Tumbalalaika

Translation:

A young lad stands, and he thinks
Thinks and thinks a whole night
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

Tumbalalaika is a Russian Jewish Folk song.  There's a really good performance on youtube here.  Sadly, the end is cut off.  I'd really like to know how old this song is, but I'm sure it goes way back.  There were Jews settling in across the Caucases as early as the 7th century.  By the 1400's their was a large presence in Western Russian and were granted settlement rights from the Lithuanians.  At least that's what this guys says.