_The Mendele Review_: Yiddish Literature and Language
              (A Companion to _MENDELE_)
______________________________________________________
Contents of Vol. 05.008, 31 July 2001

1) About This Issue (ed.)
2) A Note on the Hebrew-Aramaic Component in Yiddish (ed.)
3) "gegesene teg" (Lamed Shapiro) [Part one of three]

1)----------------------------------------------------
Date: 31 July 2001
From: Leonard Prager <lprager@research.haifa.ac.il>
Subject:  About This Issue

This triple issue of _The Mendele Review_ is devoted to reviewing some
of the typical learner's difficulties in mastering the Hebrew-Aramaic
component in Yiddish.  Lamed Shapiro's "gegesene teg," a marvelous story
in itself, is the subject text for this exercise.  Students of Yiddish
who understandably feel insecure in transcribing (as distinct from
transliterating) Yiddish words spelled according to the traditional
_loshn-koydesh_ system (= Yiddish words of Hebrew-Aramaic origin, but
Yiddish words nonetheless) may find it useful to test their ability to
write these words in Yiddish letters.  In the Shapiro text below, all
words and morphemes wholly or partly of Hebrew-Aramaic origin are
followed by an asterisk].  A Yiddish-letter version of this story can be
found in the Onkelos archive at http://www2.trincoll.edu/~mendele/onkyid.htm.

Transliteration is letter-for-letter substitution:  the Yiddish _mer_
'more'/'matter'/'carrot' is written mem-ayin-reysh.  Transcription is
another matter.  Thus in transcribing _emes_ 'truth' [of H-A origin],we
traditionally write alef-mem-sof; the Soviet spelling code phoneticized
the spelling of H-A words and spelled this word ayin-mem-ayin-samekh.
There has been an almost universal return to writing Yiddish words of
H-A origin in their traditional Hebrew spelling.  The student can be
helped by reference tools such as Uriel Weinreich's _Modern
English-Yiddish Yiddish-English Dictionary_ [MEYYED] and Yitskhok
Niborski's _Verterbukh fun loshn-koydesh-shtamike verter in yidish_.
These give spelling and pronunciation; Hebrew dictionaries give
spelling.

2)----------------------------------------------------
Date: 31 July 2001
From: Leonard Prager <lprager@research.haifa.ac.il>
Subject: The Hebrew-Aramaic Component in Yiddish


A Note on The Hebrew-Aramaic Component of Yiddish

Yiddish has been described as a "fusion" language whose lexicon is
compounded of four (some would say three) "components" - Germanic,
Slavic, Hebrew-Aramaic [henceforth H-A] and (disputed by some) Romance.
Many of us have conceived of the "components" of Yiddish as somehow
"fusing" to make up the Yiddish language. Whether or not this conception
is scientifically valid, it still seems useful as a layman's key to the
highly variegated Yiddish word stock.

What we speak of in Yiddish as the "loshn-koydesh" component, we
generally name in English the "Hebrew-Aramaic" component.  (Dovid Katz
calls it the "Semitic" component).  Yiddish does not distinguish between
Hebrew and Aramaic within this component, hence the inclusive category
"loshn-koydesh," which can be rendered 'the language of holiness' [not
'the holy language'].  Yiddish speakers of course understood that
Aramaic was a distinct language, which they referred to as targem-loshn
- - by which they often meant 'gibberish.'  The Aramaic terms in Yiddish
would simply be seen as Yiddish words, though not every Yiddish speaker
would understand every Yiddish word -- especially in the speech of a
scholar who often cited texts.

On the issue of the "Aramaic" in Yiddish, Meyer Wolf holds that "no one
really knows what the Aramaic contribution to Yiddish is."  This view
will startle many _TMR_ readers and should initiate serious
discussion.  Meyer Wolf says that as far as he can tell, "most of the
Aramaic borrowings in Yiddish are from Rabbinic Hebrew, which is a
continuation of lashon-khakhamim [literally 'the language of sages'],
which is a 'fusion' of Hebrew and Aramaic." Lashon-khakhamim and Rabbinic
Hebrew are considered to be Hebrew.

Max Weinreich has given us the terms "merged Hebrew-Aramaic" and "whole
Hebrew-Aramaic."  The vast majority of common terms in Yiddish of H-A
origin, such as _shabes_, _yontef_, _besmedresh_, are fully integrated
in Yiddish and are sounded according to the laws of Yiddish phonology.
The H-A has been "merged," "assimilated."  "Whole H-A" includes quoted
H-A texts, citations from biblical, midrashic, rabbinical and other
sources.  These are spoken according to the sound system of Ashkenazic
H-A, which are close to but not identical to Yiddish pronunciation.
Thus we say "shabes" in Yiddish, but "shabos" in Ashkenazic H-A.  Yet
in reciting a blessing the Yiddish-speaker would normally say "lehadlik
neyr shel shabes," the sound system of Ashkenazic H-A not being as clear
a notion as it has become with the contracted use of Yiddish.

Though efforts have been made to measure the size of the H-A component,
this is a vain project.  In any sample of Yiddish speech or text the
percentage of H-A words is a function of style and register.  Even when
it is quite small statistically, the H-A component in a text often
colors the entire content, adding depth and resonance that would
otherwise be lacking.  Biblical and talmudic writings serve as a
reservoir for whole H-A citations, giving to Yiddish an allusive range
few other languages can equal.

Meyer Wolf has also questioned the notion, which I have always believed,
that there is no fixed border between "loshn-koydesh" and Yiddish.  He
maintains that "there is as fixed a border between "loshn-koydesh" and
Yiddish as there is between Latin and Western European languages."  "It
is tendentious to claim," he goes on to say,"that 'loy alekho hamelokho
ligmor' (an example I gave of "Whole Hebrew") is anything but what it is
-- a citation. Addressing the situation of English vis-a-vis Latin, one
can ask what is the difference between _et cetera_ (commonly pronounced
/eksetera/) and _carpe diem_. Would this be "merged Latin" and "whole
Latin" or is the latter merely a Latin  quotation like "Carthago delenda
est" ['Carthage must be destroyed']?

Stutchkoff gives hundreds of fixed H-A phrases, e.g.  "mineg mevatl
halokhe," "sheloy kederekh hateve," "yoytse min haklal" (all p. 34);
"tsorkhey amekho yisroel merubim," "haye odom betseysekho vihudi
be'oyhelekho" (both p. 166).  The _Groyser verterbukh_ is rich in such
expressions, e.g.  "ahave she'eyno tluye bedovor" (vol. 1, p.50).
MEYYED has numerous examples:  e.g, "leshono habo birusholaim" (p. 564).
More formal pronunciation would here give us "habo'o."  And whereas
MEYYED writes "leshono toyvo tikoseyvu" (p. 564), Niborski 1997 gives us
the more merged "leshono toyve tikoseyvu."

I would still maintain that there is a floating border between
"loshn-koydesh" and Yiddish.  Not even the most comprehensive
dictionaries of Hebraisms include more than the better known and more
frequently cited locutions.  A popular tract such as _Perek_
[_Pirke-oves_ 'Ethics of the Fathers'] has fed Yiddish with many whole
H-A expressions, e.g.  "mitsvo goreres mitsvo" ['one virtuous
act/commandment leads to another'].  Is this merely a Hebrew quotation,
or is it an integrated Yiddish expression?  Yiddish is of course rich in
translated phrases from classical sources, but citing them in their
original loshn-koydesh form carried greater prestige and had an effect
of their own.


3)----------------------------------------------------
Date:  31 July 2001
From: Jan Jonk <jjo@ghlyceum.nl>

Subject: "gegesene teg" (Lamed Shapiro) [Parts "alef" to "zayin"]


                    "gegesene teg"(1)

                    fun Lamed Shapiro

[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].

alef*

ikh hob demolt "gegesn teg," un mir hot gefelt a dinstog.

der fuler nomen fun shtetl iz geven zahorye-vitrak(2), tsulib di
vintmiln oyf di arumike berg, nor yidn hobn es gerufn bekitser*:
zahorye.

az ikh bin aroys in gas dem ershtn nokhmitog fun mayn kumen ahin, iz dos
shtetl gelign fartshadet unter der tamez*|diker zun. yidn un yidenes
hobn gedrimlt in di tirn fun di kromen. baym fleyshmark zenen hint
gelign mit aroysgeshtrekte tsungen, hobn geotemt langzam un tif gekukt
mit farglezerte oygn on interes oyf der velt un afile* oyf di blutike
zaytn fleysh in di fentsterlekher fun di yatkes. ibern mark hobn gel
geglit bintlekh(3) un lokn shtroy funem letstn marktog vos der vint, der
mazhgiekh* oyf reynkayt in shtot, hot nokh nisht bavizn avektsunemen.
oyf der "porets*|isher" gas zenen ale lodns geven farmakht -- lodns
groye, vayse, grine, alerley lodns, a lange tsayl(4) fun farhakte lodns.
es iz geven azoy shtil, az zahorye hot oysgekukt vi a shtot in a
kholem*, un ikh hob mit dorsht getrunken di naykayt.

beyz*

-- di yeshive*,-- zogt mir der barditshever,-- iz geven a mol gor a
groyse yeshive*.

gefinen gefint zi zikh inem reb*|ns kloyz, iber der ezres-noshim*:  di
hintershte helft fun der hoykher kloyz iz geteylt in tsvey gorn, un inem
oybershtn gorn, mit a bazunderer droysndiker trep, lernen mir. dos iz a
langer, shmoler kheyder* vos loyft in der breyt fun der kloyz, mit a
tsendlik fentster in dray fun di vent. in der ferter vant kukt a kleyn
ofn fentsterl, poshet* a lokh, glaykh tsum ornkoydesh*. es zenen faran
tsvey lange tishn farn shier* un a tuts shtenders vu di eltere bokherim*
lernen bikhides*. bay di vent un bay di groyse tishn tsien zikh lange
benk, un etlekhe bokherim* -- ikh tsvishn zey -- vos hobn nisht keyn
pletser in shtot shlofn oyf zey.

an ander bokher*, der stavisker, hot mikh opgerufn on a zayt, hot
oyfgehoybn a finger un mir gegebn tsu farshteyn:

di yeshive*, ot vi du kukst zi on, iz geven a mol gor a groyse yeshive*.
hundert un fuftsik bokherim* hobn do oysek-betoyre* geven
yoymem-velayle* . di yeshive* iz nokh demolt geven inem binyen* vos s'iz
itst di kalte shul. un afile* shoyn shpeter far di ershte yorn fun
nis*|l(5) dayen*, ven er hot nokh nisht azoy shtark getrunken, flegn fun
zekhtsik biz akhtsik talmidim* zitsn baym shier*.

hundert un fuftsik, akhtsik, zekhtsik, -- itst zenen mir a dray-fir un
tsvantsik parshoyn bay ale tishn un shtenders. di yeshive* zinkt shoyn
etlekhe yor, falt nidriker un nidriker -- keyner veyst nisht far vos. di
shtot hot undz faynt. zi gloybt nit nisht in undzer toyre*, nisht in
undzer yires-shomayim*. mir zenen shver oyf ir, vi s'iz shver oyf di
arumike an alter, lang-onendiker(6) khoyle*, vos foylt far alemen in di
oygn un shtarbn shtarbt er nit. di shtot hot nisht keyn kheyshek* tsu
nemen undz tsu zikh tsum tish, un ver es kon nor patert op dem khoyv*
mit a por prutes*, azoy az bay a sakh* bokherim* feln oys teg, un in
yene teg krign zey funem mazhgiekh* tsu zibn kopekes oyf der akhile*.
mitn shlofn iz erger, un mit a hemd oyf shabes* -- nokh erger.

giml*

der krutohorer redt tsu mir fartroylekh:

-- du meynst, undzer yeshive* iz ale mol geven ot-azoy-o vi du zest zi
itst? host badarft zayn do mit yorn tsurik, volstu gezen...

er oykh? vos geyt _im_ on di yeshive*? der krutohorer iz a groyser,
gezunter bokher* mit a glatn vaybershn ponem* on a simen* fun a bord
oder vontses, mit groyse vaserike aroysgeshtartste oygn, un mit a
kindishn shmeykhl oyf di royte, fleyshike kishkelekh-lipn . er hot
afile* nisht-keyn-shlekhtn kop, nor lernen hoybt er nisht on tsu veln.
derfar ober tseykhnt er zikh oys dermit vos er kon nisht redn keyn tsvey
minut az er zol nisht aribergeyn oyf nibl-pe*. er iz epes a shlogndiker
kval fun mayses*, retenishn, glaykhvertlekh, vos in yedn fun zey iz
bahaltn, untern pshat*, a remez* oyfn inyen* zokher-venekeyve*. zayne
mayses* zenen epes prikre -- oysge|pshat*|lte, oysgezoygene fun finger,
on tayve* un afile* on ofene grobe reyd, nor shtendik remozim* un
loshn-noyfel-al-loshn*, i aher i ahin, vos az du vilst iz in zey faran a
meyn, nor a mies*|er meyn, un az du vilst iz in zey gornisht nishto, nor
dos zenen zikh glat mayses* in der velt arayn. iz tomer volstu bay zikh
ge|poyl*|t az der bokher* meynt kholile* nit keyn oybershpitslekh, redt
er ober azoy kaltblutik -- shoyn _tsu_ kaltblutik, un dos kindishe
shmeykhele oyf di faykhte, royte kishkelekh iz shoyn epes _tsu_ kindish,
un du derfilst zikh opgenart un oysgelakht, un verst beyz, un er, der
tam*, farshteyt nisht vos du bizt in kaas*, az sakhakl* hot er gornisht
nit gemeynt, un az -- "sha, vos darfstu mer? ot vel ikh dir dertseyln a
khidesh* nifle*"...

der krutohorer aleyn hot shoyn oykh a talmed* muvek*, a shtotish yingl
topfun a yor fertsn, khaym*|l arye-leyb*|s -- knelt er mit im hilkhes*
nibl-pe*. khaym*|l hot a voyl kepl, hot oykh lib a shver shtikl gemore*
oder a tife svore* fun di meforshim*, -- nor der krutohorer firt im arop
fun derekh*, un dos yingl hirzhet vi a loshekl fun yenems mayses* un
pruvt afile* aleyn a mol oystaytshn a posek* oder a maymer* khazal*
azoy, az es iblt mikh. zey beyde dergeyn di yor dem "varshever."

daled*

der varshever iz nisht fun varshe. izn iz er fun a shtetl ergets in
poyln vos halt zikh nit in zikorn*, ruft men im oyf der shtot vos
gedenkt zikh yo. vi kumt er aher azh fun poyln? veyst keyner nit, un
m'derfregt zikh nisht shtark. keyner fun di fremde hot nisht lib fil tsu
redn vegn dem fun vanen er kumt oder vemes er iz, -- mistome* nishto
nokh vos tsu benkn oder tsu gedenken.

der varshever iz der eltster bokher* in der yeshive* -- vayt ariber
draysik. er iz shmol un moger, un nisht azoy a hoykher vi a langer.
zayne bakn zenen bashotn mit prishtshes, di oygn zenen shvarts un glien
vi in kadokhes*. di bord vakst im oyfn haldz -- _nor_ oyfn haldz -- un
oyfn kop trogt er a shmol poylish hitele, dos eyntsike hitele in shtot
mit a shmoln "denek". er hot a "shvern kop," derfar ober iz er a groyser
masmed* un zeyer frum. er lernt shtendik, m'zet im kimat* keyn mol nisht
on a seyfer* in hant, un lernen lernt er oyfn kol*, mit zayn tshikavn
poylishn nign*, un shoklt zikh derbay shtark mit farmakhte oygn, velkhe
er efnt nor fun tsayt tsu tsayt oyf tsu khapn a kuk in der gemore*. er
iz zikh oft toyvl* in der mikve*, fun di tsvey teg vos feln im oys hot
er gemakht bashtendike taneysim*, un khevre* zogn az er paynikt zayn
guf* epes nokh oyf andere oyfanim*.

der krutohorer hot zikh ongezetst oyfn varshever, un khaym*|l iz nisht
opgeshtanen fun zayn reb*|n. zeyer uvde* iz geven avektsushteln zikh
nisht vayt fun zayn shtender un nemen lernen a maymer*, lemoshl*, fun
mesekhte* shabes*, un tseleygn im oyf telerlekh oyf zeyer shteyger. der
varshever pruvt zikh farshteln beyde oyern, ober demolt hert er nit zayn
eygenem nign*, un on dem nign* farshteyt er shoyn gor gornisht vos er
lernt. er shrayt:  "menuvolim*! noyefim*! meshumodim*!" strashet er vet
dertseyln r'* zalmen* mazhgiekh*, zidlt zikh oyf zayn poylishn yidish --
un zey shteyen un darsh*|enen vi nit zey meynt men un azoy vi shtark
arayngeton in a shver shtikl gemore*. sofkl-sof* loyft der varshever
aroys fun kloyz mit brenendike oygn un lipn farkrimt fun yesurim*.

hey*

dem shier* far undz zogt nis*|l dayen*.

nis*|l dayen* zet nisht oys vi keyn yid. zayn shverer, klotsiker guf, di
ibergehongene "rabon*|ishe" bremen un di royte noz mit di bloye
oderlekh gibn im tsu dem onblik fun an altn katsap -- fun di vos geyen
oyf di plitn ibern taykh. iber der droysndiker flakh fun zayn linker
hant iz zikh tselofn a royter lishay vi a kuperner drayer di groys. baym
lernen zitst er mit ot der hant unter der slaviter(8) gemore, mit a
kleyner yarmlke ergets dortn vayt ibern nakn, un mit briln oyf der noz.

di bokherim* redn epes mit a halbn moyl, vi zey voltn aleyn zayn
mevulbl* in moykhes* be|negeye* dem dozikn yidn. izn iz er a groyser
shiker* -- a yidisher shiker*, farshteyt zikh:  valgert zikh nisht in di
gasn -- trinkt vu bay got a tog, mit oder on a yortsayt, un geyt arum
farvolknt, farton in zikh un glaykhgiltik tsum lernen vi tsu di
talmidim*. es treft a mol az er kumt tsum shier* farknakt mer vi
geveyntlekh -- demolt shpringen mir oyf di benk fun hispayles*:  sharfe
hamtsoes*, pshat*|lekh, khidushim*, tife heores* shpritsn fun zayn moyl
vi funken fayer. tomer ober hot zikh im kholile* -- eyn mol in a shmite*
-- gemakht tsu blaybn in gantsn nikhter, iz shver geven fun im
ibertsutrogn:  er hot alemen gezidlt, gesholtn, geshotn mit
shtekhvertlekh, beyze, gemeyne, shlekhte -- zikh aroysgevizn far a
roshe* merushe*. keyn dayen* iz er shoyn lang nit geven. er hot bloyz
gehat dem shier* in der yeshive*, un tsvey sho* a tog hot er gelernt
mitn gvir*|s nayem eydem. tsulib zayn sharfer tsung iz er geven farkrigt
mit a halber shtot un mitn reb*|ns hoyf iz er geven oyf mesershtekh. di
khsidim* hobn gehat oyf im a khshad* az er shtamt fun der lite. hot take
shtot gekvetsht oyf im mit di akslen:  az a mentsh shtamt fun der lite!

oyser in di zeltene faln fun a gehoybener madreyge* fun shikres*, hobn
im di limudim* in der yeshive* knap interesirt. lesof* iz er gefaln oyf
a hamtsoe*:  zol men khazer*|n oyf oysveynik. in andere yeshives* zenen
faran bokherim* vos kenen hunderter bleter gemore* oyf oysveynik.  "ot
dos heyst lomd*|ishe kep!" hot er tsugegebn un gekukt azoy shpitsik mit
zayne kleyne beyze eygelekh, az m'hot nisht gekont dergeyn tsi er zogt
es leshvakh* tsi er makht khoyzek*. zol men zikh, far a haskhole*, nemen
tsu di "bove*|s". s'iz nisht shver un oykh nisht tsu gring. azoy arum
hot er gehat di breyre* tsu zogn an emes*|n shier* un epes mekhadesh*
zayn nor demolt, ven im hot zikh gevolt.

vov*

bay di nekht flegn mir hern di parokhodn farbaygeyn oyfn taykh a verst
fun shtot. di fun undz vos flegn shlofn in kloyz hobn shoyn gekont
derkenen di shtimen fun di shifn vos hobn badint undzer teyl fun taykh.
-- "imperator" -- flegt emitser bamerkn fun a vayter bank un a gli ton
in der fintster mit zayn tsigar-titun. dos -- bay a kurtsn vogikn fayf,
mayse* takef* un solider balebos*.  "imperator" iz geven di nayste shif
do oyfn taykh, geboyt ergets in oysland un mit di nayste aynrikhtung.
"fi-fi-ay-ay" -- shnaydik, shmaydik un laykhtzinik biz gor, un emetser
fun undz derklert mit a shmeykhl, az dos iz "pushkin," a kleyn
parokhodl, shmol, lang un flink oyf der pen. a breyter, gorgldiker
oysgeshrey, getsoygn un heyzerik, vi fun a khaye* in yesurim*, iz der
taytsh di "dyerzhava," dos eltste un greste shif, breytbeynerik,
umgelumpert, farshlofn un langzam.

in der shtilkayt fun der nakht, nokh dem vi der ershter fayf hot
oyfgeshpitst dos oyer, hot men daytlekh gekont hern vi der parokhod
dernentert zikh tsu undzer stantsye, vi er patsht mit di reder ibern
vaser, farlangzamt dem gang un farshtumt. mir haltn ayn dem otem, un
"zeen" dos baloykhtene shif, di shmutsike pristan, di mentshn vos loyfn
oyf un op ibern hengbrikl tsum shif, dem fremdn un freylekhn tuml. in
tsvey minut arum -- a tsveyter fayf un bald a driter, un dos oyer khapt
oyf dos sopn fun der pare, dos banayte geroysh fun di reder, shneler
--shtarker -- dringlekher. bay a gevisn punkt rayst zikh dos geroysh
durkh tsvishn di berg paze taykh mit a bazunderer klorkayt, m'volt
gekont shvern -- dos shif geyt glaykh in shtot arayn. teykef* nokh dem
falt dos geroysh arunter vi unter a top:  shvakher, vayter, shtiler.
sha, ot -- neyn -- yo -- neyn -- gornisht. shtil.

es shvaygt zikh a hipshe vayle. un kimat* yedes mol fort aroys der
krutohorer mit, a shteyger.

-- ikh vel dikh fregn a retenish;

-- loz tsuru!  -- ver ikh zikh mit fardros.  -- m'veyst shoyn
dayne retenishn.

-- anu, aderabe*, tref. vos iz

-- ober loz op; an andersh mol! -- rayst zikh bay mir aroys.

-- a mol git er nokh, un a mol nisht.

zayen*

nisht gring un nisht mit a mol hob ikh gekrogn mayne "teg". der zuntog
un der montog hobn zikh gebitn etlekhe mol, un di mentshn hobn oyf mir
keyn royshem* nit ibergelozn.

a mitvokh hob ikh gehat bay a katsef*, buni dem roytn. er hot gehat
shtekhike royte hor oyfn ponem* kimat* biz di oygn, oygn gazlon*|ishe un
khutspe*|dike, un a grobe shtim. der yid hot afile* davnen nit gekent,
un in shtot hot men gezogt oyf im az er shlogt dos vayb. tsu vos, a
shteyger, hot er gedarft a yeshive-bokher* bay zayn tish? er hot nokh
aleyn opgeshtelt r'* zalmen* mazhgiekh* in gas un zikh geheysn
araynshikn "emitsn" fun di "khnyokes"(9), vet er im "onshtopn di
kishke". vos iz shayekh* dem esn, iz dos geven mayn bester tog. di
bunikhe -- a yidene a shvarts|kheyn*|evdike, nor an opgelozene -- hot
fun keyn tishtukh nit gevust:  glaykh oyfn vaysn hiltsernem tish flegt
men avekleygn a broyt un avekshteln a shisl mit gekekhts -- un es vifl
du vilst. di maykholim* aleyn zenen geven shvere, "shtopendike":
gefilte kishke, a "kitnitse"(10), a borshtsh(11) mit fet fleysh, a shofn
kepl, a feter, glitshiker haldz fun a tsigele. un bay beyde moltsaytn iz
geven fleysh.

tsu varemes hot men gegesn ale in eyn tsayt un bay eyn tish:  buni mit
der bunikhe, ikh, un zeyer tokhter di bas-yekhide* -- a meydl fun a yor
zekhtsen, mit a guf* vos iz nor vos aroys fun di kindishe yorn un mit a
ponem* fun a reb*|etsn:  vays un durkhzikhtik, a bisl krenklekh, mit a
glaykher noz un groyse, vi bay a kalb, shaynendike oygn. in ovnt hob
ikh bunin zeltn getrofn in der heym, un emitser fun di vayber flegt mir
derlangen esn aleyn.

a gants ander hoyz iz geven iser*(12) tabatshniks, vu ikh hob gegesn
donershtog. geshtanen iz es oyf der anderer zayt mark, shoyn baym onheyb
fun der "porets*|isher" gas, hot gehat gefarbte diln, shpitsene
forhangen un vazones bay di fentster, un iz geven balebat*|ish meblirt.
gelebt hot men breytlekh, gehaltn a kekhin un a shiksl tsum klentstn
kind. do hot men mir gegreyt tsum esn baym breg fun a bazundern tish in
kikh, vu di kekhin hot getararamt mit di tep, un mayn tsayt hot men
ayngeshtelt a sho* nokh zeyer eygenem esn.

iser* tabatshnik hot gemeklert oyfn groysn shnit:  mit tvues*, mit vald,
mit burikes far tsukerzavodn. er iz geven an "osobe"(13):  hoykh, mit
breyte pleytses, a hipshn baykhl, a glatn ponem* un mit a sheyner
tunkeler tsekemter bord, getrogn a tsikhtikn surdut(14) biz di kni,
vinter a shvartsn un zumer a groyen, un a veykhn kapelyush mit a kneytsh
iber der gantser leng. a mine hot er gehat a vazhne, un a vort zayns iz
geven "mit gold tsuglaykh." a gadlen* a yid. zayn vayb sheyne-|leye* hot
geshtamt fun gresern yikhes* vi ir man, hot zikh gehaltn aynfakher un
iz, kentik, geven a gute. geven in hoyz a meydl fun a yor tsvelf, a
mogere, a shvartse, a mies*|e, a kaas*|nte, vos bald epes hot zi zikh
gevorfn oyfn dil un geklapt mit di fis on di vent oder on tish -- un a
yingele fun dray yor. ergets oyf der velt zenen geven oysgegebene
tekhter.

fraytog in der fri iz dos esn lav-dafke*. un mit dray shabes*|dike
sudes* hot mikh bashtat stisi di almone*.

stisi iz geven a hoykhe, shvartse yidene, mit shmole totershe oygn, a
kluge un a shvaygerin, un di goim* hobn far ir derekherets* gehat -- zi
hot gehaltn a kleyne krom mit shnit-skhoyre* un tselnik, maystns far di
goim* un shikses fun di arumike derfer:  hel gefarbte vol- un
bovl-shtofn, kolirte stenges, bintlekh un shnirlekh kreln, koptikhlekh,
gartlen, un der glaykhn. zi iz nisht geven raykh, nor gehat parnose un
an eygene shtub oyf dem "reb*|ns" gas. di shtub iz geven an alte un
nisht keyn groyse, nor a "balebat*|ishe*", dos heyst, mit hiltserne
diln, a blekhenem dakh un afile* lodns oyf di fentster. di
balebat*|ishkayt in shtub hot gefirt ir tokhter tsirl -- a meydl shoyn
in di yorn, a nidrike, nisht keyn sheyne, mit a nisht-gezunter,
nisht-reyner hoyt fun ponem*, oygn shvartse un dafke yo sheyne -- un
zeyer a "statetshne".

un der dinstog iz mir oysgeblibn.
------------------------------------------------------------

End of _The Mendele Review_ 05.008 [cont. in TMR 05009/05010]
Leonard Prager, editor

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