa,
Sam etim chvanitsa,
On k grobu tyanetsa,
No vsyozhe p'yot.
Sestra gulyashchaya
I mat' propashchaya
Da ya kuryashchaya,
Glyadite -- vot!

Kupite bublichki...

Translation, probably wrong in spots -- I don't actually speak Russian:

Night comes on, the streetlamp swings, light slips thru the gloom of night. I, unwashed, clad in rags, and all beat up, can scarcely get around.

Buy bagels, hot bagels, give money, here, quick, and in the vile night, take pity on unlucky me and my private trade.

My father is a drunkard, he boasts of it himself, he has one foot in the grave, but he keeps drinking. My sister is a streetwalker, my mother is a fallen woman, and I am a female smoker, look -- like this!

Presumably, at that point she takes a wicked drag on her cigar.

Subject: ADD: Who'll Buy My Bublitchki?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Oct 06 - 01:05 AM

Hi, Joe. My friend Mrs. Lev sometimes knows Russian songs that I've heard only in Yiddish, so I'm sure glad you contributed the Russian version. Mrs. Lev will be glad, too, no doubt.
Columbia has a wonderful 2-CD collection of Yiddish and Jewish American Music, From Avenue A to the Great White Way: Yiddish and American Popular Songs from 191401950, and the collection has two versions of this song. One is "Beigelach," recorded in 1929 by Peisachke Bursteai - it's very similar to the version I posted above. The second version is in English, recorded by Emery Deutsch and his Orchestra (vocalist Nan Wynn), in 1938. Here's my transcription of what I hear:

Who'll Buy My Bublitchki?
(O'Keefe & Stone)
^^
Who'll Buy My Bublitchki?
I'm selling Bublitchki
I'm telling you-blitchki
They're very nice.

You'd buy my Bublitchki
If you but knew-blitchki
How very true-blitchki
Is my advice.

Just try a few-blitchki
Say, one or two-blitchki
Before you're through-blitchki
You'll want some more.

I'm betting you-blitchki
That you will chew-blitchki
Some twenty-two-blitchki
Or twenty-four.

With Russian stew-blitchki
And home-made Blublitchki [Brew-blitchki???]
You'll find my Blublitchki
A real delight.

My song is through,
I'll say adieu,
Which means to you
so long, goodbye.

[instrumental break]
With Russian stew...
And home-made Blu...
You'll find my Blublitchki
A real delight.

My song is through,
I'll say adieu,
Which means to you
so long, goodbye.


Benny Goodman recorded this in 1939, but I haven't heard the recording.

Subject: ADD: Beygelach
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Oct 06 - 01:26 AM

I think it's clear that "Beygelach" is the same song. You'll find a recording on Theodore Bikel's recent "Rhino Handmade" CD.
Zemerl.com has the lyrics:

Beygelach ^^Es rikt zich on di nacht Ich gey arum farshmacht Aroysgetribn micht fun umetum Kleyder tserissene, nit keyn gevashene An oysgematerte gey ich arum. Koyft mayne beygelach Frishinke beygelach Nu, koyftshe gicher, koyft Ich darf dos geld. Ich bin an oreme Un a farloyrene A na-venadnitse Do oyf der velt. Mayn tate shikert nor On dem koym lebt er gor, Di shvester handelt itst Mit zich aleyn. In shtub iz groys di noyt Nito keyn shtikl broyt Fun tsores mid zing ich Mayn troyer lid: Oy koyftshe beygelach Aaaheysinke beygelach Zet, mayne eygelach Zenen farbrent. Oy, oy, oy, laytelach Git oyf popaytelach Un dos iz ales vos Ich hob gemeynt. Nu, koyftshe beygelach Vayl mer keyn koyches iz Shoyn bald nito. S'vert shvach di lingelach Kumt gicher yingelach Koyft a por beygelach Bay mir ot do.

Bagels The night draws near With little strength I walk these streets Evicted and unwanted everywhere My clothes are torn, I am unwashed With tortured thoughts I wander about. Buy bagels Fresh bagels Buy quickly please I need to sell For I am poor and lost And homeless in this world. My father is on the bottle Without it he can barely exist My sister is trading Her own body away. Our home is full of misery, Not even a crust of bread And so, worn out with sorrow I sing my mournful song: Buy bagels Hot bagels See, my eyes Are burnt out. O you people, give At least a potato That is all I mean to beg. Buy bagels The last bagels For my strength Is ebbing fast. My lungs are weakening Come quickly, young fellows And buy the few bagels I have to sell.

Subject: RE: English lyrics to Yiddish song Bublitchki
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Oct 06 - 03:54 AM

I haven't been able find this song in any of my songbooks. I'd like to post a MIDI if one is available - send it by e-mail if you have a MIDI for us.
-Joe-
[e-mail]

Subject: Russiah words to'bublichki'
From: GUEST,Fred Maslan
Date: 13 Dec 06 - 09:43 PM

Ive been able to google the Yidish words, but I use to have the Russian words.

I remember it began "Kupitye bublichki..."

Subject: RE: Russiah words to'bublichki'
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 14 Dec 06 - 02:23 AM

Kupite bublichki, 2nd Cello Concerto, Shostakovich

Try kupite bublichki

Subject: RE: English lyrics to Yiddish song Bublitchki
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Dec 06 - 02:59 AM

Hi, Fred - I wish there would be a source that would give Yiddish songs in other languages. The majority are Yiddish-Russian, but there are other crossovers. My friend Mrs. Lev learned a lot of songs in Russian that I've learned in Yiddish.
This Russian Site (click) has something about the song, but I'll be darned if I can figure out if it's full Russian lyrics.

But hey, I just discovered that we have Russian words right here at Mudcat, so I'm going to move these messages to that other thread.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Russian/English/Yiddish - Bublitchki / Bublich
From: Joe_F
Date: 14 Dec 06 - 09:47 PM

The version on the Russian site is in Yiddish, but the Russian word for bagels (bublichki) is mixed in.

Subject: RE: Russian/English/Yiddish - Bublitchki / Bublichki
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Feb 07 - 01:30 AM

Fred posted this in another thread. I'm hoping he'll remember a bit more, since it's a bit different from what was posted above.
-Joe Offer-

---

Thread #98807   Message #1960734
Posted By: Fred Maslan
07-Feb-07 - 11:55 PM
Thread Name: Lyrics for 'Bublichki'
Subject: Lyrics for 'Bublichki'

I have the Yiddish words. And I once had the Russian words, but I misplaced them. So what I need are the Russian Words to Bulichki.

All I can remember are:

Kupitye Bublichki
Garyachie Bublichki
Ganitye rublichki Paka skarye.

That is if I remember them correctly.

Subject: RE: Russian/English/Yiddish - Bublitchki / Bublich
From: Fred Maslan
Date: 08 Feb 07 - 10:22 AM

I believe it was written first in Yiddish. So there could be several translations into Russian or English. It would also help for pronunciation if the Russian versions were written in cirilic.

Subject: RE: Russian/English/Yiddish - Bublitchki / Bublichki
From: EBarnacle
Date: 08 Feb 07 - 10:39 PM

The translation is faulty in quite a few spots.

For example: "Koyf meine baygelach" should be "buy my bagels."

Subject: RE: Russian/English/Yiddish - Bublitchki / Bublichki
From: EBarnacle
Date: 09 Feb 07 - 12:08 AM

There may be an additional transcription error here. I checked with with my parents, who spoke Yiddish as children and they say it should be "Buglitchki" as the word Bagel derives from Bugel, which means stirrup.

The young child comes home from his first day in school. He's inconsolable. Finally, his mother gets him to stop crying and explain what the problem is. "When I got to school, they insisted my name's not Bubeleh, it's Oiving."

Subject: RE: Russian/English/Yiddish - Bublitchki / Bublichki
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Jul 09 - 03:05 AM

http://www.karaoke.ru/catalog/song/501?&from_genre=1

Here is russian version of the song

Subject: RE: Russian/English/Yiddish - Bublitchki / Bublichki
From: GUEST,p.
Date: 22 Nov 13 - 10:22 PM

Would love the chords to Bublitchkis - anybody?
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Russian/English/Yiddish - Bublitchki / Bublichki
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 23 Nov 13 - 07:32 PM

Take that karaoke version linked above as your starting point. It seems to start with an A chord. The song seems seems simple enough that you can sound out the other chords. Try A, E, D and Bm. In an emergency try F#m.

There will be a few notes that don't harmonize, but I believe they will go by quickly enough that nobody minds. Try it for a while, then us know how this works for you.

I think it's in 2/4 time.