Mamele, little mother, is one of the tenderest words in Yiddish. Inspired by the classic Yiddish Mamele of the 1920s, this song is a simple, aching thank-you: the quiet light of a mother's tired eyes, the smile that once saved a child from every hurt, and the grief of watching her hair turn grey.
Olga Anikina's Russian keeps it plain and true, and ends where such songs always end, with a blessing: God keep you, mamele.
Why bring it into English
Some songs are small and hold everything. Bringing Mamele into Russian and English lets anyone, of any background, hear their own mother in it. That is the heart of what Jewish Songs for All is for.
The words, line by line
Russian (Olga Anikina)English, line by line
Мамеле мамелеMamele, mamele
Родная ты всегда мне будешь мамелеMy dear, you will always be my mamele
Грустных глаз тихий светThe quiet light of your sad eyes
Мама мне тебя дороже в мире нетMama, there is no one in the world dearer to me than you
Ты одна могла улыбкой нежнойYou alone could, with a tender smile
От детских бед моих меня спастиSave me from my childhood troubles
Мамочка утешь меня как преждеMama, comfort me as before
Помоги посоветуй простиHelp me, advise me, forgive me
Локон твой стал седымYour curl has turned grey
Боже как мне горько что стареешь тыGod, how bitter it is to me that you are growing old
Мамеле мамелеMamele, mamele
Бог тебя храни мамелеGod keep you, mamele
Russian lyrics by Olga Anikina. The English is a literal, line by line rendering for meaning, prepared for review, not a singing version.
Credits & rights
PerformerRiglis Band
MusicВладимир Кин (Walter J. Kin)
LyricsОльга Аникина (2021)
LanguageRussian
PublisherRigli Publishing (Walter J. Kin)
Rights ownerRigli Publishing
LicensingRigli Publishing
CopyrightIn album collective work (verify deposit)
Mamele, little mother, is one of the tenderest words in Yiddish.
Inspired by the classic Yiddish Mamele of the 1920s, this song is a simple, aching thank-you: the quiet light of a mother's tired eyes, the smile that once saved a child from every hurt, and the grief of watching her hair turn grey.
Olga Anikina's Russian keeps it plain and true, and ends where such songs always end, with a blessing: God keep you, mamele.
Why bring it into English
Some songs are small and hold everything. Bringing Mamele into Russian and English lets anyone, of any background, hear their own mother in it. That is the heart of what Jewish Songs for All is for.
The words, line by line
Russian lyrics by Olga Anikina. The English is a literal, line by line rendering for meaning, prepared for review, not a singing version.
Credits & rights
Free to sing, free to teach
These songs are free for synagogues, JCCs, museums, schools, yeshivas and families. For everyone else, free to start, and a modest fee later, so the songs travel and take root.
JewishSong.org