The Poor Man's Akdomoys

from Yiddish Silver Screen by ISLE of KLEZBOS & Friends

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    Our physical "Yiddish Silver Screen" CD comes in a beautiful six-panel illustrated gate-fold case, with cover art by Anya Ulinich and disc design by Lisa M. Kelsey. The eminently legible twenty-page booklet fits smoothly into notched tube insert, complete with detailed descriptions as well as full lyrics for all vocal tracks including original Yiddish plus both transliteration and complete English translations. Booklet and artwork layouts by Yiddish publications expert Yankl Salant, graphic designer for "Yiddish Silver Screen" (aka "zilberner kino" / זילבערנער קינאָ ). Illustrations include band photos as well as archival frame stills from numerous Yiddish cinematic works.

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about

As described by Zhitomir-born, Hasidic-descendant singer/song collector Chaim Kotlyansky in his volume Folks-gezangen (Folksongs), an August 1944 publication by IKUF in Los Angeles: “The folk couplets are sung to the tune of ‘Akdomoys,’ which is written in Hebrew alphabetical order and is sung at the synagogue on the holiday of Shavuos.... [T]he poor man enumerates all the rich man’s luxuries, and contrasts them with all the miseries which are the lot of the poor. The letters of the Hebrew alphabet are called: alef, beyz, giml, dalet, etc.”

lyrics

Akdómoys mílin v’shoróyus shúso ávlo shokílno hármon urshúso
ALEF – indikes – est der nogid
BEYZ – beyndelakh – grizhet der oreman
GIML – gendzlakh gebrotene – est der nogid DALET – dem dales – hot der oreman
HEY – hindlakh gepreglte – est der nogid VOV – veytikn – hot der oreman
ZAYEN – zeml mit puter – est der nogid KHES – khalasn – hot der oreman
TES – taybelakh gebrotene – est der nogid YUD – yesurim – hot der oreman
KOF – kaloshn – trogt der nogid
LAMED – laptshes – trogt der oreman
MEM – mashke – trinkt der nogid
NUN – nikhter – iz der oreman
SAMEKH – sametene kleyder – trogt der nogid AYIN – elnt – iz der oreman
PEY – pipkes gebrotene – est der nogid TSADIK – tsuris – hot der oreman
KUF – kotletn gepreglte – est der nogid REYSH – retakh – grizhet der oreman
SHIN – Shereshevski’s papirosn – roykhert
der nogid
TOF – titun [Southern: titin] pipket der oreman

TRANSLATION:
The rich eat turkeys / The poor gnaw bones
The rich eat roast geese / The poor remain poor
The rich eat fried chicken / The poor have aches and pains
The rich eat rolls with butter / The poor suffer disease
The rich eat roast pigeons / The poor have miseries
The rich wear galoshes / The poor wear “lapti” (coarse straw sandals)
The rich drink spirits / The poor are sober
The rich wear satin clothes / The poor are forlorn
The rich eat roast gizzards / The poor have troubles
The rich eat fried cutlets / The poor gnaw radishes
The rich smoke Shereshevsky’s cigarettes / The poor puff on weeds (cheap tobacco)

Translation and transcription of “Dem oremans akdomoys” adapted from Folks-gezangen: As Interpreted by Chaim Kotlyansky (Los Angeles: IKUF, 1944)

credits

from Yiddish Silver Screen, track released November 24, 2023
music and lyrics as interpreted by Chaim Kotlyansky
arranged by Eve Sicular

Vocals: Rachel Weston & Annie Cohen
Flugelhorn: Pam Fleming
Upright Bass: Dave Hofstra

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Isle of Klezbos New York, New York

NYC-based ISLE of KLEZBOS approaches tradition with irreverence and respect. The soulful, fun-loving powerhouse all-women’s klezmer sextet has toured from Vienna to Vancouver since 1998. Repertoire ranges from rambunctious to entrancing: neo-traditional folk dance, mystical melodies,Yiddish swing & retro tango, late Soviet-era Jewish drinking song, re-grooved standards, & genre-defying originals. ... more

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