Mendele: Yiddish literature and language
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Contents of Vol. 4.250
December 26, 1994

1) New Years Eve Klezmer at Teaneck NJ (Glenn Hudis)
2) Gauner/ganove/grec/greek/hebreu/hebrew (Gaston L.Schmir)
3) English Translation of H. Leyvik's poem "Eybik" (Dovid Braun)
4) Yiddish adages (Kathryn Hellerstein)
5) Yiddish adages (Sheldon Benjamin)
6) Yiddish adages (Stanley Werbow)
7) Kukt-zhe, nokh mer vegn "zhe" (Peter Kluehs)

1)----------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 25 Dec 1994 13:57:33 -0800
From: ghudis@ix.netcom.com
Subject: New Years Eve Klezmer at Teaneck NJ

As part of Furst Night Teaneck 1994, Kaplelye will do be playing in
Teaneck New Jersey on New Years Eve, including a 'Yiddish radio Show'.
For furher information call (201) 837-9422.

Glenn Hudis

2)----------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 25 Dec 1994 19:14:54 -0500 (EST)
From: glschm@minerva.cis.yale.edu
Subject: Gauner/ganove/grec/greek/hebreu/hebrew

In Mendele 4.249, Mikhl Herzog alludes to the non-German origin of
/gauner/. Is this word, as well as the colloquial German term /ganove/
derived from the Yiddish (and ultimately Hebrew-Aramaic) /ganef/?

I don't know of any French usage of /grec/ in the sense of /opton oyf
terkish/. There is an example, however, of non-usage of the word /grec/
and its replacement by /hebreu/: the idiomatic phrase (in American
English) /it's all Greek to me!/ is best rendered in French by /pour moi,
c'est de l'hebreu/.

Gaston L. Schmir

[Since the shames dates from the time when every American studied Julius
Caesar in the 9th grade, he couldn't help but recall the words of that
ur-American Casca said: for mine own part, it was Greek to me.]

3)----------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 25 Dec 1994 23:28:34 EST
From: dovid@mit.edu
Subject: English Translation of H. Leyvik's poem "Eybik"

The well known Yiddish actress Khayele Asch who resides in Philadelphia
has asked me to ask "the world" whether there exists a poetic translation
into English of H. Leyvik's poem "Eybik" (which is a very well known song
as well).  Answers may be sent to my personal e-mail address
(dovid@mit.edu) or to Mendele.

Ms. Asch is one of the organizers of the Holocaust Survivors Organization
of Philadelphia.  This is a very vibrant group, some 800-900 people, who,
in their words, came together upon their arrival in America to recreate a
family life for themselves since most of their family members had been
killed. The group was instrumental in erecting the Holocaust monument in
Philadelphia and they help carry out the annual city-wide Holocaust
commemoration there.  They have numerous other events throughout the year
and their members receive an organizational bulletin.  Since next year
will be the 50th year since Liberation, they will be paying tribute to
the date with a special journal whose theme will not be as much
liberation but _life_ thereafter. Therefore the appropriateness of the
theme "Eybik".  Their journal will be distributed among high schools and
other institutions for educational purposes.

Dovid Braun

4)----------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 26 Dec 1994 02:18:32 -0500 (EST)
From: khellers@sas.upenn.edu
Subject: Yiddish adages

Aaron Hershkowitz inquired about a collection of YIddish sayings -- try
Shirley Kumove's excellent bilingual collection -- (with
transliterations, too), pub. aound 1991 or 1992 -- I don't have the title
at hand -- but maybe someone on  Mendele can fill in the blank.  The book
should still be in print.

Kathryn Hellerstein

5)----------------------------------------------------
From: sbenj@mit.edu
Date: Mon, 26 Dec 1994 15:54:35 EST
Subject: Aphorisms

References on English collections of Yiddish aphorisms:

Here are some I have at home.  I am sure there are many more....

Shirley Kumove, Words Like Arrows: A Treasury of Yiddish
Folksayings,Warner Books, 1984

	In alphabetical order by topic in Yiddish & English
	Nice little bibliography at the end.

Weltman G, Zuckerman MS, Yiddish Sayings Mama Never Taught You, Perivale
Press, 1975.

	This is an English translation (with Yiddish and trans-
        literation) of Ignatz Bernsteins infamous 1908 collection of 227
        strictly off-color sayings.  An example if I may be excused the
        disinhibition: A pish on a fortz is vi a khasene on klezmorim!

Ayalti HJ, Yiddish Proverbs, Schocken, 1949.

	500 proverbs in transliteration and translation.

Kogos F, Book of Yiddish Proverbs and Slang, Poplar Books, ?yr

	This is actually a republication of two of his former volumes,
        "1001 Yiddish Proverbs" and "A Dictionary of Yiddish Slang and
        Idioms." In  transliteration and English translation.

Der emes kumt aroys vi boymel oyfn vasser.

Sheldon Benjamin

6)----------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 26 Dec 1994 09:42:41 -0600
From: s.werbow@mail.utexas.edu
Subject: Aphorisms and Sayings

There are books of proverbs, of course, and when I get to the office I'll
send the titles along if they have not been provided by others. Meanwhile
here are a few recollected sayings from my childhood, which I'll cite in
my parents' SEY dialect because that is the only way they sound natural
to me.

1. A krankn fregt men, a gezintn git men.
2. Az se ligt zol lign.
3. Got iz a futer.
4. Tsi zugn in libhubn kost keyn gelt nit.
5. Az men iz foyl hot men nit in moyl.
6. Az me git, nem; az me git nit, shray.
7. Az se nitto keyn meydlekh, tantst men mit shikses.

Number 7 is naughty, but that is the way my father said it sixty and more
years ago.

Stanley Werbow

7)----------------------------------------------------
Date: 26 Dec 1994 12:20:00 +0200
From: pete@pko.rhein-main.de
Subject: Kukt-zhe, nokh mer vegn "zhe"

tsum sof-yor a pasiks maysele fun salcia landmann's bukh vi me nutst zhe:

A yid a voyl-lerner hot farloyrn zayn bril. Zitst er un lernt: "Iz di
shayle: Vu-zhe iz mayn bril? Zol ikh zogn, az di bril hot tsugenumen
ejner, vos darf yo a bril, to vu-zhe iz zayn bril? Zol ikh vayter zogn,
az di bril hot tsugenumen ejner, vos darf nisht kayn bril, tsu vos-zhe
toyg im di bril? Muz ikh take tsurik zogn, az di bril hot genumen ejner,
vos darf yo a bril... To vu-zhe iz zayn bril?... To vu-zhe iz mayn
bril?!"

Kol-tov far 1995 tsu der gorer Mendele-khavruse!!!

Peter Kluehs

______________________________________________________
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