(Yiddish followed by English translation)

Iz geven amol a pastekhl, a pastekh.
Iz ba im farlorn gegangen a shefele, a shefele.
Geyt er, zet er,
Fort a fur mit shteyndelekh mit shteyndelekh.
Hot er gemeynt az dos iz fun shefele di beyndelekh, di beyndelekh.
Zogt er, “Adeyni, Adeyni, oy Adeyni!
Tsi nie bachyu ty, tsi nie vidzieu ty ovtsy moi?”
Makht er: „Niet!”
Bieda, biedu, ovtsy nishto,
A yak zhe ya domoy prydu?
A yak zhe ya domoy prydu?

Geyt er, zet er:
Fort a fur mit dernelekh, mit dernelekh.
Hot er gemeynt az dos iz fun shefele di hernelekh, di hernelekh.
Zogt er, “Adeyni, Adeyni, oy Adeyni!
Tsi nie bachyu ty, tsi nie vidzieu ty ovtsy moi?”
Makht er: „Niet!”
Bieda, biedu, ovtsy nishto,
A yak zhe ya domoy prydu?
A yak zhe ya domoy prydu?

Der pastekh hot geplachet, gedavnt un geveynt,
A por rikhtike t’hilim hot er geley’nt.
Ot basof hert er bas-kol mi-shomaim:
„Vos makhstu do in goles? Leyf keyn Yerusholaim!

Du bist an “ortiker” yid, vi di mentshn ale,
S’iz an andere bataytung vi ba Yanken Kupalen.
Dayn yidisher foter Yankev hot gegangen fun Ber-Sheve
”Vaifga ba-mokem”. Ha-mokem iz keydesh.

Di ort iz ha-mokem, Ha-mokem iz dayn Beyre,
Nor far dayn Beyre zolstu hobm a meyre.
Lernen di Gemeyre, libn dayn vaybl Dveyre.
Kukn af andere vaybn iz an aveyre.

To leyf zhe gikher, zay nit tamevate,
Am Isroel iz mayn kind un ikh bin ayer tate.
Di mayse mit di shefele iz a midresh far ale,
Far dem rebe mit di rebetzn un yunge khosn-kale.

A talmid-khokhem darfstu nit zayn avade,
Du bist a pastekh, to zay a shoymer far dayn stade.
Entfer shvere frages mit a proste vort
Nu genug sheym tsu reydn, for keyn aeroport!”

Geyt er, zet er:
Fort a fur mit niselekh, mit niselekh.
Hot er gemeynt az dos iz fun shefele di fiselekh, di fislekeh.
Zogt er, “Adeyni, Adeyni, oy Adeyni!
Tsi nie bachyu ty, tsi nie vidzieu ty ovtsy moi?”
Makht er: „Niet!”
Bieda, biedu, ovtsy nishto,
A yak zhe ya domoy prydu?
A yak zhe ya domoy prydu?

* * *
Once upon a time there lived a shepherd.
It happened once that he lost a sheep.
Off he went and saw a wagon with stones.
It seemed to him they were his sheep’s bones.
He says, “My Lord, my Lord, my Lord!
Have you seen, have caught sight of my sheep?”
God says, “No!”
“Woe is me! My sheep is gone.
How shall I come back home?”

Off he went and saw a wagon with turf.
It seemed to him these were his sheep’s horns.
He says, “My Lord, my Lord, my Lord!
Have you seen, have caught sight of my sheep?”
God says, “No!”
“Woe is me! My sheep is gone.
How shall I come back home?”

(Rapping)
The shepherd cried, prayed and sobbed,
A couple of appropriate Psalms he read.
Finally, he hears a voice from heaven saying,
“What are you doing here in exile? Go to Jerusalem!

You are a “local” Jew, like all the people here.
It’s a different meaning from what Yanka Kupala meant.
Your Jewish Father Yankev [Jacob] was going to Beer-Sheva
And he “came upon the place” . The Place is holy.

The location is The Place . The Place is your Creator.
Only before your Creator you should have fear,
Learn the Gemara, love your wife Dveyre [Deborah].
To look at other wives is evil.

So go quicker, don’t be a fool,
The person of Israel is my child and I am your Father.
The story with the sheep is a parable for everyone,
For the rabbi with his wife and young newly-weds.

You are not obliged to be a sage, of course,
You are a shepherd, so be a proper guard for your flock.
Answer tricky questions with a simple word.
Nu, enough talking, go to the airport!”

(Refrain)
“Woe is me! My sheep is gone.
How shall I come back home?”

Off he went and saw a wagon with nuts.
It seemed to him these were his sheep’s hoofs.
He says, “My Lord, my Lord, my Lord!
Have you seen, have caught sight of my sheep?”
God says, “No!”
“Woe is me! My sheep is gone.
How shall I come back home?”