From Be’er Mayim Chaim (a Google group:
THE LITTLE LEAF
well known teaching of the Baal
Shem Tov, founder of the Chassidic movement, and about how Divine
Providence extends over every
created entity.
This translation was prepared by a resident of Tsfat for the album,
Avraham Fried Sings
Yiddish Gems.
A tree stands, tall and high,
Branches reaching for the sky;
A little leaf, without a sound
A tzaddik who is passing by
Stops and asks the little leaf, Why?
What made you drop from your abode
And lie here in the road?
I am not the authority
The twig I was on gave a sudden shake
It was more than I could take.
Twig, twig, O authority,
Perhaps you can explain to me
Why you gave a sudden shake,
More than the leaf could take?
I am not the authority;
The wind gave a sudden whoosh
And blew the little leaf loose.
Wind, wind, O authority,
Perhaps you can explain to me,
Why you gave a sudden whoosh
And blew the little leaf loose?
I am not the authority;
My angel told me what to do,
So with all my might I blew.
Angel, angel, O authority,
Perhaps you an explain to me,
Why you told the wind what to do,
And mightily it blew?
I am not the authority;
The Creator of me and you
Told me what to do.
Creator, Creator, O Authority,
Perhaps you can explain to me,
Why the little leaf is shaken free
And falls down from its tree?
The Creator reveals His inner plan
And makes it known to man;
Take the little leaf in your hand,
And you will understand.
See the worm lying there,
He was suffering and in despair,
He was up there on the tree
Breathing heavily,
The rays of the sun were so intense
His discomfort was immense.
The sun is roasting me!
So I commanded the angel right away
To send the wind along its way
And the twig began to sway
And the little leaf was torn away,
And so the sequence was complete,
Shielding the worm from burning heat,
And for the tiny worm,
Sleep was never so sweet