_The Mendele Review_: Yiddish Literature and Language (A Companion to _MENDELE_) ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 01.027 14 December 1997 1) Yiddish Matters: From the Editor (Leonard Prager) 2) "Oy hot er gedavnt" (Yitskhok Ikht) 3) "Nile in gehenem" (Yitskhok-Leyb Perets) 1)------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 14 December 1997 From: Leonard Prager Subject: Yiddish Matters: From the Editor (Leonard Prager) a.In this issue 1. Shoyn eyn mol a khazn! It is hoped that this issue will provide at least a partial respite in the heated exchange in _Mendele_ on the mysterious origins of _davnen_ by shifting to what this quintessentially Yiddish word signifies. The review of a Leyb Glants appearance in the East End of London seventy -seven years ago reminds us of the importance of cantorial art in Ashkenaz. Most of the great Eastern European cantors also recorded and gave concerts of Yiddish songs. Mendelyaner who are collectors may own recordings of Leyb Glants singing "Dvoyrele." Were the Sholem-Aleykhem Kasrilevke character known as "shoyn eyn mol Moyshe" to have given a title to Yitskhok Ikht's review, it would doubtless have been "shoyn eyn mol a khazn!" I was reminded of "shoyn eyn mol Moyshe!" by a private communication from Refoyl Finkl which will cast light on the Turkey Controversy, second only to the Great _davnen_ Discussion. Refoyl writes: '[in] di mayse "shoyn eyn mol a suke"* fun Sholem Aleykhem|en... hob ikh gezen az der mekhaber redt vegn indiks tsu peysekh. nokh a bavayz az di indianer in "dos porfolk" zaynen davke indiks.' Sholem-Aleykhem explains that "shoyn eyn mol Moyshe" earned his name because 'oyf yeder zakh, vos er hot gezen, gehert oder gemakht, hot er lib gehat tsu zogn "shoyn eyn mol azoy." -- bay undz a khazn in shul -- "shoyn eyn mol a khazn!" me hot getrogn an indik oyf peysekh -- "shoyn eyn mol an indik!"' Now there is a longstanding discussion among Yiddish literary critics regarding the documentary value of our classical triumvirate -- i.e. to what degree does their shtetl world reflect historical actuality. Earlier critics argued that Mendele Moykher-Sforim, for example, was a veritable guide to Russian Jewry in the Pale of Settlement in the late nineteenth-century, a view questioned by later critics. Sholem-Aleykhem's Kasrilevke, some argue today, is a purely imaginary construction resembling no real place or society. While this is largely true, the realia, the material fabric and also the web of customs and beliefs are convincingly faithful reflections of an actual time and place. At least in Sholem-Aleykhem territory -- not necessarily in all of Yiddishland -- it was customary to fatten turkeys for Passover, precisely as described in "Dos porfolk." The fact that none of us knew this for certain may remind us how much we do not know about the Yiddish world and the world of Yiddish. *["shoyn eyn mol a suke" is to be found in Book Two of _mayses far idishe {yidishe} kinder_, pp. 135-150 (_Ale verk_, vol.1., New York: Forverts oysgabe, 1942)]. 2. Nile in gehenem The hero of the Perets story in this issue is a "bal-tfile" rather than a "khazn" and this may be intentional (some translators obscure this point; in some places the terms may have been synonymous). The letters of the word "khazn" were popularly seen as an acronym of the well-known saying "[ale] khazonem zenen naronem" ('[all] cantors are fools'). Cantors in Eastern Europe in the last century had the same ambiguous status that all itinerant artists and entertainers have had until recent times, often being seen as bohemians and drifters. While they were in certain respects more "professional" than baley-tfile, they did not necessarily enjoy greater prestige. Local personalities who sang not for their supper but as shlikhey tsibur ["shats"] 'representatives of the community' were honored -- especially if they sang well. "Nile in gehenem" is sub-titled a "humoreske" ('humoresque'), emphasizing its humorous and capricious qualities. But there are other strains in the story as well. The satiric maskilic voice is heard in the informer's description of the shtetl, Lehadam, with its "enge un dushne khadorem, a mikve, vu men kon dem otem nisht khapn. dos gantse shtetl, vi a zump!.... -- a beys-h|khayem faran! khevre kedishe shindt di hoyt." This, as we are reminded, is an informer talking ("es iz aroyf oyf moser-loshn"), but we believe him. (Sholem-Aleykhen once wrote: "A moser hot in zikh a koyekh -- men gloybt im." [cited by Yitskhok Niborski, _Verterbukh..._, Pariz, 1997] The accidental death of an outsider reveals that no one from the twenty-year old shtetl of Lehadam has ever arrived in gehenem. The reason is the town's prayer leader, himself a worthless creature ("er aleyn -- gornisht! mamesh a kal!"(3)), but owner of a golden voice which melts the congregation's hearts, brings them to repentance, and saves them all from perdition. This situation cannot be allowed to continue and "der baldover aleyn" ('Satan himself') takes command. Here begins the contest between the bal-tfile and Satan. In Greek and Roman tragedy the gods always win, but the manner in which mortal heroes die affirms their nobility. Perets' "hero" is a pathetic suicide bent on revenge, yet he possesses the musical power of a shtetl Orpheus. He sings the concluding prayer of the Yom Kippur service and Hell empties out. Of course, in time it fills up again -- Perets has no utopic illusions. But beauty, the power of art, has had its moment, staying confusion at one point in mortal time. Satan cursed the bal-tfile and took away his voice, an action understood by a select few "gute yidn" [chasidic rabbis'] who were, however, powerless to help him. "Volt der bal-tfile aleyn epes geven, volt men gekont poyel-yoytse zayn, ober az er aleyn iz a kal, a gornisht...." Perets emphasizes that his protagonist is a moral zero, whose un-Hellenic contest has nothing to do with nobility or courage or virtue. But through singing the final prayers of the Day of Atonement service, the bal-tfile transports everyone in gehenem but the Satanic imps and himself to ganeydn. "Ale, vi baym lebn, hot er tsu tshuve gebrengt, er aleyn hot keyn rekhte tshuve nisht gekont tun." Does this story say something about the public servant who "saves" others while unable to "save" himself? Is this a parable of the artist who can bring beauty or meaning into the lives of others through his art though he is personally damned? He can achieve integration and wholeness only in his creation. Is Perets making a personal statement? b.In coming issues Tsvi Kanar has given _TMR_ permission to reprint his eighty-five page long short story / short novella "Opgegebn broyt." It will be given in installments in its entirety -- uncensored despite passages which some readers might feel uncomfortable with -- and preceded by a reader's assessment of the work. 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 14 December 1997 From: Leonard Prager Subject: "Oy hot er gedavnt" (Yitskhok Ikht) Yitskhok ikht* (London) oy, hot er gedavnt!!! (ayndruk fun glants's mayrev) "oy, hot er gedavnt!" "oy, hot er gedaber|t!" "a gezunt in zayne beyner!" "mayrekh yomem zol er zayn!" "oyskushn yedn eyver darf men im!" ot azelkhe oysrufn, hot ir gekent hern, in nelson strit sfardishe shul(1), zuntog ovnt ven khazn glants hot gedavnt mayrev un gegebn a kontsert. ikh bin gezesn in shul un batrakht dem entuziastishn vaytt|shepler oylem un tsu zey gezogt, in di gedankn: "gebent|sht zolt ir zayn, vaytt|shepler yidn." hob ikh heyst es gezogt (in di gedanken) tsu ot di yidn: mayrekh yomem zolt ir zayn, vaytt|shepler yidn. sonem hobn oyf aykh oysgetrakht, az ir zayt kalte yidn, shleferike yidn, vemen men ken nit onvaremen, tsu velkhe men ken nit gefinen di veg tsu zeyere hertser. a lign! vaytt|shepler yidn zaynen heyse yidn mit vareme hertser un es iz gor nit shver aroystsurufn bay zey entuziazm. ober di, vos kumen tsu di vaytt|shepler yidn darfn aleyn zayn mentshn mit vareme hertser un mit filnde neshomes.... ver es iz geven zuntog ovnt bay khazn glants's mayrev, der vet bashtetikn mayne verter. un getrakht hob ikh beshas mayse: vifil mitingen mit "prominente" reydner un vifl artiklen fun "prominente" shrayber voltn mir badarft, um aroystsurufn aza min entuziasm, vi khazn glants hot aroysgerufn bay di vaytt|shepler yidn, mit zayn davnen. vi nemt men aher itst, in der nelson shul, di firer fun di yunayted-shuln [United Synagogue](2), velkhe zukhn far zeyere shuln "zultser-khazonem"(3) mit "levandovski-khazonem"(4) mit di "salveyshon armey songs," [Salvation Army songs] zey zoln a kuk ton oyf dem tseflamtn oylem fun dem religyezn fayer, vos glants hot in zey arayngeblozn. un zoln zey zogn, vos far a khazones es ruft aroys di religyeze gefiln bay yidn.... un profesor alman(5) kumt tsu tsu mir a bagaysteter un zogt: "ikh hob keyn verter nit oystsudrikn mayne gefiln, vos ot der draysik-yoriker glants hot bay mir aroysgerufn. ikh ken nor zogn, az dos iz dos letste vort fun khazones! er fareybikt zikh mit zayn khazones. ot dos zaynen di bagaysterte verter, vos khazn glants hot aroysgerufn bay knazonem un menagnem un bay aza groysn oytoritet vi profesor alman. un dos publikum? in di masn? vos zogn zey? vos far a gefiln hot bay zey aroysgerufn khazn glants's tfiles? ot zitst a yid, in di mitele yorn, mit an ofn moyl, dos sider ligt nebn em, ober kukn kukt er oyfn khazn un nokh yeder fraze, vos der khazn zogt, git er a shturkhe dem shokhn zaynem un efnt breyt di oygn un lozt aroys a "ha!" vi eyner redt: nu hostu nokh gehert azelkhes? a tsveyter zitst azoy mitn kop oyf a zayt, di oygn farmakht (vi es vayzt oys hot der yid amol farzukht dem tam fun a khsidishn "tish" praven), un hert zikh ayn mit groys kavone, vos der khazn zogt. un ven der khazn endikt efnt er di oygn kukt zikh arum oyf zayne shkheynem un ruft oys mit oysergeveynlekhe hispayles: "yidn! vos veyst er! vos dos iz? es iz an ek fun der velt! er iz dokh mamesh boyne oylomes." un di arumike yidn zaynen maskem mit im. un ot zitst an amerikaner yidisher aktyor tsvishn a grupe yidn un nitst oys di gelegnheyt tsu shpiln a "rol". er dertseylt di yidn, vos far a bagaysterung glants ruft aroys bay di amerikaner yidn. nokhn "betseys yisroel" zogt mir a yid: "biz itst hob ikh mir nit forgeshtelt dos bild fun "yetsies mitsrayem." do hob ikh derzen, vi der yam iz antlofn, vi der yarden hot zikh opgerukt un vi di berg zaynen geshprungen un itst veys ikh oykh farvos dos iz geshen." "ir hert!" zogt a khazn, tsu a grupe khazonem vos teyln zikh mit di ayndrukn fun di zibn "ato's." dos iz dokh a geoyn|isher aynfal. tsuzamen nemen zibn "ato's" fun farsheydene tfiles un makhn mit zey, mit di "ato's" a shpatsir iber zibnerley nuskhoes un azoy kuntsik ibergeyn fun eyn nusekh in tsveytn. onheybn mit "ato nigleyso" -- arayn in "ato yatsarto," un a shprung in "vokhedik ato kodoysh" un ot iz er in shabes|dikn" eygnartikn "ato ekhod" un ot, iz er gor in simkhes-toyre|dikn "ato horeyso ladaas." -- ir shpilt zikh, vos far a gdules er hot do bavizn? es iz dokh mamesh oyzn loy shama kazoys." di andere khazonem zaynen mit entuziazm maskem tsu di reyd fun zeyer kolege. ikh fun mayn zayt, vintsh im, az di ale brokhes zoln im mekuyem vern, far dem tayneg, vos er hot mir farshaft dem ovnt. ikh vel dos lang lang gedenken. ("di post," 1920/1921) _zehorim_; kovets lezekher leyb glants, b|arikhat Eliezer shteynman, tel-aviv: makhon tel-aviv l|musika datit yehudit h|akedemya l|khazanut m|(ye)sodo shel leyb glants, 1965, pp. 237-238. heores fun lp: * Would one of our onomasticians please comment on the surname Ikht. ** _zogn_ is a common synonym for _davnen_ (see above and below), but here we also have _dabren_. 1) Nelson Sefardic Synagogue in the East End of London was mainly attended by Ashkenazim. 2) United Synagogue: the main body of nominally orthodox synagogues in the United Kingdom. The Chief Rabbi of Great Britain is its head. 3) Solomon Sulzer (1804-1890), famous Austrian cantor and reformer of liturgical music, is said to have been admired by Liszt and Schubert. "His approach to _hazzanut_ was that of a professional musician seeking a complete break with the old style. This brought him criticism from Eastern European Jewry or only partial acceptance. Nevertheless, Sulzer restored splendor to the prayer service and enjoyed wide respect in Central Europe." (_Encyclopaedia Judaica_ 15:510-511). 4) Louis Lewandowski (1821-1894), choral director and composer. "The most significant composer of synagogue music after Solomon Sulzer... reproduced the traditional melodies in a more classical form...." (_Encyclopaedia Judaica_ 11:167). 5) Professor Alman. Shmuel Alman {Samuel Alman} (1877-1945) Russian-born S.A. studied music at the conservatories of Odessa and Kishinev. After arriving in England in 1903, he studied at the Guildhall School of Music in London. He was choirmaster of the Great Synagogue, Dukes Place, London. He wrote music for the synagogue which is still heard. He wrote the first Yiddish opera, _Meylekh Akhaz_ ('King Ahaz'), adapted from Avraham Mapu's novel _Ashmat shomron_ ('The Guilt of Samaria'). He translated into Yiddish the librettos of Verdi's _Rigoletto_, Leoncavallo's _Cavaleria Rusticana_, Guinot's _Faust_ and Rossini's _The Barber of Seville_, all of which were staged at Feinman's Yiddish People's Theatre on Commercial Road in the East End of London. He also wrote musical settings for Yiddish poems. 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 14 December 1997 From: Robert (Itsik) Goldenberg Subject: "Nile in gehenem" by Yitskhok-Leyb Perets nile in gehenem (humoreske) eynmol, in a gants geveynlekhn tog, on a yarid, on a torg, hobn di marklayt derhert a geklaperay fun reder un a geshpritseray fun blote hinter der shtot. interesant, ver es fort on. a ferd un budke kumt! bald ober, vi di ferd un budke iz in mark arayn, hobn zikh ale opgevendt on a zayt mit a gemish fun opshay, shrek un tsorn. men hot di ferd un budke derkent. dos fort durkh fun derbayikn shtetl in gubernye arayn -- der moser fun dort! eyn got veyst, vemen er vet tsurekht makhn. plutsling vert epes shtil. nisht vilndik kumt men zikh um: di budke shteyt, dos ferd mitn aropgeloztn kop nipt foyl fun blote vaser, un der moser iz aruntergefaln oyfn gezes un ligt oysgetsoygn. fort a nefesh, loyft men tsu - toyt, vi ale toyte. der ongekumener mumkhe zogt: fartik! khevre-layt nemen zikh tsum mes mitsve.... geyt ferd un budke oyf kvure-gelt, men bahalt dem moser, vu es iz im gekumen, un lapitutn, vos vu men zet zey nisht, geyen zey oyf, khapn di neshome tsum gehenem un gebn zi iber tsu di toyer-layt. farhalt men dem moser a vayle in toyer, un der toyer lapitut, vos firt di bikher fun arayn un aroys in gehenem, fregt oys, gelangvaylt un genitsndik, un farshraybt mit a foyler pen in bukh arayn: ver, ven un vos. der moser -- in gehenem oys berye! -- entfert: dort un dort geboyrn, do un do an eydem gevorn, kest gegesn, nokh kest gelozt dos vayb an agune mit kinder un aribergekhapt zikh ahin un ahin un hot zikh genumen tsu der parnose, vos er hot gefirt, biz es iz nisht ful gevorn di mos. punkt iz er demolt durkhgeforn oyf zayn ferd un budke ibern mark fun la-ha-da-m. do iz plutsling der lapitut, vos firt in gehenem-toyer di metrikl bikher, inmitn fun a genets farinteresirt gevorn: - vi zogstu? la-ha - - - - lehadam!(1) -- khazer|t iber der moser. der toyer-lapitut roytlt zikh oyfn ponim, in di eygelekh bavayzn zikh likhtlekh fun farvunderung: - gehert fun aza shtetl? -- vendt er zikh tsu zayne gehilfn. yene drikn di aksl, shoklen mit di kep in der breyt mit aroysgeshtrekte tsinger. - nisht gehert. faran aza shtetl? in gehenem hot yede kehile ir bukh, oysgeshtelt zenen di bikher loytn alef-beys. yedes os hot ir shank. men kukt durkh ale bikher fun der lamed: lublin, lemberg, layptsik, -- vos ir vilt, keyn lehadam! - dokh faran! -- zogt der moser. -- a shtetl in poyln! - fun nekhtn, fun eyernekhtn? - neyn. shoyn fun a yor tvantsik. der porets hot oyfgeboyt, tsvey yaridem gegebn. faran a shil, a besmedresh, a bod, un a mikve... tsvey treyfene shenken...(2) - iz shoyn amol emets geven fun lehadam? -- fregt iber der toyer-man zayne gehilfn. - keynmol nisht! -- entfert men. - vos, dort shtarbt men nisht? -- fregt men dem moser. - farvos zol men nisht shtarbn? -- fregt er gants yidishlekh tsurik. -- enge un dushne khadorem, a mikve, vu men kon dem otem nisht khapn. dos gantse shtetl, vi a zump! es iz aroyf oyf moser-loshn.... - a beys-h|khayem faran! khevre kedishe shindt di hoyt. ersht nisht lang afile (dermont er zikh) an untergang geven.... der moser bashtimt men, vu men darf, un vegn dem shtetl lehadam git men tsu visn, vu men darf, es muz dokh epes zayn. a tsvantsik yorik shtetl, un mit an untergang -- un keyn eyn mes fun dort. shikt men aroyf shlukhim gevoyr vern, vos dos batayt. flien di shlukhim aroyf un kumen nokh a tsayt tsurik.... - emes! un di zakh iz di: a shtetl vi ale shtetlekh, mit a bisl mitsves un maysem-toyvem un a sakh zind. parnose; der yeytser-hore geyt oykh nisht leydik. ele vos den? a baltfile hobn zey shoyn azoynem! er aleyn -- gornisht! mamesh a kal!(3) nor a kol negine hot er, aza veynendik hartsik kol, vos zapt zikh arayn in di hertser fun ayzn un makht zey tsegeyn, vi a vaks. un koym shtelt er zikh tsum omed -- tut der oylem mit amol tshuve, un mitn gantsn harts, ale vi eyn mentsh un alts vert oyvn opgemekt un fargesn, un di toyern fun ganeydn shteyen ofn far gants lehadam. kumt eyner un zogt fun lehadam: fregt men shoyn nisht iber! farshteyt zikh, az farn gehenem iz es keyn eysek nisht, un dos gesheft nemt oyf zikh der baldover aleyn. er vet shoyn mit im fartik vern. vos tut er, der baldover? lozt er zikh brengen fun der velt arop a lebedikn kalkuter hon mit a kam royt sh|b|royt un shteln far zikh oyfn tish. der hon, a tseshrokener un ophentiker in aza nayer svive, hot zikh say-vi-say keyn rir nisht geton, un der baldover nemt nokh, yemakh shemoy, un kreyt im arum, un zitst far im, un lozt fun im un zayn roytn kam keyn oyg nisht arop, azoy lang un azoy breyt, biz es iz ongekumen di "rege-b|apo," un der royter kam iz vays gevorn vi a kalkh. zet er, az oybn der kavyokhl iz arayn in rekhtn grimtsorn, git er, yemakh shemoy, an oysgeshrey: - zol er zayn kol negine farlirn! bizn toyt arayn! vemen er hot gemeynt, veyst ir dokh, un eyder der kam fun kalkuter hon iz tsurik royt gevorn, hot shoyn der baltfile fun lehadam zayn kol negine farloyrn. geshlogn gevorn der haldz, koym vos er brengt aroys a vort. gevust, fun vanen di mayse shtamt, hot men. dos heyst: gute yidn hobn gevust, oykh efsher nisht ale. nor ver vet im azoyns oyszogn, az men veyst? -- es iz farfaln. volt der baltfile aleyn epes geven, volt men gekont poyel-yoytse zayn, ober az er aleyn iz a kal, a gornisht.... fort er aroys fun eyn gutn yid tsum tsveytn -- un gornisht. eynmol hot er zikh ober tsugeshtelt tsum apter tsadek, nisht optsuraysn. er vet nisht aroysgeyn fun shtub. un a tsar tsutsuzen iz. vil im der apter treystn: - zay visn, zogt er, az dayn heyzerikayt vet gor zayn biz ptire. vide vestu zogn mit a loyter kol, az men vet hern in ale himlen. - un bizahin? - iz farfaln! shteyt er nokhamol tsu: - farvos, rebe? far ven?.... un matert azoy lang, biz der apter tsadek hot im alts oysgezogt: - oyb azoy -- shrayt oys der heyzeriker baltfile -- vel ikh mikh noykem zayn. - un loyft aroys.... - vi azoy un on vemen? ruft oys der tsadek; zayn gebeyn iz shoyn ober nishto. dos iz geven dinstik, andere zogn: mitvokh, un donershtik forn ovnt, di fisher fun apt geyen tsum vaser fish khapn lekoved shabes. di nets vert shver, men tsit aroys: der baltfile, a dertrunkener! er hot zikh fun brikl arop in vaser arayngevorfn. far vide zogn, hot er zayn kol negine, vi der apter tsadek hot'm maftiekh geven, tsurik bakumen, vayl der bal-dover hot gezogt: bizn toyt arayn! nor er hot inem faln un trinken keyn vide nisht gezogt un dos kol iz zikh bahaltn, un dos iz zayn nekome geven, vi ir vet vayter zen.... der baltfile tut men zayn rekht, vi a meabed atsmoy lodaas, un di lapitutn khapn di neshome in gehenem arayn. in toyer, men fregt, er entfert nisht. men derlangt im mit a shpiz, mit a brenendiker koyl -- er shvaygt. - nemt im azoy! men veyst dokh, ver, un vos; men hot dokh oyf im gelokert. firt men im arayn, vi men darf, shtelt men im bay a kesl, vos men heytst unter fun zaynet vegn, er vet oyfkokhn, vet men im araynvarfn! un er dervayl git a khap dem grobn finger tsum gorgl un git a loz aroys: - yisgadal! dem kadish fun nile.... er zogt -- un dos kol shtarkt zikh un tsegeyt zikh oyf ale zaytn, vi amol, nokh beser, nokh ziser, nokh hartsiker vi amol.... un in di keslen, fun vanen es hot zikh gehert biz aher geroysh, geshrey un geyomer, vert plutsling shtil, dernokh heybt men on untertsuhaltn. di dekn heybn zikh oyf, kep shtupn zikh aroys, opgebrente mayler haltn unter.... di lapitutn bay di keslen zogn nisht nokh, ober fartumlt un dershrokn hobn zey zikh ingantsn farloyrn, un blaybn shteyn, ver mit a shayt holts, tsum untervarfn, ver mit an ayzn tsum untersharn dos fayer, ver mit an ayzernem gopl tsum oysmishn -- in di hent, di mayler ofn, di tsungen aroysgelozn, di penimer aroysgekrumt, di oyganes kaylekhdik. andere faln arayn in a min nikhpe un faln, un varfn zikh oyf der erd.... un der zogt nile un zogt.... un dos fayer fun unter di keslekh geyt oys, lesht zikh.... di meysim heybn on aroystsukrikhn.... er zogt, der oylem nokh, un mit harts, mitn gantsn harts. un di layber, vos vayter in der tfile, heyln zikh, vern gants, fleyshn baheftn zikh, hoytn topvaksn tsuzamen, un oysgeleytert vern zey.... un ven es kumt in der hoykher shimenesre tsu "mekhaye-meysim," vern plutsling ale mamesh vi lebedik, vi ersht gekumene. un zey zogn mit eyn kol nokh: omeyn. un baym omeyn, yehey shmey rabo.... vert azoy gepildert, az di himlen in der hoykh efenen zikh, un di tshuve fun reshoim dergraykht tsum zibetn himl, tsum kise-hakoved tsu, in a shas-rotsn iz geven, a ponem, in ale reshoim, shoyn eygntlekh tsadikem, hobn plutsling fligl bakumen un eyns nokhn andern fun gehenem aroysgefloygn un di toyern fun ganeydn far zikh ofn gefunem.... geblibn in gehenem zenen nor di lapitutn, vos hobn zikh gevorfn in der nekhpe un gekoylert zikh oyf der erd, un der baltfile aleyn, vos vi er iz geshtanen, is er shteyn geblibn.... ale, vi baym lebn, hot er tsu tshuve gebrengt, er aleyn hot keyn rekhte tshuve nisht gekent tun. un -- a meabed-atsme-ladaas: ----------------------------------------------------------- mit der tsayt iz dos gehenem tsurik ful gevorn. men hot tsugeboyt, un s'iz vider eng. -- romanizirt fun itsik goldenberg heores fun lp 1. _lehadam_ = rosheteyves fun "loy hoyu dvorim meoylem" ('it never existed') 2. 'two illegal taverns' -- not "gentile taverns" as sometimes rendered 3. The Forverts edition has "kol" 'voice' rather than the correct "kal" 'profligate, libertine' -- a typographical error. The second instance of the word is spelled correctly. --------------------------------------------------- End of _The Mendele Review_ 01.027 Leonard Prager, editor Send articles to: lprager@research.haifa.ac.il The editor of _TMR_ can also be reached via _Mendele_'s homepage: http://www2.trincoll.edu/~mendele/ Subscribers to _Mendele_ (see below) automatically receive _The Mendele Review_. Send "to subscribe" or change-of-status messages to: listproc@lists.yale.edu a. For a temporary stop: set mendele mail postpone b. To resume delivery: set mendele mail ack c. To subscribe: sub mendele first_name last_name d. To unsubscribe kholile: unsub mendele ****Getting back issues**** _The Mendele Review_ archives can be reached at http://www2.trincoll.edu/~mendele/tmr.htm/ and at http://sunsite.unc.edu/yiddish/TMR (under construction).