Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 4.213 December 4, 1994 1) Zvee Scooler's papers (Cecile Kuznitz) 2) Yiddish Folkmusic III (Arre Komar) 3) Request for "Old Jewish Folk Music" (Jeff Warschauer) 4) The Compression of an Expression (Zellig Bach) 5) To show our group strength (Zellig Bach) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 3 Dec 1994 23:50:11 -0800 (PST) From: tsirl@leland.stanford.edu Subject: Zvee Scooler's papers Regarding the request for information on Zvee Scooler a while back: Scooler's papers were donated a few years ago to the YIVO Archives. As I recall, the collection is sizable and has been arranged. Cecile Kuznitz 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 3 Dec 1994 09:22:03 -0500 (EST) From: komar@yu1.yu.edu Subject: Yiddish Folkmusic III In fairness to Ruth Rubin, I should point out that the claim which I quoted, to the effect that there was no indiginous Western Yiddish folk music, or indeed any truly eastern Yiddish folk music prior to the 19th century, was not meant to imply that Jews did not have a folk poetry and did not sing songs. She was refering to the musical content of the songs. She claims that they were apparantly sung to tunes similar to, if not identical with those of their goyish contemporaries. It is for this reason that I would be particularly interested in the music that goes with the the songs sent in by Reb Dovid. Among the documents in support of her conclusion Rubin quotes one of the earliest printed collection of Yiddish verse, the Bovo Buch, a free translation by Eliyahu Bachur Levita of Buovo d'Antona, an Italian legend. It was published in 1507 and continued in popularity until the end of the 17th century. In fact, due to its title and poularity it became synonymous with bobe mayse. In the introduction Levita writes as follows concerning the tune to which it should be sung: Ober der nign, der deroyf vird geyn Den kon ich nit gebn tsu fershteyn, Den eyner kent muzika oder solfa, Zo volt ich im hobn geholfa. Ober ich zing es mit eynem Velshn gezang. Kon der deroyf machn eynen besern, Zo hob er dank. Un a sheynem dank aykh alemen, Arre Komar 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 3 Dec 1994 18:35:19 -0500 From: warschauer@aol.com Subject: Request for "Old Jewish Folk Music" Does anyone have, or know where I can find, a copy of "Old Jewish Folk Music", the translation of Beregovsky's work by Mark Slobin? When I was at school I used the library's copy, but I have been looking for my own copy, and it's out of print. I have a photocopy of the Russian edition, but I could sure use the English. I'd be happy to pay a fair price plus shipping for the book. Thanks! Jeff Warschauer 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 3 Dec 1994 23:30:41 -0500 From: zellig@aol.com Subject: The Compression of an Expression I wish to thank Mikhl Herzog for his complementary note (4. 208) to my posting "A Special E-mail sign for Yiddish" -- [mishteyns -:) gezogt]. As usual, his comments are clear, research-based, and enlightening. Today I wish to discuss briefly how the expression that originally might have been in full "afn (af dem) shteyn gezogt" (meaning "may it befall a stone") came to be condensed and compressed to "mishteyns-gezogt" almost beyond recognition. While today the expression serves mostly to belittle something or someone ("a writer is he, mishteyns gezogt"), in the olden days it was, as Herzog points out, a warding-off device against sicknesses or malevolent spirits that lurked everywhere and inhabited every possible space (and non-space), ready at all times to do their mischief. The general meaning of the expression was, May it go away _iber ale viste felder un velder_ over all desolate and dismal fields and forests, and attach itself to a stone so it wouldn't harm a living soul. The psychological reason for the compression, I believe, is the universal superstition that pronouncing a word that connotes ill is tantamount to touching it, and thus provoke it to attach itself to the speaker. So the compression served as protective avoidance. Zellig Bach 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 2 Dec 1994 21:16:08 -0500 From: zellig@aol.com Subject: To show our group strength In my posting "Campaign for a New Edition of Steimetz's Book" (4.190) I described it as a book demostrating the author's scholarly research, enthusiasm, and boundless love for Yiddish, and characterized it as _teacherly_ and as an excellent reference work for anyone interested in Yiddish. It is one of the few books seriously treating the influence of Yiddish lexemes and usages upon contemporary English. Since the book is out of print, I wrote to the publishers, urging them to issue a new edition of the book. In my letters I enumerated a number of reasons, specifically the renewed and vigorous interest in Yiddish among many folks and academicians, and gave as an example the expanding list of Mendele subscribers. I received a reply from the Director of the University of Alabama Press, publishers of the book, in which he stated: "We received your letters, as well as letters from other people who have been disappointed in their search for the book. We will take all of these letters in consideration as we devote thought to our [next] publishing program." May I respectfully suggest that members of Mendele write to the publishers, expressing their and their colleagues' interest in Yiddish and in a new edition of the book. This may be one occasion where we can exercise our strength as a group. The full title of the book is: Sol Steinmetz: A Century of Yiddish in America: Yiddish and English. This is the publishers' _NEW_ address: The University of Alabama Press, Box 870380, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0380. The FAX No. is: (205) 348-9201 The E-Mail addresses are: Acquisition editor: nmitche@ua1vm.ua.ed General editor: jzigler@ua1vm.ua..edu Sol Steinmetz informed me that he hopes to revise greatly and expand his book for the new edition. Zellig Bach ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 4.213 Mendele has 2 rules: 1. Provide a meaningful Subject: line 2. Sign your article (full name please) A Table of Contents is now available via anonymous ftp, along with weekly updates. Anonymous ftp archives available on: ftp.mendele.trincoll.edu in the directory pub/mendele/files Archives available via gopher on: gopher.cic.net Send articles to: mendele@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu Send change-of-status messages to: listserv@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu a. For a temporary stop: set mendele nomail b. To resume delivery: set mendele mail c. To subscribe: sub mendele first_name last_name d. To unsubscribe kholile: unsub mendele Other business: nmiller@mail.trincoll.edu