_The Mendele Review_: Yiddish Literature and Language (A Companion to _MENDELE_) ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 04.005 13 April 2000 1) Yiddish Matters: From the Editor -- Aaron Zeitlin's letters (Leonard Prager) 2) "oylem habe" (sholem-aleykhem) [first of four installments] for the Yiddish version: Yiddish 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 14 April 2000 From: Leonard PragerSubject: Yiddish Matters: Aaron Zeitlin's Annotated Letters*** The collected letters of literary figures, especially when competently edited and annotated, are a boon to scholars; when the literary figures are great letter writers -- in English D.H. Lawrence comes to mind -- their correspondence becomes an integral part of their art as a whole. In Yiddish literature we have few collections of well-edited literary correspondence; the classic triumvirate (Mendele, Perets, Sholem-Aleykhem) are a partial exception. This unfortunate penury has in some measure now been diminished by Yechiel Szeintuch's magisterial annotated edition of the letters of Aaron Zeitlin [Arn Tseytlin], a deeply meditative writer who could also be combatively polemical, a polarity encased in the Hebrew and Yiddish short title of this work: _Birshut-harabim uvirshut hayakhid_ ('In the public and in the private domain'). Aaron Zeitlin's own archive containing letters from major Yiddish writers -- as well as five volumes of verse ready for publication, several plays, and a novel (co-authored with Isaac Bashevis-Singer) on Otto Weininger -- were all destroyed in the Shoah period. The Zeitlin letters we have were preserved in archives in America and Israel. They carry us into the heart of Polish-Jewish literary politics, and in one section illuminate the struggle of Zeitlin and Bashevis Singer in their high-level, short-lived (1932-4) journal _Globus_ against the Bundist _Folkstsaytung_ and the Communist _Di literarishe tribune_, two camps which loathed the notion of a disinterested art. Szeintuch paints the complex background of Zeitlin's correspondence in a 60-page monographic introduction in Hebrew. This is followed by 127 mainly Yiddish letters from Warsaw in the 1930s to writers and editors in New York, Vilna and Israel, principal among them Sh. Niger, Joseph Opatoshu, H. Leivick and Abraham Liesin. The detailed annotation of the letters is in Hebrew. Two compendious indices, one of subjects (in Hebrew) and another, twenty-six pages long (in Hebrew and Yiddish), of names and titles, increase the usefulness of the volume immensely. Hardly a single significant actor in the drama of Yiddish culture both in and outside of Poland during the 1930s is absent from this exemplary index, which doubles as an index to the writings of Zeitlin and his major contemporaries. Zeitlin was one of the last great carriers of the Hebrew-Yiddish symbiosis and Szeintuch has produced a bilingual work in the spirit of his subject's linguistic breadth. In so doing he follows in the footsteps of his teachers, the late Dov Sadan and Khone Shmeruk, for whom Hebrew and Yiddish literatures were two sides of a single Jewish coin. This is an important work for students of Yiddish at every level. It can be ordered directly from the publisher: Magnes Press, Hebrew University, POB 39099, Jerusalem 91390, Israel. email: magnes@vms.huji.ac.il; tel.: 972-2-6586656; fax: 972-2-563-3370. Price in Israel: 68 shekels; abroad $17.00. ----------------- *[Hebrew title page]: Yekhiel Sheyntukh, _Birshut-harabim uvirshut hayakhid; aharon tseytlin vesifrut yidish; pirkey mavo veigrot muarot belivui teudot letoldot tarbut yidish befolin beyn shtey milkhamot haolam_, arkha Keri Fridman-Kohen, Yerushalaim: Hotsaat sefarim al-shem Y"L Magnes, 2000, 374 + 7 amudim. [ISBN 965-493-023-3]. [Yiddish title page]: Yekhiel Sheyntukh, _Birshus-horabim uvirshus hayokhid; arn tseytlin un di yidishe literatur; araynfir-kapitlen un briv mit heores bagleyt fun dokumentn tsu der yidisher kultur-geshikhte in poyln tsvishn beyde velt-milkhomes_, redagirt Keri Fridman-Koyen, Yerushalaim: Hoytsoes sforim al-shem y.-l. magnes, 2000, 374 + 7 zz'. [English title page: Yechiel Szeintuch, _Aaron Zeitlin and Yiddish Literature in Interwar Poland; An Analysis of Letters and Documents of Jewish Cultural History_, edited by Carrie Friedman-Cohen. Jerusalem: The Hebrew University Magnes Press, 2000, 374 + 7 pp. 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 14 April 2000 From: Leye Krikun Subject: "oylem habe" (sholem-aleykhem) oylem habe fun sholem-aleykhem [213] az ir vilt, vel ikh aykh dertseyln a sheyne mayse, vi azoy ikh hob oyf zikh gehat amol a pekl, vos ikh hob es aleyn genumen oyf zikh, un bin shier-shier nit umgliklekh gevorn! un ir meynt, iber vos? nor iber dem, vos ikh bin geven a yungerman nit keyn geniter, nit keyn ibergeshpitster, dos heyst, es kon zayn, ikh bin nokh haynt oykh vayt fun a khokhim, vorum ikh zol zayn a kluger, volt ikh dokh, vi zogt ir, gehat gelt; az me hot gelt, iz men dokh i klug, i sheyn, i me kon zingen. bin ikh, heyst dos, geven a yungerman, gezesn oyf kest bay shver un shviger, gezesn un gelernt, a bisl arayngekukt in di bikhlekh besod, di shver un shviger zoln nit visn, nit azoy der shver, vi di shviger. ikh hob, darft ir visn, a shviger a mansbil, dos heyst: a yidene, vos geyt in spodek. firt aleyn ale gesheftn, aleyn geton shidukhim, aleyn geklibn khasonim far di tekhter. un oykh mikh hot zi aleyn oysgeklibn, aleyn farhert, aleyn gebrakht tsu firn keyn zvohil fun radomishli -- ikh bin aleyn a radomishler bin ikh, mistame hot ir gehorkht radomishli, me hot dos nit lang bashribn oyfn blat.... bin ikh, heyst dos, gezesn in zvohil oyf kest, gekvetsht dem _moyre-nivukhim_, nisht aroysgetrotn mipesekh beysi, [214] biz s'iz gekumen di tsayt, me darf zikh farshraybn tsum priziv, muz men zikh matriekh zayn durkhforn aheym keyn radamishli tsu-rekht makhn di papirn, zikh oystarn di ligote, aroysnemen a pas, vi geveyntlekh. dos iz geven, kon men zogn, mayn ershter aroysfor oyf der velt. hob ikh mikh gelozt in mark arayn dingen an agole eyner aleyn, tsu bavayzn, az ikh bin shoyn aleyn a mentsh. un got hot mir tsugeshikt a metsie, ikh hob dertapt an orl fun radamishli mit a shlitn, -- vinter is dos geven -- mit a breyter pleytse, a gefarbte, un mit tsvey fliglen bay di zaytn, vi an odler; nor dos ferdl hob ikh gor aroysgelozt funem kop, az s'iz a vays, un a vays ferdl, zogt di shviger, iz an umglik. "halevay, zogt zi, ikh zol lign zogn, di dosike nesiye vet zayn, hob ikh moyre, mit shlim-shlim-mazl..." -- "bays dir op di tsung!" -- khapt zikh aroys der shver mit a vort un hot bald kharote, vorum er bakumt zayn psak oyfn ort; nor tsu mir zogt er shtilerheyt: "vayberishe zabubones!," un ikh hoyb mikh on greytn tsu der nesiye; dem tales ve|tfiln, putergebeks, etlekhe kerblekh oyf der hetsoe un kishns dray: a kishn oyf tsu zitsn, a kishn oyf ontsushparn zikh un a kishn oyf di fis, -- un davay gezegenen zikh. gekumen tsum gezegenen zikh -- nito keyn verter! fun tomed on iz bay mir a teve, az se kumt tsum gezegenen zikh, blayb ikh on loshn! ikh veys nit, vos zogt men? epes kumt dos oys bay mir groblekh, vi azoy dreyt men zikh oys tsu itlekhn, mekhile, mitn hintn un me lozt zey iber glat azoy? ikh veys nit, vi azoy ir, nor bay mir iz dos gezegenen zikh adayem al api veal khamosi! nor sha! mir dakht, ikh hoyb shoyn on farkrikhn keyn boyberik.... hob ikh mikh, heyst dos, gants fayn opgezegnt un pashol [215] in veg arayn keyn radamishli. geven iz dos tkhiles vinter, der shney hot zikh geleygt far-fri. a shlits-veg gor an antik. dos ferdl, khotsh s'iz a vays, nor geyn geyt es vi a mizmer, un an orl hob ikh dertapt a shvaygndikn, fun di areylim, vos oyf altsding vet er aykh entfern oder "ehe," dos heyst yo, oder "ba-ni," dos heyst neyn, -- un vayter khotsh geb im a krenk! aroysgeforn fun der heym nokhn esn gants oyfgeleygt, a kishn fun untn, a kishn in di pleytses un a kishn oyf di fis; dos ferdl shpringt, der orl smotshket, der shlitn shlitlt, der vint blozt, un a shneyele rayst zikh fun oybn, kayklt zikh un falt, leygt zikh, vi federn, oyfn breytn groysn trakt, un oyfn hartsn mir iz gut, meshune gut, breyt un fray un likhtik oyf der neshome, fort dos ershte mol aroys oyf got|s veltl, eyner aleyn, a balebos, heyst es, far zikh! un ikh shpar mikh on un tseleyg mikh in shlitn gor mayse porets.... nor vinter, vi varm ir zolt nit geyn ongeton, nor az der frost nemt gut durkh, glust zikh opshteln zikh onvaremen, iberkhapn dos otem un forn vayter. un es shtelt zikh mir for, in dimyen geveyntlekh, a kretshme a vareme, a samovar a zudiker un a roselfleyshl a frishinkes mit a hoykher yoykh.... fun azelkhe makhshoves hoybt mir on klemen dos harts, poshet es vilt zikh epes nemen in moyl arayn. ikh hoyb on araynshmusn mit mayn orl mikoyekh a kretshme, ikh vil gevor vern, tsi s'iz nokh vayt? entfert er mir: ba-ni, neyn heyst dos. freg ikh im: shoyn noent? entfert er mir: ehe, yo heyst dos. vifil noent -- dos iz shver bay im aroystsutsien funem moyl, khotsh tu zikh on a mayse! un ikh shtel mir for, vos volt geven, lemoshl, ven oyfn orls ort zol zayn a [216] yid, lehavdl, volt er dokh mir klor gemakht nit nor vu di kretshme iz, nor afile ver es halt di kretshme, vi azoy me ruft im, un vifl kinder er hot, un vos er tsolt far der kretshme, un vos er hot fun ir, un vifil yor zitst er do, un ver iz gezesn frier -- gantse pek volt er mir dertseylt. a modne folk dos iz! ikh meyn take undzere yidelekh zoln gezunt zayn. s'iz gor an ander blut, khlebn!.... hob ikh mir, heyst dos, getroymt vegn a kretshme a vareme, gefantazirt mikoyekh a samovar a heysn, ukhedoyme azelkhe gute zakhn, biz got hot rakhmones gehat, mayn orl hot a shmotske geton tsum ferdl, farkerevet dem shlitn abisl oyf a zayt, un es hot zikh bavizn a kleyn groy shtibl, gashotn mit vaysn fun oybn biz arop, a feld kretshme, vos inem vaysn shneyendikn feld zet zi oys eyne aleyn epes meshune elnt, vi a farvorfene, a farnasene matseyve.... tsugeforn tsu der kretshme gants breytlekh, hot zikh mayn orl genumen mitn ferd un shlitele in shtal arayn, un ikh hob mikh gelozt glaykh in kretshme arayn, gegebn an efn di tir un... geblibn shteyn oyf der shvel, nit aher, nit ahin! vos iz di mayse? di mayse iz a sheyne mayse, nor a kurtse: in mitn der kretshme oyf der erd ligt a mes, ibergedekt mit shvartsn, tsukopns shteyen a por meshene laykhter mit kleyne likhtlekh, arum un arum zitsn kleyne kinder, opgerisn-opgeshlisn, shlogn zikh mit di hentelekh in kop, klogn, veynen, yamern, shrayn: "ma-me! mame!" un epes a hoykher mit lange peyes, mit a zumerdiker tserisener nakidke, epes gor nisht nokhn sezon, shpant arum hin un tsurik mit di lange fis un brekht di hent un redt tsu zikh aleyn: "vos tut men? vos tut men? un vos hoybt men on tsu ton?".... [217] avade hob ikh farshtanen oyf vos far a khasene ikh bin do ongekumen! der ershter gedank mayner iz afile geven: noyekh, antloyfn! un ikh hob zikh a nem geton tsurik un gevolt makhn fis. nor es hot zikh tsugemakht hinter mir di tir un es hot mikh epes vi tsugekavet tsu der shvel, un kh'hob nisht gekont rirn fun ort. derzen far zikh a frishn parshoyn, hot der hoykher yid mit di lange peyes zikh a loz geton tsu mir, oysgetsoygn tsu mir beyde hent, vi a mentsh vos bet ratunek: "vos zogt ir oyf mayn umglik?" -- makht er tsu mir un bavayzt mir oyf der khevre, vos zitsn un veynen. -- "geshtorbn bay zey di mame nebekh! vos tut men? vos tut men? un vos hoybt men on tsu ton?" "borekh dayen emes!" zog ikh tsu im un vil im onhoybn treystn mit gute verter, vi geveyntlekh, shlogt er mir iber in mitn di red un makht tsu mir azoy: "farshteyt ir mikh, oykh di eygene mayse. zi iz geven a geshtorbene, mayn vayb heyst dos, nokh fun forayorn, gehat di gute krenk, di emese tshakhotke; zi hot nebekh aleyn gebetn oyf zikh dem toyt. nor vos den? ot dos, vos mir zitsn do in a hek, in mitn feld. vos tut men? vos tut men? un vos hoybt men on tsu ton? zol ikh geyn ergets in a dorf krign a furl un opfirn zi in shtetl arayn, -- vi azoy lozt men iber do di kinder aleyn in mitn feld? un do geyt tsu nakht. gvald, vos tut men? vos tut men? un vos hoybt men on tsu ton?" bay di dozike verter hot zikh mayn yid epes modne tseveynt, on trern, glaykh vi tselakht zikh, un hot aroysgelozt a meshune kol funem haldz, glaykh vi gehust: "hu-hu-hu!" -- a [218] shtik gezunt hot bay mir tsugenumen der doziker yid! vos mir hunger? ver mir kelt? ikh hob fargesn altsding mit ale mit eynander un ruf zikh on tsu im: "ikh for fun zvahil for ikh keyn radamishli, un a fur hob ikh zeyer a voyle. iz oyb dos shtetl, vos ir zogt, iz nit vayt fun danen, kon ikh aykh tsulib ton gebn di fur, un aleyn vel ikh tsuvartn do, oyb es darf nit gedoyrn." "oy, lang lebn zolt ir far der mitsve! oylem habe vet ir zikh koyfn, vi ikh bin a yid, oylem habe!" makht er tsu mir un khapt mikh shier arum kushn. "dos shtetl iz nit vayt fun danen, sakhakl a verst fir oder finf. gedoyrn vet dos opfirn nit mer vi a sho tsayt, un ikh shik aykh bald op dos furl tsurik. oylem habe vet ir zikh koyfn, vi ikh bin a yid, oylem habe! kinder! shteyt oyf fun der erd un dankt, kusht dem dozikn yungnman in di hent arayn, in di fis arayn, er git undz zayn fur git er undz, vel ikh opfirn di mame oyfn heylikn ort! oylem habe, vi ikh bin a yid, oylem habe!" dos vort "simkhe" iz nit shaykh aher, vorum di kinder hobn derhert "opfirn di mame," zenen zey tsugefaln tsu ir un ersht ongehoybn veynen iberanays nokh mit mer frishkayt. nor a psure iz dos bay zey geven avade a groyse, vos se hot zikh gefunen a mentsh, vos tut mit zey a khesed; nor got aleyn hot im aher gebrakht! me hot oyf mir gekukt, vi oyf an oysleyzer, epes a min elye hanove, un ikh muz aykh zogn dem reynem emes, ikh aleyn hob oyf zikh gekukt beshas mayse vi oyf nit keyn geveynlekhn mentshn un bin oysgevaksn mitamol bay zikh in di oygn, gevorn [219] ot dos, vos me ruft on "held." in der minut bin ikh greyt geven ibertrogn berg, iberkern veltn; nishto, dakht zikh, di zakh, vos zol zayn far mir shver. un es hot zikh aroysgerisn bay mir funem moyl: "veyst ir vos? ikh vel zi take aleyn avekfirn mit mayn orl heyst dos, farshporn aykh matriekh zayn, opraysn fun di kinder." un vos vayter ikh hob geredt, hot dos dozike gezindl als mer geveynt, geveynt un gekukt oyf mir, vi oyf a malekh funem himl, un ikh bin bay zikh in di oygn gevaksn alts hekher un greser, kimat bizn himl, fargesn beshas mayse, az be|sakhakl hob ikh gor moyre zikh tsutsurirn tsu a mes, un hob aleyn mit mayne hent geholfn im aroystrogn un aroyfleygn oyfn shlitn, tsugezogt mayn orl nokh a khotse foygl mit nokh a mezumenim trunk bronfn. tkhiles hot zikh mayn orl afile abisl gekratst in der potilitse, untergevortshet unter der noz, nor nokhn dritn kelishek iz er gevorn veykher, un mir zenen avek in veg arayn ale dray, dos heyst, ikh un, lehavdl, der orl un de geshtorbene kretshmerke khave-nekhome, azoy hot men zi gerufn, khave-nekhome bas refoyl-mikhl, ikh gedenk dos azoy vi haynt, vorum a gants veg hob ikh mir gekhazert dem nomen, vos der man irer hot mir ongezogt etlekhe mol, vorum beshas me vet zi darfn mekaver zayn, ton ir rekht un betn zi mekhile vet men muzn visn ir emesn nomen. hob ikh a gants veg gekhazert oyf oysvenik: khave-nekhome bas refoyl-mikhl! khave-nekhome bas refoyl-mikhl! khave-nekhome bas refoyl mikhl! un makhmes khazern hob ikh fargesn ir mans nomen, khotsh nemt mir arop dem kop! er hot mir ibergegebn zayn nomen oykh un tsugezogt, az ikh vel [220] kumen in shtetl arayn un vel nor onrufn zayn nomen, azoy vet men bald tsunemen bay mir dem mes, un ikh vel mir konen forn vayter, makhmes er iz dortn, in yenem shtetl, zogt er, kame vekame yorn a yontef|nik, dos heyst, ale yomem-neroim fort er ahin oyf yontef un es kost im gelt in shul tsu der shisl un, lehavdl, in mirkhets un umetum, zogt er, git er zey tsu leyzn guzme-guzmes! un nokh epes hot mir ongezogt der kretshmer, ongeturket a fuln kop, vuhin ikh zol tsuforn, un vos ikh zol zogn, nor s'iz altsding mitamol aroysgefloygn bay mir funem moyekh, ir zolt zogn, s'zol iberblaybn khotsh a halb vort -- gole gornit! mayne ale gedanken hobn zikh gedreyt nor arum eyn zakh: ikh fir a toytn -- un dos aleyn iz shoyn geven genug, es zoln mebulbl vern bay mir ale mayne makhshoves un ikh zol fargesn afile, vi azoy me ruft mikh, vorum fun kindvays on hob ikh moyre far a toytn eymes-moves! blaybn eyner aleyn mit a toytn nokh adayem -- ir zolt mikh opgiltn! es dakht zikh mir oys, az di halb-tsugemakhte kloymersht-farglotste oygn kukn oyf mir un zeen mikh, un di tsugeshlosene toyte lipn veln zikh ot bald oyfefenen un es vet zikh lozn hern a meshune kol, vi fun unter der erd, vos funem koyekh hadimyen aleyn kon men faln khaloshes! nit umzist dertseylt men zikh on bay undz mayses vegn meysim, vi azoy mentshn zenen fun shrek aleyn gefaln khaloshes, arop fun zinen oder gor geblibn oyfen ort.... zenen mir, heyst dos, geforn in drayen mitn mes. dem mes hob ikh opgetrotn eyne fun mayne kishns un anidergeleygt in shlitn in der breyt bay mir tsufusns, un bikhdey es zoln mir nit plonten zikh keyn umetike makhshoves, hob ikh genumen kukn aroyf in himl arayn un shtilerheyt gekhazert [221] zikh: khave-nekhome bas refoel-mikhl! khave-nekhome bas refoel-mikhl! azoy lang, biz es hobn zikh di nemen ongehoybn plonten bay mir in zikorn un s'iz shoyn oysgekumen: khave-refoel bas nekhome-mikhl, un refoel-mikhl bas khave-nekhome, un hob gor nit bamerkt, az es hoybt epes on vi tsu vern alts tunkeler un tunkeler, der vint blozt alts shtarker un shtarker, un der shney hert nit oyf tsu shitn un tsu shitn un farshitn dem veg azoy, az der shlitn geyt oyf got|s barat, in der velt arayn, un mayn orl epes her ikh vortshet, frier shtilerheyt, nokhdem hekher un shtarker, un ikh volt gemegt shvern, az er bentsht mikh mit a dreygorendiker brokhe....freg ikh im: "goy, vos iz mit dir?" entfert er mir mit a shpay un mit a retsikhe, zol got shoymer vematsil zayn, un es efent zikh bay im dos moyl un er farshit mikh mit verter: staytsh, zogt er, ikh hob im gor umgliklekh gemakht mit zayn ferdl! iber dem, vos mir hobn genumen a toytn oyfn shlitn, is dos ferdl arop fun'm veg, un mir blondzhen, un got veyst biz vanen mir veln nokh azoy blondzhen, vorum ot vert nakht, zenen mir gor farfalene!....avade hot er mir ongezogt a sheyne bsure, un ikh bin greyt geven forn tsurik in kretshme arayn, opfirn tsurik du mitzve, an ek, oys oylem-haba! zogt mir ober der orl, as itster iz shoyn farfaln, nishto nit keyn ahin nit keyn tsurik, vorum mir dreyn zikh ergets in mitn feld, der shvarts-yor veyst vu!....der veg is farshotn, der himl is finster, s'iz shoyn shtok-naht, dos ferdl iz oysgemutshet tsum toyt. a mise meshune zol kumen, zogt er, oyf dem kretshmer un oyf ale kretshmers fun der gantser velt! nekhay volt er zikh, zogt er, frier oysgebrokhn a fus, eyder er hot zikh opgeshtelt nebn der doziker kretshme! nekhai-bi volt zikh, [222] zogt er, im geshtelt poperik dos ershte glezl bronfn, eyder er hot zikh gelozt tsuredn ton aza narishkayt -- nemen tsu zikh an umglik in shlitn arayn, un iber a halbn shmardovinets farfaln vern do in mitn feld, tsu aldi rukhes, mit'n ferdl ineynem! meyle er, zogt er, iz nokh vi es iz, efsher iz im bashert ot do a mise meshune aynemen, ober dos ferdl nebekh? vos hot er gehat tsu dem dozikn ferdl? an umshuldike beheyme, a skotine, vos veyst zi?.... [hemshekh kumt in 04.006] ______________________________________________________ End of _The Mendele Review_ 04.005 Leonard Prager, editor Send articles to: lprager@research.haifa.ac.il 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/tmrarc.htm