The History of Yiddish Literature in the Nineteenth CenturyWiener, Leo
History
The History of Yiddish Literature in the Nineteenth Century
Wiener, Leo
Yiddish literature -- History and criticism
A klēine Weile wöllen mir spielen,
Dem Kind in Cheeder wöllen mir führen,
Wet er lernen a Pāar Schures,
Wöllen mir hören gute Pschures,
Gute Pschures mit viel Mailes,
Zu der Chupe paskenen Schailes,
's 'et sein gefällen der ganzer Welt,
Chossen-kale--a vulle Geld,
A vulle Geld mit Masel-broche,
Chossen-kale--a schoene Mischpoche,
Schoene Mischpoche mit schoenem Trest,
Ābgestellt auf drei Jahr Köst.
A little while we shall play, we shall lead the child to school;
there he will learn a few lines, and we shall get good reports,
good reports with many good things, and he will settle religious
disputes upon his wedding day. The whole world will be
satisfied,--bridegroom and bride--a purse full of money; full of
money, may it bring blessings; bridegroom and bride--a fine family;
a fine family with fine apparel, and at their house you'll stay
three years.
The man's career used to run in just such a stereotyped manner: at a
tender age, when children have not yet learned to properly articulate
their speech, he was sent to the Cheeder, the elementary Jewish school;
long before the romantic feeling has its rise in youth, he was betrothed
and married; but unable to earn a livelihood for the family with which
he prayed to be blessed, he had to stay for a number of years with his
parents or parents-in-law, eating 'Köst,' or board; this time he
generally passed in the Talmud school, perfecting himself in the
casuistry of religious discussion, while the woman at once began to care
for her ever-increasing family. Under such conditions love could not
flourish, at least not that romantic love of which the young Gentiles
dream and which finds its utterance in their popular poetry. The word
'love' does not exist in the Judeo-German dictionary, and wherever that
feeling, with which they have become acquainted only since the middle
of this century, is to be named, the Jews have to use the German word
'Liebe.' The man's hope was to marry into some 'schoene Mischpoche,' a
good and respected family, while the girl's dream was to get a husband
who was well versed in 'rabonische Tōre,' _i.e._ Jewish lore. While the
boy, by his occupation with the Bible and the Talmud, was taught to look
on marriage as on an act pleasing to God, the girl was freer to allow
her fancy to roam in the realms bordering on the sensations of love:
Schoen bin ich, schoen, un' schoen is' mein Nāmen:
Redt män mir Schiduchim vun grōsse Rabonim.
Rabonische Tōre is' sēhr grōss,
Un' ich bei mein Mamen a züchtige Rōs'.
A Rōs' is' auf'n Dach,
A lichtige Nacht,
Wasser is' in Stub, Holz is' in Haus,
Welchen Bocher hāb' ich feind, treib' ich ihm araus!
Fischelach in Wasser, Kräppelach in Puter,
Welchen Bocher hāt mich feind, a Ruch in sein Mutter!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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