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 shtiker fun zikh.
‘Kh darf nokh eyn gelt-koyshl
Interrikn dem 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?