_The Mendele Review_: Yiddish Literature and Language (A Companion to _MENDELE_) ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 05.010, 31 July 2001 3) "gegesene teg" (Lamed Shapiro) [Part three of three] [All words and morphemes wholly or partly of Hebrew-Aramaic origin are followed by an asterisk; see TMR 05010 for "Endnotes". A Yiddish-letter version of this story can be found in the Onkelos archive at http://trincoll.edu/~mendele.htm]. yud hey* bay nakht iz di "dyerzhava" farbaygegangen oyfn taykh un hot lang un paynlekh gerevet, vi a khaye* oyfn brokhshtul. fun farnakht on zenen shvere volkns gehongen iber der shtot, nor keyn regn iz nit gekumen. a por mol hobn di volkns yo aroysgekvetsht fun zikh etlekhe tropns, vos hobn elnt un far|yosem*|t a shorkh geton tsvishn di beymer in reb*|ns gortn, nor derbay iz es geblibn, un di ongeshtrengtkayt fun veln un nit konen iz geshtanen in der luft. ikh hob zikh gevorfn oyf mayn geleger un gerisn fun zikh dos fleysh. -- gelakht fun mir, heyst es. gelakht azoy hartsik un hartsloz, az mayn eygn harts hot geveynt un gelakht. un farvos zol zi nisht lakhn? ikh hob di teg gekhapt a kuk in a shpigl bay stisi der almone* in hoyz un hob gekhapt gezen a noz vi a zotl, a tunkl berdl vi a shmir mit blote arum di mogere bakn, un aroys gekrokhene, tsedulte oygn, oygn fun a meturef* oder fun a mentshn in shikres*. a guf* -- hob ikh gevust on dem shpigl -- fun a horiker khaye*, gemakht fun beyner un leder. a pere-odem*! -- efsher* hobn zey ir nokh dertseylt di mayse* mitn shtrudl? -- ikh hob zikh hastik geton a zets-oyf oyf mayn geleger, un tsurik a fal geton oyfn tsukopns. shtus*! ver hot mikh in zinen? vemen iz es negeye* tsu gedenken un tsu dertseyln vos ikh hob geton oder nit geton? anit bamerkn zey mikh afile*? nisht mer vi a bludne kats vos khapt bay zey a beyn bay der tir fun kikh. -- ober yo dertseylt, nisht dertseylt -- hob ikh ge|ganv*|et dem shtrudl, tsi neyn? -- ge|ganv*|et, un zikh gevorgn mit im in farborgenish, un di sline iz mir gerunen iber der bord. ot aza min brie* bin ikh dos. un ikh zindik mayne zind in a fintstern firhoyz, oder baym geshtank fun an optret. yo. -- tsurikshmuesndik, vos iz _zi_ azoyns -- a malekh* fun got, vos? zi hot dokh a man, un a kind -- un a kind muz men... -- a grob vort volt mir gringer gemakht, volt zi efsher* dernentert tsu mir, nor -- o! -- kh'hob keyn harts nisht gehat dos tsu gebroykhn.-- a por vokhn hob ikh zi in gantsn nisht gezen -- zikh nisht geyogt nokh dem, un eyn mol afile* durkhgelozn a moltsayt bay zey in hoyz. ikh bin geven mid, zeyer mid. buni dem katsef*|s meydl hot zikh mir oft geplontert far di fis, nor itst fleg ikh zi farbaygeyn vi ikh volt zi nisht gezen. tsirl stisis iz nokh shtiler gevorn. hot zi epes dershpirt? -- un eyn mol a donershtog, hot "zi" aleyn mir gegebn esn. di kekhin iz ergets avekgegangen, di muter iz, kentik, geven nisht gezunt, hot di tokhter mir gegreyt tsum tish un mir ongevizn mit a finger ikh zol zikh geyn vashn. mayn midkayt hot ongehaltn, un dafke* derfar hob ikh nisht gehaltn di oygn in teler, nor nokhgekukt ir, un zikh gevundert deroyf vos itst iz zi epes gor an andere. zi hot getrogn epes a loyzn beged*, ikh volt gezogt a min kitl, mit kolirte feyglen un kveytn oyf im; der farflokhtener tsop iz geven aribergevorfn iber eyn aksl un iz gelign oyf der brust; dos ponem* mat, a bisl opgeblyakirt, veykh, -- ikh hob plutsim bamerkt an enlekhkayt tsu ir muter, tsu der guter, milder sheyne-|leye*|n, vos frier hob ikh dos nisht gezen. es iz beser azoy, heymlekher, nor -- vos iz di nafkemine*?... zi iz gevorn umruik un hot oyfgehoybn oyf mir ir blik, nor ikh hob maynem nisht aropgelozn. dos hot zikh getsoygn a vayle, un in ire oygn iz di farvundertkayt ibergegangen in farlegnhayt. ikh hob ruik gezogt: -- hot keyn far|ibl*??? nisht vos ikh vel aykh fregn -- vi azoy heyst ir? funem kitl aroys hot zikh bavizn a royte khvalye, iz ariber ibern haldz un hot fargosn dos gantse ponem*. dernokh hot di khvalye pamelekh opgeflosn tsurik ahin fun vanen zi iz gekumen. -- vos iz den?... -- glat azoy. ikh hob gevolt visn. zi hot mikh ongekukt a vayle fartrakhterheyt. dernokh hot zi aropgelozn di vies iber di oygn un aroysgeredt: -- henye, henye heys ikh. un iz shtil aroysgegangen fun der kikh. in gikhn bin ikh aroys fun dortn un hob zikh farnumen durkh a zaytik gesl tsu der hintershter zayt fun hoyz. aribergekletert dem parkan in hoyf arayn, hob ikh gefunen az ikh hob zikh nisht opgenart in khezhbm*(21): ir kheyder* hot aroysgekukt mit a fentster tsum hoyf, un durkhn tyulenem forhengl iz gring geven tsu zen vos es tut zikh in tsimer, hagam* baloykhtn iz es geven karglekh fun a kleynem lempl oyfn nakhttishl baym bet. zi -- "henye", heyst es, "henye" ... -- hot zikh geporet epes in der kleydershafe, un fun bet hot tsu mir gegreykht a din shtimele, vi der pishtsh fun a feygele. in gikhn iz zi gekumen un zikh avekgezetst oyfn bet, hot genumen dos kind oyfn shoys un redndik tsu dem mit oysgetsoygene lipn vi m'redt geveynlekh tsu an eyf*|ele, hot zi fanandergenumen dem kitl funem glatn haldz un arunter, un a fule, kaylekhdike brust hot shefe*|dik fargosn dos penem*|l funem kind. on gefiln fun tayve*, bloyz mit epes aza zoygn untern hartsn, hob ikh gezetikt mayn oyg in farloyf fun etlekhe minut dernokh bin ikh ariber tsurik ibern parkan un avekgegangen tsu zikh. kon mentshlekh layb zayn azoy fayn -- azoy vays, un tsikhtik, un ... puterdik? -- yud vav yenem dinstog hob ikh gemakht a farzukh tsuriktsugefinen di ru vos der dinstog flegt mir gebn. ikh hob dem tog nisht gegesn, bin gezesn untn in kloyz un gelernt. gelernt hob ikh "geshmak", dos heyst, mit a nign*. der nign* iz geven mer vi di verter, un dos lernen -- gikher farn oyfgebroyzn gemit eyder farn vakhndikn seykhl*. oyf morgn tsu varemes bin ikh ongekumen deroyf vi buni der katsef* shlogt dos vayb -- s'iz, heyst es, geven emes* vos m'hot geredt in shtot. di bunikhe iz gelofn arum tish un geshrign: "goy*|ets! ivan poyerile! dershlogn zolstu vern fun got! a mise-meshune* zol oyf dir kumen!" -- un er hot zikh geyogt nokh ir mit a shtekn. mit shrek un mit ekl bin ikh antlofn fun hoyz. ikh hob bay zikh opgemakht mer nisht tsu kumen aher. in eyn vegs vel ikh poter* vern funem meydl, vos flegt mir alts antkegnkumen mit aropgelozte oygn, un ikh fleg oysmaydn a dertsornter un a shuldiker. in a por sho* arum iz buni gekumen tsu undz in der yeshive*. mir hot zikh opgerisn in hartsn. er hot mikh gefunen mit di oygn un iz tsugegangen tsu mir. "vos bistu antlofn?" -- hot er gezogt un hot mir opgeshtekt tsvey petsh. dernokh hot er mikh far an oyer aroysgefirt fun kloyz un geheysn geyn mit im esn. di gantse yeshive* iz aroysgelofn oyf mayn beyzvunder, un ikh hob zikh gepruvt shteln antkegn, ober mayn moyre* iz geven tsu groys, un ikh bin gegangen. er hot mikh avekgefirt tsu zikh, avekgeshtelt far mir a teler mit fleysh un geheysn esn. ikh hob zikh gevorgn un gegesn, un er iz di gantse tsayt geshtanen iber mayn kop. di bunikhe hot zikh shvaygndik arumgedreyt iber der shtub mit a farbundener bak. dos meydl iz nit geven in der heym. az der teler iz gevorn leydik, hot buni mikh nisht gelozn bentshn, vi er hot mir frier nisht gegebn keyn tsayt zikh tsu vashn. -- un itster gey tsu al di rukhes*, -- hot er gezogt, -- un mer zol zikh do dayn fus nisht gefinen. ikh hob zikh opgezundert fun alemen in der yeshive*, un in der shtil hob ikh gekrekhtst un zikh gedreyt vi fun boykhshmertsn. fun geyn tsu tabatshnikn in hoyz hob ikh gor trakhtn nisht gekont: mir hot zikh gedakht -- di gantse velt veyst fun mayn bizoyen* un gefalnkayt. shabes* tsum tish hot stisi di almone* gevorfn blikn fun mir oyf ir tokhter un fun der tokhter oyf mir. nor zi hot gornisht nit gezogt. dem zelbn shabes* hob ikh ergets gehert -- a kleyn shtetl -- az iser* tabatshniks tokhter fort zuntog in der fri keyn tsherkas, tsurik tsu zikh aheym. der klap iz geven a temper, vayl ikh bin arumgegangen vi a farshlofener, nor zuntog in mitn shakhres* hob ikh zikh oyfgekhapt: ikh hob aropgenumen di tfilin* un bin avekgelofn tsum taykh. ikh hob shir nisht farshpetikt. der parokhod iz shoyn geven bay der pristan, mentshn zenen arumgelofn ibern brikl hin un tsurik, un ikh hob zikh mit shverikayt durkhgeshtupt tsum parentsh. ikh hob zi oysgezukht mit di oygn tsvishn oylem* oyfn oybershtn dek, funvanen zi hot aropgeredt tsu ir muter un shvesterl oyf der pristan. vider a nayer gilgl*: in a groyen kleyd un a menershn rekl vi di studentn trogn; oyfn kop a shvartser shtroyener hut mit breyte randn un mit a shteyendiker feder; a glaykhe, a zikhere, un mit a gants anderer, fester shtim, -- di negid*|ishe shnur fun kop biz di fis. vi vayt zi iz geven fun mir frier, iz zi itst vi opgetrotn vayter. hot es mayn blik zi tsugetsoygn? zi hot oysgedreyt dem kop tsu mayn zayt un hot a vayle gekukt mir glaykh in di oygn. dernokh hot zi hastik opgevendt dem kop, hot aroysgenumen dos kind funem vigele vos iz geshtanen nebn ir, hot es tsurik arayngeleygt un genumen shrayen arunter: -- zayt gezunt, zayt gezunt! temke, zay a gut kind, farshaf nit der mamen keyn yesurim*, temke! -- der fayf fun parokhod hot ibergerisn ir kol*. dos brikl iz aropgetsoygn gevorn, di pare hot geton a kokh-aroys ergets fun der zayt fun shif -- un teykef* hot dos shvartse vaser tsvishn der pristan un dem parokhod genumen vern breyter.-- mit a halb verst vayter iz dos shif farshvunden arum a kni fun taykh. nisht vayt fun der pristan iz geven der plats vu mir flegn zikh bodn, un ikh bin avek ahin, hob zikh oysgeton un zikh avekgezetst oyfn zamd. ergets vayt oyf yener zayt taykh iz antshtanen in der luft epes azoyns vi a groys shtik vate, iz glaykh tsegangen in der shayn, un an anders iz oyfgeshtign a bisl vayter, un nokh eyns un nokh eyns: dos iz a tsug gegangen oyf der vayter ban-linye un geshikt in der hoykh pukhike knoyln damf, nor keyn klang hot men nisht gehert. "er vet aher keyn mol nisht dergeyn", hob ikh hoykh gezogt. di zun hot gebrent, der taykh hot geflamt un gefinklt ir antkegn, un ikh, a naketer mentsh, bin gezesn oyfn heysn zamd, mitn kop kimat* tsvishn di kni -- gezesn lang, mistome* getrakht epes un, dakht zikh, afile* ayngedrimlt oyf etlekhe sekundn. dernokh hob ikh zikh ongeton nisht-gebodenerheyt.-- oyfn veg tsurik bin ikh opgetrotn bay stisi der almone* in shtub. -- tsirl, -- hob ikh gezogt, -- ikh bin gekumen nokh mayne por shtiklekh gret. ikh for avek. ire bakn un ir shtern zenen gevorn groylekh. -- yo, -- hob ikh tsugeleygt, -- m'ruft mikh aheym: mayn foter iz krank, mesukn* krank. di sheyne oygn inem nit-sheynem ponem* zenen gevorn groys. -- ayer foter? -- ir hot dokh gezogt, az ir hot nit keyn foter -- az ir zent a yosem*? ... -- azoy hob ikh gezogt? nu, az ikh hob gezogt, bin ikh mistome* a yosem* ... -- ikh for avek, tsirl, ikh for avek. zayt gezunt. ikh bin shoyn geven oyf der gas ven zi hot mir nokhgerufn, shteyendik in der tir mit a pekl in hant: -- ir hot fargesn ayer gret. -- mayn vos? -- hob ikh gezogt. zi iz geshtanen mit farshnurevete lipn, mitn pekl oysgeshtrekt tsu mir. -- zayt gezunt, tsirl, -- hob ikh aroysgeredt, veykher vi frier, -- zayt gezunt. zi hot gornisht nit gezogt, nor statetshne farneygt dem kop. -- in a sho* arum bin ikh shoyn geven tsurik oyf der pristan, baym fentsterl fun der kase, un hob farlangt a bilet. der kasir, a mitlyeriker polyak mit beyzlekhe oygn un blonde, porets*|ishe vontses, hot gefregt: vuhin. ikh bin geblibn in farlegnhayt, un er iz geshtanen un gevart oyf mayn entfer. tsherkas iz arop taykh, ah? ... -- aroyf-vaser, -- hob ikh gezogt. er hot mikh ongekukt a vayle mit a zoyerer mine. -- biz kiev? -- yo-yo, biz kiev... ikh bin aroys oyf der forndiker platforme. s'iz geven fri, un keyn pasazhirn zenen geven nokh nisht gekumen. di zun iz shoyn geshtanen hinter undz, un der shotn fun der pristan iz sharf un shvarts gelign oyfn taykh. vayter ahin iz dos vaser geven gel vi boyml, un iber der gantser breyt funem taykh hobn di fete gedikhte vasern, vi rizike khayoles* on a tsol un on a sof*, getsoygn -- getsoygn -- getsoygn fun ek fun der velt tsu ek fun der velt. -- un itst lomir trakhtn.-- --------------------------------------------------- Endnotes 1. lamed shapiro. _nuyorkish_, nyu-york, yuni 1931, tsveyte oyflage, zz' 82-126. 2. Cf. Polish _wiatrak_ 'windmill' 3. Shapiro uses the plural noun ending -akh, which in StY orthography is written -ekh. 4. In all early texts this word is spelled with tsvey yodn ['two yods'] and -- as is typical in antiquated spelling still defended by some -- omits the pasekh ['pasakh']. Thus a non-native reader will see this word as _tseyl_, whereas it is _tsayl_ 'row'. The word derives from NHG _Zeile_ and is totally omitted (i.e. not even proscribed) in MEYYED. If any word used in Yiddish (and not merely quoted or marked as foreign) is a Yiddish word, then _tsayl_ is a Yiddish word. But it can be argued that there are better ways of saying 'row' in Yiddish. 5. The name _nis*|l_ derives from the Hebrew male name [from the Middle Ages on] and is identical to the name of the 7th month of the Jewish year, _nissan_. Hebrew _nissan_ is the source of the Yiddish name _nisn_ (which is homonymous with _nisn_ 'to sneeze'). The form _nis*|l_ is a diminutive: _nis_ + _l_. There is a shortened form also -- _nise_ and the diminutive _nis*|l_ is probably derived from it. The male Yiddish name _nis*|l_ is also homonymous with Yiddish _nis*|l_ 'little nut' and Yiddish _nis*|l_ 'nit'. Is this a nickname (_tsunomen_) used to refer to the learned former dayan, or a name used by him and to him? Given the meaning of 'nit' -- which implies the man was 'lousy' --, the name was likely a nickname. Since we only see the alcoholic teacher in the eyes of the student-teller, this is a reasonable assumption. 6. Shapiro spells this, not incorrectly, as one word, but it is easier for the reader if written as a compound. 7. I thank Meyer Wolf for this suggestion -- the text appears to be corrupted here. But what are "rabonishe" bremen? Can anyone provide citations for this expression? 8. A Talmud printed in Slavite [Slavuto, Ukraine] -- famous competitor with the Romm printing establishment in Vilna. 9. On _khnyoke(s)_ 'hypocrite'; hasid; unclean person', see _TMR_ 2.027. 10. _kitnitse_ 'rennet-stomach, abomasus' [Harkavi 1928, p. 455]. Why does Shapiro put this word in guotation marks? Exactly how is this dish prepared? 11. "borshtsh (mit fet fleysh)" -- also pronounced /borsht/ 'beetroot soup with meat' [Harkavi p. 110]. The cold meatless borsht with sour cream seems to be a later development or at least not known in parts where it implied meat content. Shapiro emphasizes the kind of meat. 12. _iser_, itself a contracted form of _yisroel_, also has diminutives, but no one seems to be overfamiliar with this well-off citizen. 13. _osobe_ 'person; handsome person' [Harkavi 1928, p. 69]. Shapiro puts in quotation marks. 14. _surdut_ < Fr. _surtout_ 'overcoat'. The Fr. voiceless /t/ becomes the voiced Yiddish /d/. 15. "tkheyles-veargomon" < "tkheyles veargomon levushom" [Yirmiyohu 'Jeremiah' 10:9] 16. "moshzer" < Ashk. Heb. _moshzor_ 'spun'; see Exodus 26:1 "shesh moshzor" 'spun linen'. Yehoyesh translates 'gedreytn leynen'. 17. "leyeshuosekho kivisi" 'I hoped for your help' [Genesis 49:18] 18. "kol beisho ervo" "'hearing a woman's voice is indecent' (one must not read the Shem'a while a woman can be heard singing)" [Alkalay 1964, col. 1966] 19. _shpetertsu_ 'later'. Should this be spelled as two words? Origin of form? 20. "brodish": _shvigekh_. The Galician "Brod" pronunciation of _shviger_, with /er/ > /ekh/ seems utterly charming to the teller, who is apparently from more northern Poland. 21. _khezhbm_: Correct transcription follows pronunciation and thus reqires an /m/ at the end though spelled with a nun. ______________________________________________________ End of _The Mendele Review_ 05.010 [cont. of TMR 05009-05010] Leonard Prager, editor 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. 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