Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 1 no. 120 December 3, 1991 1) "Sha, sha, der rebbe geyt" (Bob Rothstein) 2) -ekhe (Mikhl Herzog) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 2 Dec 91 23:22:05 -0500 From: ROBERT.ROTHSTEIN@SLAVIC.umass.edu Subject: Reply to Mendele Vol 1.118 The song that Hershel Bershady asked about was written by Adolf King (words and music) around 1922. It has two titles: "Sha, sha, der rebe geyt" and "Oy iz dos a rebetsn". The text, as published in sheet music from 1924, is as follows: Sha, sha, es iz shoyn shpeyt, Oy, oy, der rebe geyt, Sha, sha, der rebe iz do In a guter sho. [entire verse repeats] Oy, di rebetsn, Oy iz dos a rebetsn, Vi zi geyt azoy breyt Fun der shul aheym. Khasidimlekh, talmidimlekh, Oy tantsn, zingen antkegn ir. Oy iz dos a rebetsn, Aza yor oyf mir. [last four lines repeat] Sha, sha, es iz shoyn nakht, Oy, oy, der rebe makht A gants nay zemerl Un di rebetsn zingt im tsu. Sha, sha, der rebe denkt, Oy, oy, der rebe denkt, Sha, sha, baym rebn hengt Der zeyger oyf der vant. Sha, sha, es iz shoyn shpeyt, Oy, oy, khasidim, zeyt, Sha, sha, baym rebn shteyt Der gabe bay der tir. Bob 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 3 Dec 91 01:49 EST From: ZOGUR@CUVMB.BITNET Subject: RE: Mendele Vol 1.118 Ellen, I think that the -ekhe suffix (di jodzheke, di berixe, di lejbexe) is simply (?) a Slavic-origin feminizing suffix. There's also di leyzerUxe (i.e, Leyzer's wife). Is there a Slavist out there who can tell us more about the conditions that governthe selection of one or the other? Bob, So much of the Semitic component of Yiddish (somewould say ALL) is derived from or through Aramaic. In other words, it's gemore-loshn. Clearly Yiddish, in turn, influenced the language of Talmudists as well. ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol 1.120