Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ____________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 16.010 September 12, 2006 1) Kirkhnglokn (Hershl Hartman) 2) Kirkhnglokn (Stefan Jacobsson) 3) Kirkhnglokn (Janina Wurbs) 4) Kirkhnglokn (Michael Heiser) 5) Isaac Rabinowitz (Marvin Engel) 6) Di Mayse mit di "Sheyne Mari"(Warren Hoffman) 7) giml-fey (Jack Berger) 8) Polish original sought (Martin Jacobs) 9) Yehoyeskh-shpil (Amitai Halevy) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: August 29, 2006 Subject: Kirkhnglokn The poem sought by Jack Mazow (vol 16.008) is, indeed, by Avrom Reyzin. The melodies he remembers his parents singing are doubtless from the oratorio based on the poem, composed by Yankif Sheyfer (Jacob Schaeffer), conductor of the Frayhayt Gezangs Fareyn choruses in various cities, (600 voices in New York in 1926!) now known as the Jewish People's Philharmonic Chorus. Unfortunately, I have only three of the eight volumes of Reyzin's collected works, so the text of the poem is not at hand. Perhaps Chane Mlotek can provide it; perhaps Binyomin Schaechter, current conductor of the Chorus, can provide both text and music, probably published (1952, Yidisher Muzik Farband, Jewish Music Alliance) in "ikh her a kol." Reyzin's admiration for Sheyfer's music was expressed in a poem written in 1928 -- perhaps an indication of when the oratorio was first composed and performed. Reyzin wrote (in my hasty, non-rhymed translation): For All (A gift to Y. Sheyfer and the Frayhayt Gezangs Fareyn) It will not disappear, nor will it be shamed: the hope that inspires and consoles us in pain; The song will go on, the song will be heard, from the new land of shining wonder. For all who await, while hidden and buried; for the tired, who are buoyed by the messenger's tread; for all let there glow the brighter tomorrow; for all let be heard, in chorus, our song. And, on Sheyfer's untimely death in 1936 (he was only 48), Reyzin's condolence message read, in part, "Sheyfer was the loveliest expression of the revolutionary, creative forces that lie within the depths of the Jewish working and folk-masses. His brief life became a great, glorious work." (Translations from texts in the tribute anthology, "Yankif Sheyfer," published [1962] on his 25th yortsayt by the Jewish Music Alliance.) Hershl Hartman 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: August 30, 2006 Subject: Kirkhnglokn In answer to Jack Mazow: The words of Avrom Reyzen's "Kirkhnglokn" as I have heard them: Oy, vos (Varum) klingt ir, kirkhnglokn / Hert shoyn oyf - genug geshrokn / hobn ayere vilde tener undzer oreme velt / Ir dermant undz in yene rukhes, / di katoylishe melukhes, / velkhe hobn hoykhe shafots shoyn oyfgeshtelt / tsu derhargenen yedn denker un tsu shlepn far dem henker, / jenems kop arop tsu hakn, velkher boygt zikh nisht / Oy, ir vilt di velt farvign mit a shvern toytn-nign! / Oy, ir vilt di velt farvign mit a shvern toytn-nign / un badekn mit a mantl fun a yesuit // Kh' hob a nayem glok bashafn - tsu dervekn toyte shklafn / Nisht in kirkhn - in der luftn - heng ikh im aroys / Nisht tsum shrekn, nor tsum vekn di gantse velt fun ale ekn / zingt er freylekh, ruft er munter - shtey(t) tsu lebn oyf! / Nisht tsum shrekn, nor tsum vekn di gantse velt fun ale ekn / zingt er freylekh, ruft er munter - shtey(t) tsu lebn oyf! There is a LP recording of this song by Hai & Topsy Frankl (Sweden), issued again in their CD collection "Sp„tlese" (2000, Thorofon Records; Yiddish songs on one of the four disks) and you can also hear it on a cassette by Dora Libson called "Dora Libson Field Recording." Regards, Stefan Jacobsson 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: September 5, 2006 Subject: Kirkhnglokn Here's what I found in this book "Shriften fun Avrom Reyzen," Band 1: Gezamelte Lieder. Ferlag ,Progres", Varshe; Druk fun Yoysef Fisher, Kroke 1908, zaytl 53. I tried to transcribe exactly what's written there. I did not standardize anything - for example left ,arob" instead of writing "arop," "ferviegen" instead of "farvign," "muthig" and not "mutik," "frehlikh" instead of "freylekh," "shteht" and not "shteyt." Your beginning is slightly different. Maybe you will remember more as you read this. It would be interesting to know! Di kirkhen-gloken Akh, vos klingt ihr kirkhen-gloken! Hert shoyn oyf ! Genug geshroken Hoben ay're vilde tener Undzer or'me velt! Ihr dermont mir yene rukhes, Di katoylishe melukhes, Velkhe hoben eshafoten Hoykhe oyfgeshtelt; Ay're tener rufen henker Tsu mertiren yeden denker, Venem kop arob tsu haken Velkher beygt zikh nit; O, ihr vilt di velt ferviegen Mit a shvartsen, toyten nigun Un ferdeken mit a mantel Fun a yezuit! --- Kh'hob a nayem glok beshafen, Tsu ervakhen toyte shklafen - Nit in kirkhen, - in der luften Heng ikh im aroyf; Nit tsu shreken, nor tsu veken Nor di velt in ale eken, Klingt er muthig, ruft er frehlikh: Shteht tsu leben oyf! Thanks, Janina Wurbs 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: September 12, 2006 Subject: Kirkhnglokn The song is included in Bine Shteynberg(ed.)"Undzer Gezang." Farlag Y L Peretz, Tel Aviv, 1984; Reyzen is given as the author. Akh, vos klingt ir kirkhn-glokn Hert shoyn oyf genug geshrokn Hobn ayere vilde tener Undzer oreme velt Ayere tener, dukht zikh, rufn Tsu farbrengn menshn-gufn Oyf di hoykhe eshafotn Vos ir hot geshtelt Ayere tener rufn henker Tsu martirn yedn denker Yenem kop aroptsuhakn Velkher beygt zikh nit O, ir vilt di velt farvign Mit a shvartsn, toytn nign Un fardekn mit a mantl Fun a yezuit Kh'hob a nayem glok bashafn Tsu dervakhn mide shklafn Nit in kirkhn, in di luftn Heng ikh im aroyf Nit tsu shrekn, nor tsu vekn Gor di velt in ale ekn Klingt er mutik, ruft er freylekh Shteyt tsu lebn oyf! I sang it a few years ago at a Jewish Socialists' Group Chanukah social (it must have been a year in which Christmas coincided with Chanukah!) and Esther Brunstein and the late Majer Bogdanski gave me an alternative second verse reflecting the song as sung in pre-war Lodz: Ir demont undz yene rukhes Di katoylishe melukhes Velkhe hobn eshfafotn Hoykhe oyfgeshtelt Karsten Troyke includes the song on his CD Shuloym-Alaykhem. The words given are (using the Troyke's own transliteration which reflects the Polish Yiddish accent in which he sings) Akh vus klingt ir Kirkhn-Glokn! Hert shoyn of! Genug geshrokn Hobn ayere wilde Tener indzer oreme Velt Ir dermont mir yene Rukhes di katoylishe Melukhes velekhe hobn di Shafotn hoikhe ofgeshtelt Ayere tener rifn Henker tsi martyren yedm Denker Yenem Kop aruptsihakn - velekher boygt zekh nit O ir villt di Velt farvign mit a shvartsn toytn Nign Fin di hoyke Kraits un Tirmer vus ir hot geshtellt Ayere glokn dakht zekh rifen tsi farbrennen Mentshn-Gifn un fardekn mit a Mantel fin a Yezuit. Ikh hob a nayem Glok bashfn tsi dervekn toite shklafn Nit tsi shrekn nor tsi vekn, heng ikh im aroif Nit tsi shrekn nor tsi vekn gur di Velt in alle Ekn klingt er mutig, rift er fraylekh ! Shtayt tsim Leben oif! Michael Heiser 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: September 1, 2006 Subject: Isaac Rabinowitz I'm reading and very much enjoying Arthur Hertzberg's "The Jews in America." On page 153 of the paperback edition there is a short reference to Isaac Rabinowitz, a Hebrew poet who came to the US in 1893 and then had to write pot boilers for a living. The Jewish Encyclopedia has what may be the same person coming to NY in 1891. In any case, I'm reasonably certain that the pot boilers for popular consumption were written in Yiddish, not Hebrew, but haven't been able to track it down so far. Can anyone help me? Marvin Engel 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: September 5, 2006 Subject: Di Mayse mit di "Sheyne Mari" I'm trying to track down a date concerning Sholem Asch's short story "Di mayse mit di 'Sheyne Mari." Does anyone know when this story was FIRST published? I have a copy of it in Yiddish in a collection of Asch's work entitled "Yugend," printed in New York in 1911. Joachim Neugroschel recently did a translation of the story in his collection "No Star Too Beautiful," but he lists the date of the story as 1921. Anyone know which is right or if there's an even an earlier date from perhaps publication of the story in a Yiddish newspaper or magazine? Thanks, Warren Hoffman 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: September 8, 2006 Subject: giml-fey Several perfectly plausible explanations have been offered in this edition for the roshei teyvot g"f. Which is correct? Jack S. Berger 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: September 8, 2006 Subject: Polish original sought SOURCE http://www.translatorscafe.com/tcterms/RU/thQuestion.aspx?id=572 I am translating a description of the interior of a synagogue in Poland from Yiddish to English. The description is itself a translation from Polish. The word occurs in the following sentence: "Di balasn zenen fun getinkte tsigl." ("The 'balasn' are made of plastered bricks.") It immediately follows a description of the stairways leading to the cantor's platform, the railings or balustrades of which have the shape of Gothic arches. I haven't been able to find the Polish original. It is "Opis synagogi w Nowym Saczu: Sprawozdania Komisyi dla badania historyi sztuki w Polsce, Tom IV, str. LXXXI." Martin Jacobs 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: September 9, 2006 Subject: Yehoyesh-shpil While I share Dina Levias' disappointment with the shpil as described, it could be put to better use if more thought were put into phrasing the questions. Let me give one example: The question about the relative number of times "milkhome" and "sholem" appear in the Khumesh continues with the comment that "the student can see where Yehoyesh has used the synonym krig 'war, battle' as few as 6 times in the entire Khumesh." If the student were asked explicitly why Yehoyesh uses krig where he does, he/she would soon find out that it is never used as a synonym of milkhome. It is Yehoyesh's translation of the Hebrew "riv" or "merivah," which mean "dispute, argument," or - at most - a fight between individuals, but not "war, battle." The Hebrew "milhama" (war, battle) is always translated milkhome and spelled as in Hebrew, with one notable exception. The term "ish milhama" (man of war - Exodus 15:8) is translated krigsman. Yehoyesh evidently considered "milkhomeman" to be too cumbersome an expression for inclusion in the poetic Song of Moses. Having used krig "war" this once, he felt free to translate the plural "anshei hamilhama"(men of war) as krigslayt in the prosaic context of Deuteronomy 2:14,16. Incidentally, while pursuing the answer to the question posed above, the student will learn a good bit of Yiddish and the art of translation from discerning the different meanings of the verb krign in its various forms (krign, krigt, gekrigt, etc.) as used by Yehoyesh in different contexts, as well as from the encounter with compound derived nouns like krigeray. Amitai Halevy ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 16010