Yiddish Song - From The Movie "A Serious Man" - "Dem Milners Trern" - Jewish Music - (Subtitles)

A famous example of Jewish music, Jewish Song and Yiddish Music, the renowned Yiddish Song "The Miller's Tears" was featured in the Coen Brothers movie "A Serious Man." The version in the movie was sung by bass Sidor Belarsky. This cover is sung by bass-baritone Marc Berman.

Well prior to the 2009 movie, however, this popular song was practically considered a Jewish folksong. However, it was actually composed by the renowned Jewish folk music composer Mark Warshawsky (1840-1907), also known for composing the famous Jewish songs "Oyfn Pripetchik," Di Mekhetunim Geyim" and many others. Warshwsky's songs were first popularized by none other than the famous Yiddish author Sholom Aleichem.
"Dem Milners Trern" has proved to be one of the most enduring Yiddish songs, taking its place among such favorites as "Rozhinkes Mit Mandlen" and "Tum Balalaika."

In Warshawsy's time, Jews were often brutally expelled from Russian villages, much as depicted in the Broadway Musical "Fiddler On The Roof." "Dem Milners Trern" tells the tale of one such expulsion, from the perspective of an old man who operated a mill.

Here are the lyrics to "Dem Milners Trern" in the original Yiddish, with translation (first in transliterated Yiddish , then in the Yiddish alphabet):

Oy vifil yorn zenen farforn Oh, how many years have passed
zint 'kh bin a milner ot o do. Since I've been a miller here
di reder dreyen zikh, di yorn geyen zikh, The wheels spin, the years pass away
ikh bin shoyn alt un grays un gro. I'm already old and gray
s´iz teg varranen, ´kh vil mikh dermanen, There are days, I want to remember
tsi ´kh'hob gehat a shtikl glik. Whether I've had even a little luck
di reder dreyen zikh, di yorn geyen zikh, The wheels spin, the years pass away
keyn entver iz nit do tsurik. I have no answer ...
´kh hob gehert zogn, men vel mikh faryogn, I've heard that they want to chase me
arrays fun dorf un fun der mil. out from the village and the mill
di reder dreyen zikh, di yorn geyen zikh, The wheels spin, the years pass away
oy, on an ek un on a tsil. endlessly, without any purpose.
Vu Vel ikh voynen ? Ver Vet mikh shoynen ? Where shall I dwell? Who will sustain me ?
ikh bin shoyn alt, ikh bin shoyn mid. I'm already old and tired
di reder dreyen zikh, di yorn geyen zikh, The wheels spin, the years pass away,
un oykh mit zey geyt oys der jid. and with them, the Jew passes away from here, too.

אוי, וויֿפל יאָרן
זײַנען פאַרֿפאָרן,
זינט איך בין מילנער אָט-אָ דאָ
די רעדער דרעיען זיך
די יאָרן געיען זיך
.איך בין שוין אַלט, און גרײַז און גראָ

ס́איז טעג ֿפאַראַנען
כ́וויל מיך דערמאַנען
צי כ,האָב געהאַט אַ שטיקל גליק
די רעדער דרעיען זיך
די יאָרן געיען זיך
.קיין ענטֿפער איז ניטאָ צוריק

כ́האָב געהערט זאָגן,
מע װיל מיך ֿפאַריאָגן
אַרויס פון דאָרף און ֿפון דער מיל,
די רעדער דרעיען זיך
...די יאָרן געיען זיך
.אױ, אָן אַן עק און אָן אַ ציל

?װוּ װעל איך ווױנען
?ווער וועט מיך שױנען
איך בין שנין אַלט, איך בין שוין מיר
די רעדער דרעיען זיך
די יאָרן געיען זי