Hmmm… Why doesn’t his father make a man out of him?
Sleep, sleep, Yankele, my handsome son. Close your little black eyes. My little one, now that you have all your teeth – must you make your mother sing you to sleep?
The little boy who has all his teeth and who, God permitting, will soon go to kheyder And learn Torah and Talmud – must he cry when his mama rocks him to sleep?
The little boy who will learn Talmud – and how glad and proud in his heart your father is that you’ll be learning Talmud – must he make his mother stay awake all night?
Sleep then, my little one, my clever one who will be a bridegroom yet. Sleep while you are still in your cradle by my side. It will cost your mother many tears to make a man of you.
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shlof zhe mir shoyn yankele mayn sheyner, di eygelakh di shvatsinke makh tsu. a yingele vos hot shoyn ale tseyndelekh, muz nokh di mame zingen “ay lyu lyu”
a yingele vos hot shoyn ale tseyndelekh un vet mit mazel bald in kheyder geyn. un lernen vet er khumesh un gemore, zol veynen ven di mame vigt im ayn ?
a yingele vos lernen vet gemore, ot shteyt der tate, kvelt un hert zikh tsu. a yingele vos vakst a talmid-khokhem, lozt gantse nakht der mamen nit tsuru ?
a yingele vos vakst a talmid-khokhem, un a geniter soykher oykh tsuglaykh. a yingele a kluger khosn bokher, zo lign azoy nas, vi in a taykh ?
nu shlof zhe mir, mayn kluger khosn bokher, dervayl ligstu in vigele bay mir. s’vet kostn fil mi un mame’s trern, bizvanen s’vet a mentsh aroys fun dir!
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Comment: nikobakos@gmail.com
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Jadde: from Bosnia to Bengal 
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