Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 7.069 September 29, 1997 1) Sutzkevers lid (Bob Rothstein) 2) fisnoge (Ron Robboy) 3) zog es mir (Alice Honig) 4) Frage (Heynekh Sapoznik) 5) question (Linda Egan) 6) Sutzkever's Poem: "Mother" (Lisa Duhl) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 28 Sep 1997 16:26:16 -0400 (EDT) From: ROBERT A ROTHSTEIN Subject: Sutzkevers lid Avrom Sutzkever's long poem on the death of his mother, "Mayn mame," is dated "Vilner geto, oktober 1942." It can be found in the first volume of his _Poetishe verk_ (Tel-Aviv, 1963), pp. 265-69. The eighth and last section of the poem, the second half of which Miriam Schonhaut Hirsham quoted in translation (7.063), reads in the original as follows: Redstu tsu mir azoy vorhaftik ekht: --Nite, mayn kind, s'iz a zind, s'iz a zind, un undzer tseteylung nem on far gerekht. Az du bist faran, bin ikh do say-vi-say, vi der yoder in floym farmogt shoyn dem boym un di nest un dem foygl un alts vos derbay. Bob Rothstein 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 28 Sep 1997 13:57:43 -0700 From: rrobboy@cts.com (Ron Robboy) Subject: fisnoge A contributor to the Oxford Food Companion, R. Harris, inquires about _fisnoge_, a "peculiar term consisting of the word 'foot' in two languages" (7.066). It is unclear to me whether he seeks a recipe or an explanation for the curious repetition in two languages. Both topics have been discussed on Mendele within the year by Mikhl Herzog (Vol. 6.133), Elye Kats (Vols. 6.139, 6.141), Khane Faygl Turtletaub (Vol. 6.148), Fishl Kutner (Vol. 7.067), and Stephen Berr (Vol. 7.067). Mr. Harris needs to know that Mendele's website provides information on accessing the archives, and though I am no maven on either the culinary or the linguistic, I think a systematic summary of the information would be helpful. For his benefit, I will point out I am romanizing Yiddish words using the Standard YIVO Orthography. Though one does encounter other systems, such as that of the Library of Congress, the YIVO system is now used by nearly all scholars in the field of Yiddish studies. _Fisnoge_, or jellied calve's feet, is a cold appetizer. In his post on Vol. 7.067, Stephen Berr offers to make his recipe available. The dish is also called _p'tcha_ in Russian (another romanization discussion could take place here); and _kalte fis_ (cold feet) among Yiddish speakers in Poland. The word _fisnoge_ occurs only in so-called Lithuanian Yiddish, or Litvish, which was spoken in the Baltic lands, the present Belarus, and the extreme northeast of Poland. The Litvish speaker would characteristically pronounce the sounds /s/ and /sh/ in the same way, as /s/. Thus the word _fish_ (fish) would be pronounced /fis/, becoming a homonym with _fis_ (feet). To distinguish between the two, the Litvish speaker attached a second Slavic component, _noge_, also meaning feet. (I am not sure if this is Russian, or Polish, or both.) Correspondingly, both _fisribe_ (using the Slavic _ribe_) and _fisdogim_ (using the Hebrew _dogim_) mean fish. I hope that is of help; I hope I have not omitted the names of any relevant contributors; and I trust that our respective experts will rush to correct any factual errors I may have introduced in my effort to summarize their correspondence. Ron Robboy 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 08:18:12 -0400 (EDT) From: Alice Honig Subject: zog es mir tayere, mendele, Alexander Maxwell hob gebet die verter for a song by the Andrews sisters. I wonder if it is a take off on the Yiddish song below: chorus: Zog, zog, zog es mir, ich vil es heren shoin fun dir Di kleine sheine verte fir un an entfer mir shneler gib. Zog, Zog, Zog es gich, oy zog un zai mechaye mich Nu zog vos ken es harn dich Zog shoin zog : ICh hob dich lib! Verse: Mit dir is lichtik a gan eidn On dir main lebn iz shvartz. Un vet men unz cholile sheidn Raist men arois main hartz. Chorus: Zog, Zog Zog es mir, Ich vil es hern shoin fun dir Di Kleine sheine verter fir Zog shoin zog " Ich hob dich lieb". Di verte und di muzik zaynin in "Popular Jewish Songs simplified" put out by Metro Music COmpany.54 Second AVe. New York, NY 10003. This collection also has wonderful oldies such as Shayn vi di levone and the lilting tango "Ich hob dir tsufil lib" all arranged by William Scher with words and chords. If you cannot find the music,i am willing to sing this on the telephone and you can tape it!. vos far a mechaye..! Zai alles gezunt und a gute neye yor tsu alle mendelyaners!.. Chane Honig 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 16:13:16 -0400 (EDT) From: Sapoznik@aol.com Subject: Frage Tayere Mendelyaner, A quick frage: does anyone know the publication date of Morris Rosenfeld's "Mayn Rue Plats". I've seen it alternately as 1887 and 1894. I'll bet it's neither. And while I'm at it, lomir aykh ale vintshn a zisn, gezintn un mazldikn naye yor. A gite yor! Heynekh Sapoznik 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 16:15:20 -0400 From: egan@macroint.com Subject: question I work at Macro International Inc. and put out an employee-education German contest each week. I want to make an allusion with a word I remember from the comic strip called Katzenjammer Kids. The word is ferschluggene(r). A few people here at my company say that they understand the word to mean slob, sloppy, absent minded, poor slob, not well put together. None are 100 percent sure of the spelling. (Are endings in Yiddish the same as for German, e.g., -e when describing a nominative fem. word?) I appreciate any help you can give me. Linda Egan 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 15:39:51 -0700 From: Lisa Duhl Subject: Sutzkever's Poem: "Mother" In response to Marjorie (Mirl) Schonhaut Hirshan and Louis Fridhandler's requests for the Yiddish original of last stanza of Sutzkever's poem "Mother" which appeared in English translation in _Burnt Perls_: The poem is from his volume of poetry, _Di Festung_, New York, 1945, pp. 33-37, and reprinted in his _Poetishe Verk_, band ayns, Tel Aviv, 1963, pp. 265-269. The poem is called "Mayn Mame" and was written in the Vilna ghetto in October, 1942. The last verse reads in Yiddish (my transcription): az du bist faran, bin ikh do say-vi-say, vi der yoder in floym farmogt shoyn dem boym un di nest un dem foygl un alts vos derbay. If anyone wants more of this beautiful poem, please let me know, A gut, gezunt, un freylekh yor an ale mendelyaner Lisa Duhl ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 7.069