Tum Balalaika - Cypress Choral Music

2
Tum Balalaika
(Yiddish Folksong)
traditional
arr. Craig Galbraith
 
S.    
mp q = 100

Shteyt
Mey -
  
A.
a
dl,

 

 
B.
 

Shteyt
Mey -



   
 

boch mey mp

T.


rehearsal

S.  

8
nacht.
reg -


 

nacht.
reg -
 
B.
 

nacht.
reg -
u ner
kh'vil bay dir


a
dl,
boch
mey





tracht,
fre
-
gn,
Tracht
Vos
un
ken





tracht,
fre
-
gn,
Tracht
Vos
un
ken
tracht
vak

  
er
dl,
u ner
kh'vil bay dir




  
u ner
kh'vil bay dir
-
a
dl,
boch
mey
-
er
dl,









f
    
dim.




tracht
vak -
a
sn,

  
gan vak - sn
     
 
nacht.
reg -
tze
on

-

a
sn,
  


tracht,
fre -
gn,
Tracht
Vos






un
ken


    

        
 




    

p
Ve - men tzu ne - men un nit far she - men, Ve - men tzu ne - men un nit far
Vos
ken bren - en un nit oyf - hern.
Vos
ken ben - ken vai - nen on
dim.
mf
f
p
she - men.
trern.
ne - men un nit far she - men, Ve - men tzu ne - men un nit far
bren - en un nit oyf - hern.
Vos
ken ben - ken vai - nen on
mf
f
dim.
p
she - men.
trern.
Ve - men tzu ne - men un nit far she - men, Ve - men tzu ne - men un nit far
Vos
ken bren - en un nit oyf - hern.
Vos
ken ben - ken vai - nen on
she - men.
trern.
n
p

    

mf
ne
bren
n


Shteyt
Mey
    
n


 
  
n
-
mp
mf
    
 
er
dl,


gan - tze
vak - sn on
mp
T.
  

  
 
A.

  
  
f

-


  


men
en
dim.
 
 
far she - men, Ve
oyf - hern
Vos
  
  
  




 
 



    

-
men
ken
  
  


Copyright © CYPRESS CHORAL MUSIC - 2001

  

p

   

  

  

un nit far
vai - nen on
she - men.
trern.



3
A

      
S.     
mp
17
cresc.
Tum - ba - la, tum - ba - la, tum - ba - la - lai -
mp
          
A.
T.
B.

 

    

  

lai

-
lai
-


la -

 


f
  



 

f



-

ka,

-
dim.
Shpiel ba - la - lai
f

dim.

-
-
dim.

tum - ba - la - lai




-
ka,
tum
















ka,
tum
-

ba - la,





tum




tum
  
  

-
ba


  

-
  
  

1.

ka
ka, tum - ba - la -
cresc.
ka,
     

     

  
   
ka, tum - ba - la, tum - ba - la, tum - ba - la
la - lai -
 
lai


-
-
ka, tum - ba - la -
cresc.
    
ba


   
dim.
ka. Shpiel ba - la - lai

B.
   

  
f
ka. Shpiel ba - la - lai
  

 lai ka.
  
  
  

   


mp


  

        
         
Tum
26
T.
ka, tum - ba - la, tum - ba - la, tum - ba - la - lai -
mp


 
S.  
A.
          
Tum - ba - la, tum - ba - la, tum - ba - la - lai -


ka, tum - ba - la, tum - ba - la, tum - ba - la - lai -
cresc.
Tum - ba - la, tum - ba - la, tum - ba - la - lai -


          
-

  


-
ka.
  

-
ka.


ka. Shpiel ba - la - lai
Shpiel ba - la - lai
ba
-
ba







la.


1.

-


-
la - lai




 

-




ka.




4
2.

S.   
33
ba
 
B.
ba
 
 Shpiel

 

ba
-

Shpiel
T.


Shpiel
A.

rit.
-

ba
-
-
-
la

la

la

la
  




 



2.
-
-
-
-
lai

lai

lai

mp
-
-

lai
-
 
-

-


-
-
-
-

-









ka.











ka.
mp

ka.
mp

-
-


ka.
mp
 


Shteyt a bocher, uner tracht,
tracht un tracht a gantze nacht.
Vemen tsu nemen un nit far shemen,
vemen tsu nemen un nit far shemen.
A young lad is thinking, thinking all night
Would it be wrong, he asks, or maybe right,
Should he declare his love, dare he choose,
And would she accept, or will she refuse?
Refrain:
Chorus:
Tumbala, tumbala, tumbalalaika,
Tumbala, tumbala, tumbalalaika
tumbalalaika, shpiel balalaika
tumbalalaika - freylach zol zayn.
Tumbala, tumbala, tumbalalaika,
Tumbala, tumbala, tumbalalaika
tumbalalaika, play Balalaika,
tumbalalaika - let us be merry.
Meydl, meydl, kh'vel bay dir fregn,
Vos kan vaksn, vaksn on regn?
Vos kon brenen un nit oyfhern?
Vos kon benken, veynen on trern?
Maiden, maiden tell me again
What can grow, grow without rain,
What can burn for many years,
What can long and cry without tears?
optional third verse
optional third verse
Narisher bocher, vos darfstu fregn?
A shteyn ken vaksn, vaksn on regn.
Libeh ken brenen un nit oyfhern.
A hartz ken benken, veynen on trern.
Silly young lad, why ask again?
It's a stone that can grow, grow without rain,
It's love that can burn for many long years,
A the heart that can yearn and cry without tears.
Craig Galbraith is a native of Saltspring Island, B.C., and studied composition at the University of British Columbia
and the University of Toronto. He believes in a style of choral composition that includes familiar and tonal elements
mixed with new and unexpected turns.