Ven Di lakhst (when you laugh)

Song written by Max Perlman for the Yiddish Theatre. Performed by The Belzer Sisters (Emilia Blufstein & Dvora Napadensky), Roman Grinberg on the piano and the Vienna JazzKlez Band


Text:
Ven di lakhst, ven di lakhst,
Lakhn ale mit dir mit.
Ven di veynst, veynstu far zikh aleyn.
Geyt dir git, geyt dir git, Feln gute brider nit.
Geyt dir shlekht, bistu elnt vi ashteyn.

Di gantse velt is andersh haynt gevorn,
Un di mentshn zaynen oykh nisht vigeven

Ven di lakhst, seys dir git,
Lakhn ale mit dir mit.
Ven di veynst, veynstu far zikh aleyn.

Vos vil den a mentsh nor a bisele glik,
Er zol kenen zikh oyslebn sheyn.
Es freyt zikh der kabtsn ven ergefint tsurik
Vos er hot farloyrn aleyn.
Eyner gefint nor in raykhtum dosglik
Un er vil makhn fil gelt.
A tsveyter, di libe gevinen tsurik
Vos es hot im azoy oysgefelt.
S' iz shver tsu gefinen an emeser fraynt,
Un oyb du gefinst im dan hit imoyf haynt.

Ven du lakhst, ven du lakhst,
Lakhn ale mit dir mit.
Ven du veynst, veynstu far zikh aleyn.
Geyt dir git, geyt dir git,Feln gute brider nit.
Geyt dir shlekht, bistu elnt vi ashteyn.

Di gantse velt is andersh haynt gevorn,
Un di mentshn zaynen oykh nisht vigeven

Ven di lakhst, seys dir git,
Lakhn ale mit dir mit.
Ven di veynst, veynstu far zikh aleyn.

For english translation and composer's biography, see: http://www.kamea.com/tmlyrics.pdf (Page 20)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• yiddish
• theatre
• jiddisch
• jewish
• folk
• world
• Belzer
• Sisters
• Grinberg
• Jazzklez
• Vienna

[bozinaboza]

what a performance with heart and a lot of feelings!

[albertdiner]

Thanks for including these forgotten seldom performed yiddish songs. Talented sisters.

[bigal10984]

I heard this song at a Yiddish show with Max Perlman in NYC, but I cant remember the name of the show...does anyone know it?

[jeannevdb]

very beautiful