(as sung by Bronya Sakina, born 1915 in the Southern Ukraine)

Di fayerdike libe
zi tit in maynem hartsn brenen --
vos kimt aroys indzer libn zakh
az mlr kenen zikh nisht nemen?

Oy, shildik iz dayn tote
un shildlk iz dayn mome
un shildik bisti , dushenyu
merer fun zey ale.

Oy, gonve aroys dayne kleyder,
un b'olt zey tsvishn kuren
un mfr 'eln beyde in a kleyn shteytele
antlofn gevorn.

In a kleyn shteytele,
tsvishn fremde mentshn,
oy, ver-zhe vet indz tsu der khipe flrn
un ver-zhe vet indz bentshn?

In a kleyn shteytele,
tsvishn fremde mentshn,
malukhim veIn indz tsu der khlpe firn
un der ziser Got vet indz bentshn.

This fiery love
Which burns my heart --
How will our love work out,
Since we can't marry each other?

Guilty is your father
And guilty is your mother,
And guilty are you, sweetheart,
More than all of them.

Steal your clothes away,
And hide them amongst the grain,
And we'll both run away to a' small shtetl(1)
 

In a small shtetl 
Among strangers,
Who will lead us to the khupe(2)
And who will bless us?

In a little shtetl,
Among strangers,
Angels will lead us to the khupe
And sweet God Himself will bless us.

(1) shtetl = village
(2) khupe = wedding canopy