Yekele

For at least fifty years and probably longer my family has sung a Yiddish variation of the Passover "Chad Gadya" song we call "Yekele". There is no goat in ours, only a small boy ("Yekele") whom God has sent to pick the pears that will not fall from the tree themselves. The boy refuses, and for encouragement God sends a dog to bite the boy, then a stick to hit the dog, a fire to burn the stick, water to quench the fire, etc.

In the last stanza the Melech Hamoves (Angel of Death) is sent and suddenly everyone turns to do his duty, but the pears, of course, have already fallen. It's a wonderful story with a moral, sung to a minor key melody very different from "Chad Gadya"

Relatives as far back as my late great-grandfather have always claimed that it is a private family song. How can this be? Doesn't anyone else, particularly of eastern European origin, know this version?

Here is a transliteration of the song as I remember it from seders of many years ago.

Der Oybershter's hinuntergeshicht a Yeleke auf die weld,	The Most High sent down Yekele to the world,
Yekele auf die welf,	To the world a Yekele,
Yekele zol perelech reisen,	For Yekele to harvest the pears,
Yekele zol perelech reisen.	For Yekele to harvest the pears.
Yekele vil nicht perelech reisen,	Yekele will not harvest the pears,
Perelech vill nicht fallen,	The pears will not fall,
Perelech vill nicht fallen.	The pears will not fall.
Der Oybershter's hinuntergeshicht a hintele auf die weld,	The Most High sent down a dog to the world
A Hintele auf die velt	A dog to the world
Die hintele zol Yekelem bisen	For the dog to bite Yekele
Die hintele zol Yekelem bisen	For the dog to bite Yekele
Hintele vill nicht Yekelem bisen	The dog will not bite Yekele
Yekele vil nicht perelech reisen,	Yekele will not harvest the pears,
Perelech vill nicht fallen,	The pears will not fall,
Perelech vill nicht fallen.	The pears will not fall.
Der Oybershter's hinuntergeshicht a shtekele auf die weld,	The Most High sent down a stick to the world
A shtekele auf die weld	A stick to the world
Die shtekele zol hintele schmisen	For the stick to hit the dog
Die shtekele zol hintele schmisen	For the stick to hit the dog
Shtekele vil nicht hintele schmisen	The stick will not hit the dog
…
Der Oybershter's hinuntergeshicht die fire auf die weld,	The Most High sent down fire to the world
Die fire auf die weld,	Fire to the world
Fire zol shtekele brennen	For the fire to burn the stick
Fire zol shtekele brennen	For the fire to burn the stick
Fire vil nicht shtekele brennen
…
Der Oybershter's hinuntergeshicht die Vasser auf die weld,	The most high sent down water to the world
Vasser auf die weld,	Water to the world
Vasser zol die fire lushen,	For the water to put out the fire
Vasser zol die fire lushen.	For the water to put out the fire
Vasser vil nicht fire lushen,	The water will not put out the fire
…	The pears will not fall.
Der Oybershter's hinuntergeshicht die exele auf die weld,	The Most High sent down an ox to the world
An exele auf die weld,	An ox to the world
Die exele zol die wasser trenken	For the ox to drink the water
Die exele zol die wasser trenken	For the ox to drink the water
Exele vil nicht wasser trenken	The ox will not drink the water
…	…
Der Oybershter's hinuntergeshicht die shochet auf die weld,	The Most High sent down a butcher to the world,
Die shochet auf die weld,	A butcher to the world
Die shochet zol die exele koilen	For the butcher to slaughter the ox
Die shochet zol die exele koilen	For the butcher to slaughter the ox
Shochet vil nicht exele koilen	The butcher will not slaughter the ox
…	…
Der Oybershter's hinuntergeshicht die melech hamoves auf die weld,	The Most High sent down the Angel of Death to the world
Die melech hamoves auf die weld	The Angel of Death to the world
Die melech hamoves zol die shochet nemen	For the Angel of Death to take the butcher
Die melech hamoves zol die shochet nemen	For the Angel of Death to take the butcher
Die shochet vill shoen exele koilen	The butchet now will slaughter the ox
Die exele vil shoen wasser trenken	The ox now will drink the water
Die wasser a vill shoen die fire lushen	The water now will put out the fire
Die fire vil shoen shtekele brennen	The fire now will burn the stick
Die shtekelem vill shoen hintele shmisen	The stick now will hit the dog
Die hintele vill shoen Yekelem bisen	The dog now will bite Yekele
Yekelem vill shoen perelech risen	Yekele now will harvest the pears
Perelech vil shoen fallen; perelech vil shoen fallen	The pears now will fall; the pears now will fall