Der Rebbe Elimelech

Der Rebbbe Elimelech is a Yiddish song written in 1927 by Moshe Nadir and loosely based on the English traditional song Old King Cole.^[1]

Lyrics and translation

(first verse)

Az der Rebbe Elimeylekh

Iz gevorn zeyer freylekh,

(Iz gevorn zeyer freylekh, Elimeylekh,)

Hot er oysgeton di tfilin

Un hot ongeton di briln

Un geshikt nokh di fidlers di tsvey.

Un di fidldike fidlers

Hobn fidldik gefidlt.

Hobn fidldik gefildt hobn zey!

English translation

When Rabbi Elimelekh

Became happy,

(Became happy, Elimelekh)

He took off his tefillen

And he put on his glasses

And he sent for his two fiddlers.

And the fiddledika fiddlers

Fiddledika fiddled!

Oh, they fiddledika fiddled!