Oyfn Pripetshik

[2] The fourth stanza introduces tragic pathos into the song: "When, children, you will grow older / You will understand / How many tears lie in these letters / And how much crying.

Yiddish lyrics Oyfn pripetchik brent a fayerl, Un in shtub iz heys, Un der rebe lernt kleyne kinderlekh, Dem alefbeys.

Lernt, kinder, hot nit moyre, Yeder onheyb iz shver; Gliklekh der vos hot gelernt toyre, Tsi darf der mentsh nokh mer?

לערנט, קינדער, מיט גרויס חשק, אזוי זאג איך אייך אן; ווער ס'וועט גיכער פון אייך קענען עברי, דער באקומט א פאן.

לערנט, קינדער, האט נישט מורא, יעדער אנהייב איז שווער; גליקלעך איז דער ייד לערנט תורה, וואס דארפן מיר נאך מער?

At the Kovno Ghetto, poet Avrom Akselrod wrote the song with the melody of "Oyf'n Pripetshik" known under the titles "Baym geto toyerl" ("At the ghetto gate", the first line) and "Fun der arbet" ("Back from work").

[8][6] The first 3 lines in Yiddish: The first stanza: Baym geto toyerl Brent a fayerl, Un di shrek [variant: kontrol] iz groys.

(Note: In the original the words 'gate', 'fire', 'Jews', 'brigades' are in diminutive)[9] It is also available on the audio CD Ghetto Tango: Wartime Yiddish Theater, track 10, "Fun Der Arbet", sung by Adrienne Cooper, with piano and arrangement by Zalmen Mlotek.