Rendezvous / RandeVu / ראַנדעװוּ

Chava Rosenfarb

Text: Chava Rosenfarb | Singing: Anne Kalmering | Music: Henry Oppenheim | The video uses art composition created for Lider by Gabi von Seltmann (2025)

English Translation:
Rendezvous

The brightest joy: the one coming from outdoors.
The greatest news: heralding, dear, your steps.
The brightest song: the one sung by your glances.
The sweetest wine: the greeting on your lips.

The mildest peace is flowing from your fingers.
The softest secret throbs behind your laugh.
The deepest dream blooms rooted in your kisses.
The loveliest tale in two words: I love.

Transliteration:
Randevu

Di greste freyd iz di, vos kumt mit dir fun droysn.
Di beste psure — di, vos zogt on dayne trit.
Dos helste lid iz dos, vos s’zingen dayne oygn.
Dos mildste vort iz dos, vos brengst es mit zikh mit.

Di shtilste ru iz di, vos trift fun dayne finger.
Der zister sod iz der, vos shmeykhlt oyf dayn lip.
Der tifster kholem blit in dayne kushn.
Di shenste mayse — in dray verter: kh’hob dikh lib.

:In Yiddish
ראַנדעװוּ

די גרעסטע פרייד איז די, וואָס קומט מיט דיר פֿון דרויסן.
די בעסטע בשורה — די, וואָס זאָגט אָן דײַנע טריט.
דאָס העלסטע ליד איז דאָס, וואָס זינגען דײַנע אויגן.
דאָס מילדסטע וואָרט איז דאָס, וואָס ברענגסט עס מיט זיך מיט.

די שטילסטע רוּ איז די, וואָס טריפֿט פֿון דײַנע פֿינגער.
דער זיסטער סוד איז דער, וואָס שמייכלט אויף דײַן ליפּ.
דער טיפסטער חלום בליט אין דײַנע קושן.
די שענסטע מעשה — אין דרײַ ווערטער: כ’האָב דיך ליב.

Chava Rosenfarb (1923–2011) was a Holocaust survivor and Jewish-Canadian author of Yiddish poetry and novels, recognised as one of the most important contributors to post–World War II Yiddish literature.

Chava Rosenfarb inspired artwork:

Gabi von Seltmann Chava Rosenfarb (2025)
Chava’s portraits, painted in Warsaw and Łódź, were created by Magdalena Czyżykiewicz-Janusz, Kalina Bielawska, and Monika Krajewska.

Murals from 3Fala, an artistic and social initiative founded by Dariusz Paczkowski, who collaborates with invited artists and leads community workshops. FB 3 fala


Yiddish poem – Photo from Yiddish Book Centre digitised version of Aroys fun gan-eydn. This edition was published in 1965 by Y. L. Perets in Tel-Aviv. It was digitised and added to the library in January 2009. Link

poem in yiddish