Tumbalalaika

"Tumbalalaika", "Tum balalaika" or "Tum balalayke" is an American Ashkenazi Jewish popular love song in the Yiddish language. The title refers to the balalaika, a three-stringed musical instrument of Russian origin. The song was written by Abraham Ellstein for The Barry Sisters, and was published by him in 1940. Its text was loosely based on a traditional Ukrainian song, "Letiv Ptashok".

Lyrics

Yiddish	Transliteration	Translation
	,	A young lad stands, and he thinks Thinks and thinks the whole night through Whom to take and not to shame Whom to take and not to shame Tumbala, Tumbala, Tumbalalaika Tumbala, Tumbala, Tumbalalaika Tumbalalaika, strum balalaika Tumbalalaika, may we be happy Girl, girl, I want to ask of you What can grow, grow without rain? What can burn and never end? What can yearn, cry without tears? Foolish lad, why do you have to ask? A stone can grow, grow without rain Love can burn and never end A heart can yearn, cry without tears What is higher than a house? What is swifter than a mouse? What is deeper than a well? What is bitter, more bitter than gall? A chimney is higher than a house A cat is swifter than a mouse The Torah is deeper than a well Death is bitter, more bitter than gall

Meaning

While most versions use as the answer to "what can grow without rain", some versions use .

Cultural references and covers

The song "Over and Over" by Nana Mouskouri uses this melody. It followed the singer's French version "Roule s'enroule".
The song "Tumbalalaika " by Natalia Zukerman is a poetic adaptation of this to English, with the chorus remaining in Yiddish.
The Barry Sisters version of the song appears in episode 5, season 2 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Benny Hill adapted the melody for one of his own compositions, "Anna Marie," which he performed on his first special for Thames Television on November 19, 1969.
The film Khrustalyov, My Car! shows a young Jewish boy singing the song in Russian.
The song is used in the film Swing by Tony Gatlif.
The song is used in the play Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes by Tony Kushner and the film based on this play. It is sung by the ghost of Ethel Rosenberg to Roy Cohn, dying of AIDS.
The song is used in the film Prendimi l'anima/''The Soul Keeper by Roberto Faenza.
A metal music|metal] version of the song is included in the first Metal Yiddish album AlefBase by Gevolt, released in March 2011.
A pastiche of the song is used in the play The Hamlet of Stepney Green: A Sad Comedy with Some Songs by Bernard Kops.
The song is included in the album Homenatge a Xesco Boix, a tribute to. The latter used to play in his concerts for children. Also included in Cançons catalanes de Folk in 1976.
The song appears in the novel The [City Beautiful (novel)|The City Beautiful] by Aden Polydoros.
A Vietnamese version, "Tình Nồng Cháy", with lyrics by Anh Bằng, based on the English lyrics of "Over and Over", uses this melody.
The Berlin-based electro swing duo Masha Ray covered the song in 2023.
The song is used in the film Fanny's Journey'' during the closing credits, and is heard in the middle of the film sung by some of the cast.