Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 07.126 December 19, 1997 1) khanike oy khanike (Sholem Berger) 2) khanike oy khanike (Chana un Yosl Mlotek) 3) Lid fun Kershelekh, "Yidn", un Vilne (Alexander Maxwell) 4) a poeme far ale Mendelyaner (Mendy Fliegler) 5) Ura far gruppirn temes! Hray fer E.Prince! (Martin Horwitz) 6) bagleytn/baleytn; geshrign/geshriyen (Mikhl Herzog) 7) Yiddish love song (Jack Feldman) 8) "fonie ganev hot atslokhe" (moishe kijak) 9) Yiddish in Detective Fiction (Heynekh Sapoznik) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 22:35:42 -0500 From: "Sholem Berger" Subject: khanike oy khanike 1 Khanike oy khanike a yontev a sheyner a lustiker a freylekher nishto nokh azeyner ale nakht in dreydl shpiln mir zudik heyse latkes est on a shir. 2 geshvinder, tsindt kinder di khanike-likhtelekh on. Zol yeder bazunder bazingen dem vunder un tantsn freylekh in kon. 2a ...................... ..................... Lomir ale iin eynem tsum yontev dem sheynem zingen un tantsn in kon 2b Geshvinder, tsindt kinder di dininke likhtelekh on Zingt al-hanisim Loybt got far di nisim un kumt gikher tantsn in kon 2c .................. ................. Lomir ale zingen un lomir ale shpringen un lomir ale tantsn in kon. nor dos same beste khanike-lid iz fun Adam Sandler, Saturday Night Live. geyt hert es: er gramt "yarmulke" mit "khanike." gole geoynes. a likhtikn freylekhn khanike alemen. Sholem Berger 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 00:21:02 -0500 (EST) From: EMlotek@aol.com Subject: khanike oy khanike Dovid Hertskovits bet di verter fun lid "Khanike oy khanike": Un azoy vi es rukt zikh on der yomtev, brengen mir di verter fun sheynem khanike-lid mit fargenign - tsuzamen mit undzer vuntsh far a freylekhn yomtev. Khanike, oy khanike, a yomtev a sheyner, A lustiker, a freylekher, nito nokh azoyner, Ale nakht in dreydlekh shpiln mir, Zudik heyse latkes esn mir. Geshvinder, tsindt kinder Di dininke likhtelekh on. Zogt "al hanisim," loybt got far di nisim, Un kumt gikher tantsn in kon. Yehude hot fartribn dem soyne, dem roytseakh, Un hot in beys hamikdesh gezungen "lamnatseyakh" Di shtot yerushalayim hot vider oyfgelebt, Un tsu a nayem lebn hot yederer geshtrebt. Di verter hot geshribn M. Rivesman, di melodye shtamt fun a khsidishn nign. Dos lid iz geven gedrukt in Kislgofs "Lider-zamlbukh far der yidisher shul un familye", l9ll. Azoy vi kh'hob dos bukh nit unter der hant, hob ikh kopirt di verter fun Shmuel Bugatches "Doyres zingen." In di shuln hot men nit gezungen di tsveyte strofe; men hot gebitn di verter oyf: frishe heyse latkes esn mir; in dreydl anshtot dreydlekh; di khanike-likhtelekh on; zol yeder bazunder bazingen dem vunder. (Ze undzer zamlung "Yomtevdike teg"). Bay der gelegnheyt viln mir tsugebn az a fraynd hot undz geheysn kukn oyfn "key-vort" Chanukah in web, mir zoln tsugebn etlekhe yidishe lider vegn khanike. Dort zaynen gedrukt a hipshe tsol khanike-lider, merstns oyf english, oykh oyf hebreish un eyns oyf yidish. Take "khanike oy khanike" (ober nokh dem vi men drukt frier di englishe un hebreishe iberzetsungen). "Ikh bin a kleyner dreydl" un "O ir kleyne likhtelekh" vern gegebn bloyz in english. Ikh veys nit vi tsutsugebn tsum web. Ober oyb emetser veys vi azoy, ken er gefinen nokh khanike-lider (azelkhe vi Borukh ate zingt der tate; Akht kleyne brider; Lekoved khanike; Gut yomtev aykh kinder; Drey zikh shoyn dreydele) in der dermonter zamlung fun Bugatch un in di Yomtevdike Teg. Chana un Yosl Mlotek (EMlotek) [Note from the moderator: Similar or identical texts of the song were submitted also by Al Grand, Andrey Bredstein, Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan, and Philip Sopinsky. All these correspondents, joined by der shames sent their best wishes for Khanike to all Mendelyaner.] 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 21:47:00 -0600 From: Alexander Maxwell Subject: Lid fun Kershelekh, "Yidn", un Vilne J Nussbaum asks about a song; I have what must be the same song in Jerry Silverman's "Yiddish Song Book", a charming book with english and transliterated Yiddish, as well as some family photos. Shvartse Karshelekh rayst men, un grine lozt men shteyn. sheyne meydelekh nemt men, un mize lozt men geyn. oy vey iz tsu mir, un vey tsu mayne por yor a libe hob ikh gefirt felike drey fertl yor Vos toyg mir di polke masurke az tantsn tants ikh zi nit? Vos toyg mir di meydele fun Vurke az libn libt zi mikh nit? [Chorus] Vos toyg mir der nayer valets as tantsn tants ikh im nisht? Vos toyg mir dos meydele fun Shilets az libn libt zi mikh nit? [he does switch from nit to nisht, it isn't my mistake] [Chorus] Vos toygn mir di lipelekh, di sheyne, az kushn, kushn zey mikh nit? Vos toygn mir di hentelekh, di kleyne, as gleytn, gleytn zey mikh nit? As far as I can tell, there are too many syllables to this verse, but that's how Silverman gives it. Oy, I'm so defensive! Well, that's what happens when you have these davenen-meisters on the prowl. I hope Mendele Khaverim will excuse me for the few liberties I took typing this onto this message (I added a few question marks that seemed to be missing, and use kh instead of ch) Also a question for the list: I belong to a central European history list serve, and they were giving out 'Merry Christmas' in all the languages of the Habsburg empire. Well, I gave the one that appeared in that hilarious Yiddish translation of "T'was the night before Christmas." (I forget who put out this book. The translation was 'gut yon-tef mishpokhe, aleman gute nakht') Anyway, in introducing this little gem, I used the word 'Yids' to refer to the speakers of Yiddish, and the moderator of the list asked me if it would be ok to change that to 'Jews'. I told him it was ok, but I have since been plagued by doubts. What is the opinion of Mendele: should a Yiddish speaker refrain from referring to Yiddish speakers as 'Yids' in English? It seems a reasonable way to distinguish Yiddish-speaking Jews from other Jews. But I defer to the collective wisdom of the Mendele khaverim. Additionally, for what it's worth, a Yiddishist here at the UW Madison claims that a Yiddish summer course will be offered in Vilnius this year. The message he sent out to our Yiddish group here reads in part: "Tayere Khavertes un Khaverim fun Yidish: "I am pleased to announce the first Yiddish Summer Program in Vilna, Lithuania, to take place from July 6th-31st, 1998. Daily classes will take place at Vilnius University in the heart of the old city. Profs. Dovid Katz and Dov-Ber Kerler will be the directors of this new and exciting program. "If you are interested, please contact Justinas Vancevicius in Vilna at 011-3702-571-9841. He should be getting email soon if you can't afford the call. Just send me an email and I'll let you know his address. "Even if you are not interested in the program personally, please help with advertising if at all possible. If you teach Jewish Studies or Linguistics/Philology classes, please announce this to your students. If you have access to the internet or a Yiddish email list, please pass on this info." So I am pass it on to Mendele. I have since been sent me an email contact, though I must say in warning that I have yet to get a response from it. The email address which I recieved is: justinas.vancevicius@flf.vu.lt Zayt gezunt! Alexander Maxwell 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 23:50:40 -0200 From: emenems@juno.com (Mendy Fliegler) Subject: a poeme far ale Mendelyaner Ot iz a poeme far ale Mendelyaner: Dus Tshaynikl Dus tshaynikl kukt zikh arum... Un zeyt... Az di velt iz kaylekhdik. An alter radio shteyt dortn mitn rundn, geln ponim Un balaket, bebet.... Der televizie plaplt tsu... Un zogt---un vayst az: "Di velt iz kaylekhdik, on a sof..." Un di mentshishe nayes vert nisht nay... Mentsh/hayt blaybt take--Kaylekhdik oykhet... Nisht banayet. Nu, tshaynikl- Vest zikh amul makhn... Kvadratish!!?? Un ven veln di tekhnishe oytzers Endikn mentshn- ka/as un has?? (Ven a farshtertn kaylekhkayt vet zikh oyfhern viklen?--) Un Moshiakh vet nisht shlofn, Un dos tshaynikl vet vayter kukn... Un vet sikh aleyn arumdreyen (!) Mendy Fliegler 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 23:07:58 -0500 From: Martin Horwitz Subject: Ura far gruppirn temes! Hray fer E.Prince! Ikh vil secondirn(a vort?) Ellen Prince's zayer vikhtik idee az me ken helfn alemen laynen mit hanoye Mendelen, oyb der shamas vet gruppirn temes vos krign a sakh komentarn vos gibn nisht kayn naye informatsiye (un nutsn say tsayt, say zitsflaysh). Spetseil temes vos nisht ale in zey hobn an interes! Oyb nit vel mer un mer mentshn laynen Mendele mit ayn finger af der "delete" knopke. Un s'vet zayn a shod. I wish to second heartily Ellen Prince's very cogent suggestion that all readers of Mendele will gain more pleasure if the Shamas will be so kind as to group subtopics which receive a large number of posts which are very similar and do not add mew information (while taking up down loading time and patience). This is especially true of topics which may not be of general interest. If not the flood will cause more and more Mendele readers to sit with one finger on the delete button. And this would be a pity. I think even those of us with an interest in serious etymologies would agree. Martin Horwitz 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 00:45:38 -0500 From: "mikhl herzog" Subject: bagleytn/baleytn; geshrign/geshriyen 1. Of the historically prefixed form_baleytn_, only Harkavy lists the unprefixed base form _laytn_, although Weinreich lists the related _leyt-artikl_ 'editorial', and designates it as "of doubtful admissibility". What about _bagleytn_, obviously a prefixed form as well? What's it's base form? Presumably, the non-occurring historical past participle *_geleytn_ which has been further prefixed with _ba-_. (Cf. German _leiten_, past participle _geleiten_.) Not too surprising in view of such doubly prefixed formations as, _geglikhn_ 'like', 'comparable', _gegesn_, regional _gegat_ 'had' (< _gehat_ which, with the dropping of _h_ > _gat_ and is further prefixed with _ge_; thus _gegat_.) 2. None of this has anything to do with the +/- g variants _shrayen_, _geshrign/geshriyen_, _shpayen_, _geshpign/geshpeyen_ (and _geshpayt_), _layen_, _gelign/geleyen_ (and _gelayt) 'lent'. These reflect variation (among other things) in the realization of _g_. The _g/y_ variation is more systematically distinctive of German and probably accounts for the word _yeke_, perhaps what Harkavi lists as _yekl_ 'fool', (cf. German _Geck_ 'dandy', 'fop'), and the German word _Gauner_ 'knave', 'cheat' (Cf. _Gaunersprache_ 'thieves' cant' which, coincidentally, owes much to Yiddish). In Yiddish, there is a major regional variation between the _g_/_y_ variants of a single word of Hebrew origin: Eastern Yiddish _day(n)ges/da:(n)ges_, Western Yiddish _day(~)es_ 'worries' (~ = nasalization). Mikhl Herzog 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 01:35:42 -0700 From: feldman@math.berkeley.edu (jacob feldman) Subject: Yiddish love song (mendele 07.124) I heard this sung by my parents and their friends, perhaps sixty years ago, and always with a comic Polish dialect, something like this: A vay uz, a vay uz tsu miah, A vay uz tsu mayene yuah A lib af mir bayde geshpi-elt, Farike dray-firtl yuah. Here are four more lines (all I know). I'll ease up a little on the dialect. Vos toyg mir der (das?) Polka's mazurke. Ven tantsn tanst zie mir ni-et, Vos toyg mir dos maydele fon Yurke [is that a place?], Ven nemen nemt zie mir nit. I hope someone sends in more of it, and a more reliable version. Jack Feldman 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 10:49:44 ARG From: "Gustavo Kijak" Subject: "fonie ganev hot atslokhe" tayere fraynt, ikh vil aykh shikn a tsushtayer tsum inien "fonie". in yior 1957 bin ikh geven a zelner in argentiner armey (un vos far a zelner: ikh bin ibertsaigt az ven main nomen volt geven Mario, un nisht Moishe, volt ikh zikher gevorn a general, un di dorem-atlantik milkhome volt gehat an ander oisfir). nor lomir zikh unkern tsu der mainse. sof vokh flegt men mikh gebn urloyb, un montik 6 azeyger inderfri hob ikh zikh gemuzt umkern in mayn kazarme. oifshteyn fleg ikh 4 azeyger fartog kedey ontsukumen batsaytns. es farshteyt zikh az dos oifshteyn punkt tsu der tsayt iz nisht geven tsulibn benken nokh mayn regiment, nor di sakone az men zol mikh bashtrofn tomer ikh volt farshpetikt a minut. mayne eltern hobn zikh gevundert, un gefregt mir vi azoy ken ikh vavayzn oiftsushteyn azoy fri, un on a vekzeyger, vayl gevendlekh fleg ikh lib hobn tzu shlofn vos lenger. oif dem fleg ikh entfern mit a vertl vos ikh fleg hoftmol hern bay zey un vos zey banutsn nokh adayem: "fonye ganev hot atslokhe". mistome hobn zey dos vertl gebrakht mit zikh fun zeyer shtetl (zey zenen stoker) fun der tsayt fun der poylish-rusisher milkhome, vu tsey feters mayne hobn gekenft. efsher hot emitser fun aikh gehert dos vertl un ken dem moker? a freylekhn khanuke far alemen. moishe kijak 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 09:48:22 -0500 (EST) From: Sapoznik@aol.com Subject: Yiddish in Detective Fiction Mendelyaner, A film scholar pal of mine tells me that the expression "gunsel" (made famous by author Dashiell Hammett in his book "The Maltese Falcon" and used to denote a hired gunman) is actually derived from the Yiddish word "genzl" which, in its underworld usage, denotes an older man who keeps a young boy for immoral purposes. Has anyone ever come across this usage before? Heynekh Sapoznik ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 07.126 Address for the postings to Mendele: mendele@lists.yale.edu Address for the list commands: listproc@lists.yale.edu Mendele on the Web: http://mendele.commons.yale.edu http://sunsite.unc.edu/yiddish/mendele.html