Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 6.289 April 24, 1997 1) Introduction (Estelle Souche) 2) A yidishe had gadya (Itzkhok-Dovid Goldfein) 3) Stempenyu in English (Hugh Denman) 4) Stempenyu in English (Marion Herbst) 5) Stempenyu in English (Leonard Prager) 6) Ignats Bernshteyns _Erotica and Rustica_ (Marvin Zuckerman) 7) Feldafing (Goldie Morgentaler) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 02:41:49 +0200 (MET DST) From: esouche@ens.ens-lyon.fr Subject: Introduction ikh heys Estelle Souche, un ikh voyn in France. ikh bin a matematike talmide in Lyon, un ikh lern yidish oykh (mayn melamed is oykh a talmid, zayn tate is a yidish lerer vos arbet in dem medem-bibliotek in Pariz). My name is Estelle Souche, and I'm a 22 years old mathematics student in Lyon (France). I started learning Yiddish in january, thanks to a schoolmate who speaks Yiddish fluently (his father is a Yiddish teacher in Paris, and works at the Medem library) and who had the excellent idea to create a class. Di talmidim are not numerous (only 4 now), but are enthusiastic! And I'm also enthusiastic about the high quality of this list... Perhaps I should also precise that my mother tongue is French. A sheynem dank to Larry Rosenwald thanks to whom I discovered Mendele. Zayt gezunt un shtark, Estelle Souche 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 20 Apr 1997 20:23:59 From: goldfein@ix.netcom.com Subject: A yidishe had gadya This must be done quickly - before my wife wonders why the steady flow of boxes from the basement has been interrupted. I didn't manage to do this the last couple of years and vowed (bli neder) to post before peysekh this year. Growing up, the custom at our sdarim was not to end with "Had Gadya," but to add a yiddish version, called "Shikt der haar.." My father learned it at his parents' table in Warsaw. I'm curious to know if it's known by any other Mendelyaner. One tries to sing it faster and faster; once my sister and I reached proficiency, my father's greatest enjoyment was to purposely mix up the lines as he sang, to keep us from finishing smoothly. (From time to time we also tried to examine the underlying theology...) Shikt der haar a poyer in vald arayn (2x) zol dem epl raysn (2x) poyer vil nisht epl raysn epl vil nisht faln un epl vil nisht faln. Shikt der haar a katz in vald arayn (2x) zol dem poyer drapyen (2x) katz vil nisht poyer drapyen poyer vil nisht epl raysn epl vil nisht faln un epl vil nisht faln. Shikt der haar a hunt in vald arayn (2x) zol di katz baysn (2x) hunt vil nisht katz baysn katz vil nisht poyer drapyen poyer vil nisht epl raysn epl vil nisht faln un epl vil nisht faln. Shikt der haar a shtekn in vald arayn (2x) zol dem hunt shlogn (2x) shtekn vil nisht hunt shlogn hunt vil nisht katz baysn katz vil nisht poyer drapyen poyer vil nisht epl raysn epl vil nisht faln un epl vil nisht faln. Shikt der haar a fayer in vald arayn (2x) zol dem shtekn brenen (2x) fayer vil nisht shtekn brenen shtekn vil nisht hunt shlogn hunt vil nisht katz baysn katz vil nisht poyer drapyen poyer vil nisht epl raysn epl vil nisht faln un epl vil nisht faln. Shikt der haar a vasser in vald arayn (2x) zol dem fayer leshn (2x) vasser vil nisht fayer leshn fayer vil nisht shtekn brenen shtekn vil nisht hunt shlogn hunt vil nisht katz baysn katz vil nisht poyer drapyen poyer vil nisht epl raysn epl vil nisht faln un epl vil nisht faln. Shikt der haar an oks in vald arayn (2x) zol dos vasser trinkn (2x) oks vil nisht vasser trinkn vasser vil nisht fayer leshn fayer vil nisht shtekn brenen shtekn vil nisht hunt shlogn hunt vil nisht katz baysn katz vil nisht poyer drapyen poyer vil nisht epl raysn epl vil nisht faln un epl vil nisht faln. Shikt der haar a shoykhet in vald arayn (2x) zol dem oks shekhtn (2x) shoykhet vil nisht oks shekhtn oks vil nisht vasser trinkn vasser vil nisht fayer leshn fayer vil nisht shtekn brenen shtekn vil nisht hunt shlogn hunt vil nisht katz baysn katz vil nisht poyer drapyen poyer vil nisht epl raysn epl vil nisht faln un epl vil nisht faln. Shikt der haar dem malokh-hamoves in vald arayn (2x) zol dem shoykhet shekhtn (2x) malokh-hamoves vil nisht shoykhet shekhtn shoykhet vil nisht oks shekhtn oks vil nisht vasser trinkn vasser vil nisht fayer leshn fayer vil nisht shtekn brenen shtekn vil nisht hunt shlogn hunt vil nisht katz baysn katz vil nisht poyer drapyen poyer vil nisht epl raysn epl vil nisht faln un epl vil nisht faln. (pause..) Kumt der haar aleyn in vald arayn (2x) zol dem malokh-hamoves shekhtn (2x) malokh-hamoves vil shoyn shoykhet shekhtn shoykhet vil shoyn oks shekhtn oks vil shoyn vasser trinken vasser vil shoyn fayer leshn fayer vil shoyn shtekn brennen shtekn vil shoyn hunt shlogn hunt vil shoyn katz baysn katz vil shoyn poyer drapyen poyer vil shoyn epl raysn epl vil shoyn faln - un epl iz gefaln! ================= A freylekhn (un koshern) peysekh. (Oy, tsu lang genumen.. zi ruft shoyn..) Itzkhok-Dovid Goldfein 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 12:33:25 +0200 (MET DST) From: h_denman@maier.vol.at Subject: Stempenyu in English In answer to the query by Jana Branch [6,288:6] concerning translations of "Stempenyu", I can report that one of the earliest translations into English from the works of Sholem Aleykhem was precisely "Stempenyu" published in London in 1913. Unfortunately, I have never seen a copy and don't know who the translator was. Some time in the 1920s a translation was done by Samuel Meisels, published (together with some other stories) by the Benjamin Harz Verlag in Berlin/ Vienna (in the Ostjuedische Bibliothek series), n.d. This version is much too free and cannot be recommended. On the other hand, a post-war German translation, "Stempenju, ein juedischer Roman", translated with afterword by Hubert Witt (and with 12 lithographies by Anatoli Kaplan) was published in Leipzig by Reclam in 1993 [ISBN: 3-379-01482-6] and is very good and definitely still in print. Then, best of all, we have the version by our esteemed fellow mendelyaner, Joachim Neugroschel, 'Stempeniu, A Jewish Romance' on pages 287-375 of his marvellous collection, "The Shtetl, A Creative Anthology of Jewish Life in Eastern Europe", NY: Richard Marek, 1979. Whether Joachim's version is still in print I don't know. Perhaps he can tell us. Hugh Denman 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 20 Apr 1997 21:50:50 -0400 (EDT) From: miriamke@aol.com Subject: Stempenyu in English Stempenyu is available in English translation by Joachim Neugroschel in Volume II of The Three Great Writers of Modern Yiddish Literature -- Sholem-Aleykhem by Zuckerman and Herbst published by Joseph Simon. It is available from Jack Roth, telephone # (310) 305 1229 -- FAX # (310)306 6219. I believe it is also available from the Workmen's Circle Bookstore and the National Yiddish Book Center. Marion Herbst Los Angeles 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 24 Apr 97 11:53:22 IST From: rhle302@uvm.haifa.ac.il Subject: Stempenyu in English Jana Branch (in _Mendele_ 6.288 (6)) asks about English translations of Sholem Aleykhem's _Stempenyu_. As indicated in Uriel Weinreich's still very useful SA bibliography in _The Field of Yiddish_ 1 (1954), p. 287, Hannah Berman is credited with the "Authorized Version" of _Stempenyu_, London: Methuen, 1913. This translation is -- deservedly -- out of print. SA and his family sweat blood for years because of that "authorized translation" seal, which Berman squeezed out of SA. There is a painful correspondence on the subject at Bet Shalom Aleychem (Beys Sholem Aleykhem) in Tel Aviv. There must be later and more competent translations of this short novella, as well as mss. of dramatized versions. Leonard Prager 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 21 Apr 97 12:13:21 pdt From: marvin_s._zuckerman_at_valley1po@smtplink.laccd.edu Subject: Ignats Bernshteyns _Erotica and Rustica_ Just wanted to point out that a special edition of the 200-plus "erotica and rustica" Yiddish folksayings in a "privat oysgabe" by Ignaz Bernstein was published by Perivale Press, edited by Gershon Weltman and me (Marvin Zuckerman) about 20 years ago. It contains a photographically reproduced copy of all the sayings in the original Yiddish Bernstein edition, including Bernstein's comments; a transliteration (YIVO-style) of each saying; and a translation of each saying. It is called "Yiddish Sayings Moma Never Taught You." It also has an introduction. It is, unfortunately, out of print, but copies may be found in libraries or elsewhere, perhaps, since about 5000 copies were printed in three printings. Marvin Zuckerman 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 17:41:13 -0400 (EDT) From: goldiem@total.net Subject: Feldafing I wonder if I could draw on the collective geographical knowledge of Mendele for help with a place-name reference in a short story I am translating from Yiddish. The author refers to a displaced persons camp that was located after the war at Feldafing. Feldafing is supposedly the name of a small town in Germany near Munich. I need to know the name of the lake on which this camp was located. If anyone knows, please contact me privately. I have looked everywhere, and asked several holocaust survivors, and no one seems to know. With thanks, Goldie Morgentaler ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 6.289