Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 09.015 July 14, 1999 1) ghetto tango (Sylvia Schildt) 2) Shike Drif afn original (Alik Frenkel un Martin Horwitz) 3) The stress pattern of Ashkenazi Hebrew (Robert 'Rubke' Fischmann) 4) Leon Wajner/Kadie Molodowski (Joyce Rappaport) 5) Shpayer (Shaya Mitelman) 6) a new issue of the Lebns-Fragn (Itzhak Luden) 7) Di Gojim and Gojim (Stanley (Zalman) Matoren) 8) Vegn Leshtshinsky (Simkhe Drayer) 9) Anivus (perets mett) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 8 Jun 1999 16:43:59 -0400 (EDT) From: Sylvia Schildt Subject: ghetto tango Nu, zikh tzugeshlept, kam mit tzores, kin vashington fun boltimor, tzu hern, di tzvey barimte kinstler zalmen mlotek un adrienne cooper in a program mitn nomen "geto tango" -- iz hert zikh gut tzu tzu mayne por verterlekh. es iz geven an oysnam fun an ovnt,muzikalish un dramatish, mit a mekhtiker shtimung. an ovnt ful mit vey un geveyn, zikher, ober eykh an ovnt fun shtoltzkeyt in undzere yidn un zeyer gaystikn vidershtand kegn di natzis un zeyere helfers. a poshete bine, a pianoforte, mikrofonen, shvartze kleyder, zalmen mit zayn barimtn kipa un -- kishef! yidelekh, derkvikt ayere neshomes un brengt ot di produktzie tzu ayere kehiles -es iz zeyer kinstlekh araynge-arbet genug english, az afile di vos es felt zey yidish, veln kenen farshteyn un genisn funem program un mitfiln di neshome fun undzere kedoyshim. Nu,. we dragged ouselves, with great difficulty to washington from baltimore to hear the famous performance artists zalmen mlotek and adrienne cooper in program enittled "Ghetto Tango: - so so listen well to my few words. It was an exceptional evening, musically and dramatically, with a powerful mood, an evening full of pain and tears, certainly, but also an evening of pride in our Jews and their spiritual resisitance against the Nazis and their helpers. A simple bare stage, a piano, mikes, bllack clothing, zalmennin his famous kippah and -- magic! Dear Jews, nourish your souls and bring this production to your communities -- enough English has been artfully worked in that even the Yiddishly-challenged will be able to understand and benefit from the progrom and feel the soul of our Sacred Martyrs. Sylvia Schildt Baltimore, Maryland 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 8 Jun 1999 08:18:19 -0400 (EDT) From: Martin Horwitz Subject: Shike Drif afn original! In response to Ilya Vinarsky (09.010): Shike Driz mayn hitl Shapka --------- ------ shvern shver ikh, U menya takaya shapka az ba keynem, S kozyr'kom. nor ba mir, Ja drugoj takoj bar mir ba eynem Ne videl Ni na kom. iz faran Vot nadel ejo aza min glik, Ja prjamo, aza hitl - Naprimer, an antik. Posmotrite, Chto za bravyj vil ikh, ver ikh - Ofitser. meyn ir vos? Vot nadel ejo tsum alem ershtn Nazad kozyr'kom - a matros. I tot chas zhe stal Vesjolym un dernokhdem Morjakom. momental Nu, a stoit ver ikh oykh Vam zazhmurit'sja, a general. Druz'ja, Srazu v shapke-nevidimke un take teykef, Budu ja. gor nit merer Vsjo zavisit ot togo, kh'ver a proster Kak vzgljanut' koymenkerer. I kuda Kozyrek s'iz gevendt Povernut'. in dem nor bloyz, vuhin me dreyt Iberzetser af rusish: Genrikh Sapgir dem dashek oys. ba mir un ba dir U tebja i u menja ---------------- ----------------- tsvey hent ba dir, U tebja - dve ruki, tsvey hent ba mir, U menja - dve ruki. nit tsu fargesn - Na stole u nas bumaga, farshrayb af papir. Raznotsvetnye melki. tsvey fis ba dir, U tebja para glaz, tsvey fis ba mir, U menja - para glaz. tsvey mol tsvey Nu, teper' soobrazi-ka, iz shtendik fir Skol'ko glaz vsego u nas? af undzer papir. Est' dva ukha u tebja tsvey oyern ba dir, I dva ukha u menja. tsvey oyern ba mir, A vsego ushej chetyre, farshrayb es vide Pomni s nyneshnego dnja. af papir. U tebja - para nog, tsvey oygn ba dir, U menja - para nog. tsvey oygn ba mir, Dvazhdy dva - vsego chetyre. nit fargesn - Eto pervyj nash urok. farshrayb af papir. Iberzetser af rusish: Genrikh Sapgir tsvey nezlekh ba dir, tsvey nezlekh ba mir, tsvey mol tsvey iz nokhmol fir. Alik Frenkel un Martin Horwitz 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 3 Jun 1999 10:42:16 -0400 (EDT) From: Robert Fischmann Subject: The stress pattern of Ashkenazi Hebrew Sholem aleykhem, mendelniks, Since this is my first posting to "mendele", let me introduce myself very briefly. My name is Robert Fischmann and I am a student of linguistics and phonetics at the Charles University, Prague. Although this list is devoted to Yiddish, I would like to enquire about the nature of word-stress in the traditional Ashkenazi pronunciation of the loshn-koydesh. I understand that the majority of words are stressed penultimately, unless the last-but-one syllable contains a khotef vowel - in that case the stress shifts on the third syllable from the end. Is that correct? 1) If it is so, then: what of the prefixes like l@-/li- (@ being schwa), b@-/bi-, or, for that matter, the definite article ha-/ho-/hey? Can they ever bear stress? (e.g. in the brokhe: ['boyrey 'pri 'ho?eyts] OR [ho'?eyts] ?) 2) Do the same rules of prosody apply to the Aramaic of the gemore or some of the tfiles? I would be grateful to anyone who would offer me some insight in these matters. Yours truly, Robert 'Rubke' Fischmann 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 5 Jun 1999 23:10:49 -0400 (EDT) From: rappapor@pop.total.net (joyce rappaport) Subject: Leon Wajner/Kadie Molodowski I am looking for infomation about a song called "A Polit," the music for which was composed by Leon Wajner, with words by Kadie Molodowski. The text is related to the theme of Jerusalem, and the words begin as follows: Oif a weg a shmoln,-- Shteiner, griber, derner. A bocher geit, a polit, A kosher kind, a lerner. The text is in Wajner, Le=F3n, Canots de Lucha y Resurgimiento, published in Buenos Aires in 1962. I would like especially to know the connotations of the word "polit," and the feelings the writers felt toward Jerusalem. Thank you so much, Joyce Rappaport 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 8 Jun 1999 00:33:48 -0400 (EDT) From: Serge Mitelman Subject: Shpayer. In an artikl inem letstn nimer fin "Forverts" (deym 4tn yuni 1999) s'iz du aza pasazh: "Agev, dos vort shpayer (revolver), iz gekumen fun varshever yidish, zey hobn tsunoyfgehoftn shpayen mit fayer un fun dem gemakht shpayer" (Miriam Shmulevich-Hoffman "Fareygnt a bintl shprakhn", z.20). Shpayer (revolver, pistolet, nagan, pistoyl, parabelum, mauzer) iz a geveynlekh vort in indzere farvorfene (fin Varshe) mekoymes. Dus vort iz oykh aran in der risisher shprakh - in intervelt-argo, odeser enechke-lushn, mit epes a indert yur krik. Shtelt zekh a shale: ven zhe iz es gekimen fin Varshe - in di tsatn fin mushketn? Besides being a common Yiddish word, shpayer (pistol) is also an established presence in Russian underworld argot - "fenya", traceable back perhaps a century to the fin de siecle Odessa criminal lore - "blatnaya lirika" (as "shpayer" and "shpaler"). Now, when then and how had it spread thus far away southeast from Warsaw? Shaya Mitelman. 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 12 Jun 1999 18:32:04 -0400 (EDT) From: "luden" Subject: a new issue of the Lebns-Fragn "Der groyser nitsokhn - un di shvwere maarokhe". Dos is der nomen fun dem norvos dershinenem frishn numer fun dem Tel Aviver journal Lebns-Fragn far May-Juni 1999. Oykh der itstiker numer hot 28 zaytn journal-format un a raykhn inhalt fun artiklen, notitzn, ophandlungen un informatsyes oyf algemayne un Yiddishe kultur-gezelshaftlekhe temes. Der layt-artikl un di notitsn in der rubrik "fun khoydesh tsu khoydesh" zenen gevidmet der-iker di opgehaltene valn tsu der kneset un dem mitraysndikn zig fun Ahud Barak, tsuzamen mit der tsetrayslung fun der partayisher mape in Isroel (Natanyahus letster kishef; Di kadents fun dekadents; sheker un felshungen vi a shite; Der kval fun zayn koyekh; Shass vert gekashert; tabele "azoy zet oys di naye kneset"; Dos hayntike Poyln fun amol). Der milkhome in Yogoslavye is gevidmet der komentar u"n "fun Sarayevo biz Kosovo". Inem vayterdikn inhalt: Ahrn Shapiro: Nokh alts Lebanon un Hizballa"; Prof' Arthur Lermer: Di globale ekonomie - ir mahus un historishe rol; Gideon levi: Kosovo is do, bay undz; Sima Kadmon: "Ikh hob den farshpilt?"; Mendl Wajsman, Kopenhagen: Nokh a "bintele" Europe; Khayim Savikin: Albert Einstein der socialist; Khayim Landau: Der kibuts in zayn eigenem shpigl; Khayim Beider: Der shtern vos hot geheysn poshet: Ester; Doron Mudan: Vi azoy klingt Sholem Aleykhem oyf khinezish; Dr. Khariton Berman, Bielaya Tserkov: Der fargesener Lev Honor; 40 operes oyf yiddish; Khayim Piekazh: Mir zogn zikh nit op funem 1-tn May; Tsum 120-tn geboyrntog fun Dovid Hofshtein; D. Hofshtein: Ikh gloyb; I. Kipnis: Dos shifele iz avekgeforn vayt, vayt; wi oykh briv tsu der redaktsye, "fun mayn bikher-shank" (Kh. Landau), "oyf der bikher-politse"; organizatsyonele barikhtn, di ondenk-aktn in Tel-Aviv un in Buenos Aires lzeikher dem 19-tn April, un dray zaytn ongefult mit nayesn fun der yiddish-velt in Isroel. Tsu abonirn un bashteln: Lebns-Fragn, 48 Kalisher St. Tel-Aviv 65165. Tel. 03 517 6764. fax: 03 571 4010. Itzhak Luden 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 28 Jun 1999 09:14:23 -0400 (EDT) From: matoren Subject: Di Gojim and Gojim Dear Mendelyaner, What do you think of the revival in Europe, both East and West, of the interest in Yiddish music (klezmer) by groups of non-Jewish performers? This movement began in some cases as long ago as a quarter of a century. I have tried to keep up with it since the early nineties. One of the more successful groups is the Frisian, Di Gojim, who pronounce their Yiddish very well except for the occasional error. Incidentally, I have no contacts, either personal or financial, with either of the two groups. Di Gojim have produced about half a dozen CDs already and have even been invited to perform in Israel. There is also a Viennese group called Gojim. I'm not certain why they don't use the indefinite article. Perhaps they have made an agreement with the Dutch group. They have produced three recordings: one of Vilna ghetto songs, another of klezmer music, curiously titled "Tscholent," and, most recently, one based on Viennese Yiddish Expressionist poetry. Unlike Di Gojim, who perform traditional Yiddish music, Gojim have set these poems to their own compositions, written in various styles. Their music is very deitsh in form, pronuncation and intonation. I find myself wondering if this is the only way to reach today's public and, if it is, what has been achieved by setting Yiddish poets like Moshe Layb Halpern, Melekh Ravitsh, and Mendl Neigreshl to the tunes of schlagers and march music. Gojim use the German transliteration for Yiddish and have based their CD, In a schtodt woss starbt, on the book of the same title: Gabriele Kohlbauer-Fritz, In a schtodt woss starbt/ In einder Stadt, die stirbt, Jiddische Lyric aus Wien, Zweisprachig jiddisch, deutsch, ISBN 3-85452-268-1. Stanley (Zalman) Matoren 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 22:27:56 -0400 (EDT) From: Saul Drajer Subject: Vegn Leshtshinsky Di khaverte Pessl Beckler-Semel-Stern hot gefregt vegn dem shrayber Yankev Leshtshinky [09.013]. Ikh volt zikh gekont barimen mit mayne kentenishn ober, dem emes gezogt iz, az kh'hob geleyent ales vegn im in der "Leksikon fun der nayer idisher literatur", finfter band, zayt 381 (Farlag Alveltlekhn Yiddishn Kultur Kongres tsuzamen mitn "Tsiko"). A hartsikn grus Simkhe Drayer Buenos Aires - Argentina 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 9 Jun 1999 12:59:08 -0400 (EDT) From: Percy Mett Subject: Anivus a shkoyekh reb berl leyzer vos er hot ibergeshribn di maase funm bobver rov [09.011]. oyb ikh meg a bisl magi zayn zeyn artikl: Altz bokher hot kvod kdosho moron moreinu horav rav shloimeh zikhroi yogen kvod kdosho zet ous an efnung fun di roshey teyves khof"kuh vos men iz gevoynt tsu leynen: kvoyd-kedushas azoy oukh zayin-yud"ayin iz men gevoynt oustsuredn: zkhusoy yogn oleyne oleinu gehot a getreyen khaver mit vemen er hot tzusamen gelernt b'khevrusoh perets mett ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 09.015 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