Refr:
Oy, vu nemt men tsurik di yorn, yene sheyne tsayt? Oy, dos yunge sheyne leben iz fun undz shoyn vayt. Oy, vu nemt men tsurik di yorn, Moyshele, mayn fraynd? Oy, noch yenem beyzn rebn benkt dos harts noch haynt
Vi geyt es epes Berelen, Avremele vos macht? Un Zalmele un Yosele? Zeyer oft fun aych getracht. Gecholemt fun aych kinderlech, gezen zich in der mit. Gevorn alte yidelech, vi shnel dos lebn flit
Refr: Oy, vu nemt men tsurik...
Vos macht dayn shvester, Rochele? Vi ich volt ir itst geseyn. Zi iz amol, gedenkst du noch? Tsum hartsn mir geveyn. Gelibt hot zi nor Berelen, gehast mich on shum grund. Farblibn iz in hartsn noch a nit kayn farheylte vund
Refr: Oy, vu nemt men tsurik...Oy, noch yenem yunge laydn benkt dos harts noch haynt
Chorus:
If we chould but return to those years, all those happy days. All those good old days of childhood now are far away. If we could but return to those years, Moyshele, my friend. Even for that mean old rabbi I long without end
And how's it going with Berele? Avremele, him too? And Zalmele and Yosele? I' ve often thought of you. I' ve dreamed about you, all of you. You live in my mind's eye. Now each of us is an old Jew, how swiftly life does fly
Chorus: If we could but return...
How is your sister, Rochele? Now, her I' d like to see. She was one time, remember it? So very dear to me. But she loved only Berele, for me had only scorn. Yet to this day my heart remains still wounded and forlorn
Chorus: If we could but return...Even for our youthful sorrows I long without end
