Gefilte Fish

Gefilte Fish 

adapted by Daniel Slosberg from Adrienne Cooper’s translation (on “Enchanted” CD liner notes) 

of Isidor Lillian’s original Yiddish, all via Batya Fonda’s Jewish Songs web site. 

Tell me what food fills all Jews with pleasure 

With friends and fam’ly or at home alone 

It’s neither meat nor milk—a pareve treasure— 

For Jewish folk, the best food ever known. 

Tell me what’s a Jewish wife’s ambition 

You crave it, yes, we know you truly do 

A Jewish treat that has its own tradition 

And each erev Shabbat you want to chew. 

Gefilte fish, gefilte fish... 

A thousand-flavored treat that’s like no other 

First made for me by my beloved mother. 

It’s a precious delectation, 

Nectar of the Hebrew nation, 

Sacred source of edible elation. 

Gefilte fish themselves are proudly Yiddish 

You come from shul, you stand and say the kiddush 

At home it’s clean, serene, and fresh 

You sit down near a covered dish 

And then you’re served gefilte fish. 

Gefilte fish, gefilte fish... 

Hungarians love their goulash with paprika 

The Polish love their hunter’s stew with bread 

Romanians all must have their mamaliga 

While Russians love their borsht hot steaming red 

The Germans cherish dumplings served with cabbage 

Kebobs of muMon light up Georgian eyes. 

But all these taste exceptionally average 

Compared to what we Jews know takes first prize.... 

[alt: Only Jewish people know what takes first prize...]

Gefilte fish, gefilte fish…