Zine Ahlayn--Being Alone

A poem written by Ida Gass Ullian

In di yunge yoren

Mit tate, mame

A gantze mishpokha

A gantze mishpokha

Arum unz

Klert mir nit

Fun zayn aleyn

In di 'middle' yoren

Farnumen mit arbet

Landslit, 'meetings' un shul

Zukhen yikhes

Trachten mir nit

Fun zayn aleyn

Ober in di elter yoren

Az der gezunt iz nit vee geven

De kop tut vay

Mir ken nit altz essen

Es glist zikh nit zayn aleyn

In Newton, Massachusetts

in de Leventhal-Sidman J.C.C.

Dorten mir zingt un mir tanzt

Mir shprekhen mameloshen

Mir farbrengt zikh mit fraynt

Un kayner darf nit zayn aleyn."

(In the younger years

With Father, Mother

The whole family around us

We do not think

About being alone.

In the middle years

Busy with work

Friends, meetings, and shul

Achieving goals

We are not concerned with being alone.

But in the older years

As our health is not as it was

The headaches

We can't eat everything

It is difficult to walk

Nobody wants to be alone.

In Newton, Massachusetts

in the Leventhal-Sidman J.C.C.

There they sing and dance

And speak the mother tongue

As they enjoy the company of friend.

Nobody needs to be alone.)