Ven Kimsti?

Ikh bin mir a flinker marvikher
Un prave mayn seyder in kitsh
Fun pekl der flinkster
Mayn mazl der linkster
Ven kimsti aroysnemen mikh?

Ikh arbet, oy voylster ying mayner
Di kayserine kert veltn, zog ikh
Az ikh shaf nor monetes
Tsi shmiren di mentes
Dan kim ikh aroysnemen dikh

Yontef shvies oopgerikht tikn
Nokh dir di oygn oysgekikt zikh
Gezeyn nor dus mayzl
Vus mayn kamer’z zayn hayzl
Ven kimsti aroysnemen mikh?

Ikh arbet, oy voyler ying mayner
Dayn Zhizelke rayst shtikеr fun zikh
‘Kh darf nokh eyn gelt-koyshl
Interrikn dеm moyshl
Dan kim ikh aroysnemen dikh

S’iz shoyn yom-kipper, Zhizelke
Der tug fun beytn un paynikn zikh
Ikh hob dir geglaybt, nur
Ikh zits vayter in khur
Ven kimsti aroysnemen mikh?

Di toyfsl mayner, shilmazl
‘Kh ti mir mayns, nor di tkife, zi krikht
Az di folks-revolutsye
Kimt baa folks-pertsikutsye
Dan kim ikh aroysnemen dikh

In tfise iz khanike finster
Shoyn vinter, ikh hob nish’ ka’ shikh
Ikh zits in di gatkes
Mir kholemt zikh latkes
Ven kimsti aroysnemen mikh?

Ven kim ikh? Ikh bin shoyn gekimen
Me’ hot gekhapt mikh, vi di zits ikh zikh
Zol zikh dreyen dos reydl
Zol der kop vern dos veydl––
Ven kimsti aroysnemen mikh?

Translation:
I’m a skilful thief
And I’m having my seder in stir
I’m the most skilful in the gang
My luck is the worst
When are you coming to get me out?

I’m working, o best of my goodfellas
Trust me, your female gangleader’s doing all she can
Once I’ve got the money [lit., coins]
To grease the guards
Then I’ll be coming to get you out

I stayed up all night on Shavuos[1]
Watching for your arrival
All I saw was the mouse
Whose house is my cell
When are you coming to get me out?

I’m working on it, my goodfella
You Giselle is breaking her back/ass
I need one more basket of money
To slip to the prosecutor/judge
Then I’ll be coming to get you out

It’s already Yom Kippur, Giselle
The day of prayer and self-mortification
I believed you, but
I’m still in the joint
When are you coming to get me out?

My shlimazl of a convict
I’m doing all that I can, but the times are behind me
But when the people’s revolution
Conquers the people’s persecution
Then I’ll be coming to get you out

Chanukah in prison is dark
It’s already winter and I have no shoes
I sit in my long johns
Dreaming of latkes
When are you coming to get me out?

When am I coming? I’m already there
They caught me and I’m doing time like you
Let the wheel turn
Let the head become the tail:
When are you coming to get me out?