Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 09.008 June 1, 1999 1) pushke (Hugh Denman) 2) leg dayn kop (Yoel Epstein) 3) Two inquiries (Al Grand) 4) Der Dishwasher (Yankel Kurtzman) 5) Tayere Malke (Sidney Belman) 6) Tayere Malke (marcia gruss levinsohn) 7) Dates gezukht (Gilles Rozier) 8) Yiddish in the Lowlands (Reinhard "Ron" Hahn) 9) Hebrew names in Yiddish (pe'rets mett) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 17 May 1999 10:30:32 -0400 (EDT) From: Hugh Denman Subject: pushke with reference to Noyekh's enquiry concerning 'pushke' [0.9003:9], which I'm afraid I missed in 1993, I believe the answer to be that both derivations are correct or more precisely: pushke < Pol. puszka < MHG buhsa (cf. NHG Buechse) < Lat. buxea < Gk. pyksis > Eng. pyx. Indeed one of the meanings of Pol. 'puszka' is 'pyx'. Hugh Denman 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 18 May 1999 02:16:43 -0400 (EDT) From: Joel Epstein Subject: leg dayn kop I recently obtained a copy of Leyg Dayn Kop in an arrrangement for voice and piano with violin obligato. In the Yiddish music publishing world of the 1920's to 1940's, it was not unusual for publishers to print separate violin accompaniment parts to popular songs. The violin part was sold separately, and very few survived. Yoel Epstein, Moshav Magshimim, Israel 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 18 May 1999 10:02:28 -0400 (EDT) From: Savoyid@aol.com Subject: Two inquiries a. I'd be grateful for the full lyrics and a brief historical background of the song that begins with these lines: Der yold iz mikh mekane, der yold iz mikh mekane Der yold iz mikh mekane far a kleyn shtikele breyt [i.e., "broyt"]. b. "Er dreyt zikh arum vi a forts in rosl" is an expression I used to hear years ago to describe someone found wandering about the house aimlessly with nothing to do. I assume that "rosl" refers to brine (e.g., the salt and vinegar used for pickling). What in the world, though, is a "forts?" Surely not an expulsion of intestinal gas! Al Grand 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 18 May 1999 13:52:57 -0400 (EDT) From: "Gilda and Bob Kurtzman" Subject: Der Dishwasher I happen to have the words and music to The Dish-Washer as sung by Herman Yablokoff. Stanza 1 In a resteran' - Hob ich gesen An alten man - In kitchen shtein Arum ihm rasht - Er ret kein wort Er shteit und vasht, - Die dishes dort Un mit gefiel - Brompt er shtiel: Refrain: Ich vash Mit meine shvache hent Ich vash un vash Fardin ich a purcent Fon free bis shpeit Far a truken shtiekel broit Ich vas un beht Auf sich alein dem toit. ge'Chob kinder Stanza 2 A muhl geven - Mit mentchen gleich Gehat a heim - Gevesen reich Geven is dan - Der tate gut Itzt bin ich alt - Keiner darf mach nit Un in dem rash - Shtei ich un vash: Refrain Stanza 3 'Chob kinder fier, - Gebildet groiss Die aidems, shnier, - Warfenmich a roiss Mein tochter feit - Ich solgeintzum sun Mein sun er shsreit, - Ich ken gutnit tun Un in dem rash - Shtei ich un vash: Refrain Yankel Kurtzman 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 18 May 1999 21:55:22 -0400 (EDT) From: Sidney Belman Subject: Tayere Malke The words to Tayere Malke follows: They come from the record "Raasche and Alan Mills"; Folkways Records; Beautifully sung. Words and Music by M.M. Warshavsky Tayere Malke, Gezunt zolstu zain, Gis on dem becher Dem becher mit vain. Bim, Bom ...... Fun dem doziker becher Vos glantzt azoi shein, Hot getrunken main zeide, Main zeide alein. Bim, Bom .... Tayere Malke, Gezunt zolstu zain, Gis on dem becher Noch a bisele vain, Bim, Bom ..... Geven shlechte tzaitn Vi es macht zikh amol, Nor dem becher hob ich gehaltn Aizn un shtol. Bim, Bom ..... Tayere Malke, Gezunt zolstu zain Gis on dem becher Noch a tropinke vain. Bim, Bom .... Oi mir vellen trinken Gor ohn an ek, Far di vos zainen fun unz Af eibik avek. Bim, Bom .... Tayere Malke, Gezunt zolstu zain, Gis on dem becher Noch a bisele vain. Bim, Bom... Try to get the record, Folkways, NYC Sidney Belman 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 19 May 1999 09:38:24 -0400 (EDT) From: Marcia Gruss Levinsohn Subject: Tayere Malke DEENA H. MERSKY requests the words for "Tayere Malke" for her mother's 95th birthday. biz hundert tsvantik, abi gezunt. The text and music are by Mark M. Warshavsky and can be found with the music in _Yontefdike Teg_ compiled and edited by Chane Mlotek and Malke Gottlieb, published by the Workmen's Circle. Even though this song has been sung as a happy drinking song, the words tell how the singer went through hard times and saved only his Zeyde's wine-cup. He asks, "to whom shall I drink, Malke dear?" His answer, "I'll drink to my enemies, but don't tell them. Just look how the tears spurt from the wine-cup." Perhaps you would change the words of the last verse for your happy occasion. tayere malke, gezunt zolstu zayn, gis on dem bekher dem bekher mit vayn. bim bam... dem dozikn bekher - er glantst azoy sheyn - hot getrunken mayn zeyde, mayn zeyde aleyn. bim bam... geven shlekhte tsaytn, vi es makht zikh amol, nor dem bekher hob ikh gehaltn, ayzn un shtol. bim bam,,, tayere malke, gezunt zolstu zayn, far vemen zol ikh trinkn dem dozikn vayn? bim bam... (kh'trink far mayne sonim, nor zog zey nit oys, kukt, trern, zey shpritsn fun bekher aroys...) bim bam... With no disrespect intended toward Mark Warshavsky and his treasured song, your parody for the last verse might sing... mir trinkn far malke, gezunt zolstu zayn, mir vintshn dir nakhes un libe on payn. biz hundert tsvantik, abi gezunt. marcia gruss levinsohn, Silver Spring, MD 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 19 May 1999 07:24:53 -0400 (EDT) From: "Gilles Rozier" Subject: Dates gezukht Tayere fraynd, tsi kent ir farefentlekhn di vayterdike meldung far mir oyfn mendele : Es feln mir nokh di dates fun di vayterdike yidishe shrayber un artistn : Yankev Zilbert (rezhisor) : 1871 - ? Mirl Erdberg (shrayberin) : 1894 - ? Ida Kaminska (teater-froy) : 1899 - ? Moyshe Zilburg (kritiker) : 1884 - ? Yisroel Adler (shrayber, kuzin fun kinstler Yankev Adler) : 1898 - ? Moyshe Blekher (Lodzher shrayber) : 1904 - ? Moyshe Pulaver (Lodzher aktyor) : 1899 oder 1902 ? - ? Simkhe Tomsinski (sovetisher yidisher redaktor) : 1894 - ? Rus Leviatsh (yidishe opere-zingerin) : ? - ? Moyshe Rudinov (yidisher opere-zinger) : ? - ? A dank Gilles Rozier Paris (France) 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 19 May 1999 14:55:38 -0400 (EDT) From: Lowlands-L Administrator Subject: Yiddish in the Lowlands I have done some reading about the autobiography of Gl=FCckel von Hameln, 1646-1724, who was born and raised in Hamburg, Northern Germany. I still need to read the work in the original, which I am having some problems getting access to. It is stated that Glueckel wrote her autobiography in Western Yiddish. Is the language variety used by her a special dialect of the Hamburg area or of Northern Germany, or is it the same as the Western Yiddish of the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Northern Italy? On the email list "Lowlands-L" there are several subscribers (including myself, the administrator) who would like to know if in the Jewish communities of the North European Lowlands there are or used to be specific language varieties, e.g., varieties of Northern German, Low Saxon (Low German), Dutch, Frisian, etc., or varieties of Yiddish or Ladino with influences from these "Lowlandic" Germanic languages. (As most of you probably know, Hamburg, Amsterdam and other port cities of the Lowlands have been the homes of both Askenazic and Sephardic communities.) With thanks in advance and with friendly regards, Reinhard "Ron" Hahn Seattle, USA 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 20 May 1999 11:44:25 -0400 (EDT) From: Percy Mett Subject: Hebrew names in Yiddish Yankev Lewis asks about the pronunciation of the name Yoynesen. Sorry, I couldn't tell you about phonetics, but it's pronounced with the stress on the first syllable, yOynesn. (But my own first name happens to be nUsn - or nosn if you're a litvak) Also, how does one pronounce the name "Yokhanan" in Yiddish? The only way I've heard it pronounced in yidish is yOykhenen, likewise with the stress on the first syllable. a freylekhn shvies alemen pe'rets mett ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 09.008 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://metalab.unc.edu/yiddish/mendele.html