Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 5.191 December 11, 1995 1) Stencl Memorial Volume (Leonard Prager) 2) Yiddish in italie (Moises Kijak) 3) Bekesha vs. kapote (Pe'rets Mett) 4) Yiddishkayt goes to the movies (David Sherman) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 11 Dec 95 13:09:25 IST From: rhle302@uvm.haifa.ac.il Subject: Stencl Memorial Volume/Else Lasker Schueler's Poem on Stencl I am happy to report that the Abraham Nahum Stencl Memorial Volume is nearing completion. A section of the book will include translations and transcriptions of representative verse by the Berlin and London poet. There is still time for Mendelyaner to suggest poems for this section and to submit their own translations. Stencl's relationship with the German-Jewish poet, Else-Lasker Schueler, has been closely studied by Heather Valencia. (See her _Else Lasker-Schueler und Abraham Nochem Stenzel; Eine unbekannte Freundschaft_. Mit jiddischen und deutschen Texten aus dem Elisabeth-Woehler Nachlass. Campus Judaica, Band 5. Frankfurt a. Main: Campus Verlag, 1995.) Schueler wrote a poem on Stencl, which was not known until Valencia discovered it. Schueler's poem and Valencia's English translation are given below. Heather Valencia (whose doctoral dissertation was on the Yiddish poet Avrom Sutskever) can be reached by email (H.M.Valencia@Stir.ac.uk). ***** Else Lasker Schueler "Abraham Stenzel" (1.7.1924) Als Abraham ganz jung war, Nannte ihn Gott: Hamid. Ich weiss es noch, denn erst viertausend Und ein Schaltjahr ist es her. Ich hing zwar noch am Baum Im Schatten einer Cocospalme. Mein Spielgefaehrte, Abraham Stenzel, Gaerte mit dem Mark im Stamm. Begraben sind die Bibeljahre laengst -- Wir beide tragen nur noch sehnsuechtig den Flor Um unsern blauen Hut, Der demuetig die Stirn vor Gott bedeckt. Der Hamid ist der Dichter des Jargons, Des Ghettoplatts. Wenn er es spricht, hilflos und ruehrend, Pocht an mein Herz das Jugendvolkslied. Er ist ein inniger innerlicher Dichter Un seine Unverfaelschtheit macht ihn liebenswert. Wenn wir nach Mitternacht Im Winter vom Romanischen Cafehaus Zusammen leiernd durch den Schnee Wie durch die Wueste trabten, Kopf geneigt -- ueberall Sahara: Zwei edle Wuestentiere er und ich. In seinen gruenen Jordanaugen Erinnern Traeume sich vom Erzvater? Und jedem Suedenwinde blickt er nach, Der ueber seine schwarzen Haare streicht. Ich liebe seiner schoenen Verse Kabala Sie traegt sein frommes Angesicht als Medaillon. ***** Else Lasker Schueler "Abraham Stenzel" When Abraham was very young, God named him: Hamid. This I know, for it was only One leap year and four thousand years ago. I was still hanging on the tree Overshadowed by a coconut palm. My playmate, Abraham Stenzel Welled up from the sap of the tree. The biblical years were buried long ago We two alone still wear the mourning band Longingly round our blue hat, Which modestly covers our brow before God. Hamid is the poet of _jargon_, The language of the ghetto. When he speaks it, childlike and touching, The folksong of my youth enters my heart. He is a deep and fervent poet Lovable in his purity of heart. Often in winter, returning after midnight >From the Romanische Cafe, We trotted weaving through the snow As through the desert, Heads bent -- Sahara everywhere, Noble beasts of the desert he and I. In his green Jordan-eyes, Do his dreams remember the Patriarch? He gazes after the south wind Which caresses his black hair. I love the Kabbala of his beautiful verses Which wear, like a talisman, his godly face. (dated 1 July 1924 in Elizabeth Woehler's manuscript in the Archiv Bibliographia Judaica, Frankfurt) ***** translated from the German by Heather Valencia Heather Valencia's book (ISBN 3-593-35391-1) can be ordered from Campus Verlag, Heerstrasse 149, Frankfurt a. Main (Fax 069-97651678). It is priced at DM/sFR 38,oeS 293. Leonard Prager 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 11 Dec 1995 04:42:53 -0300 From: administ@kijak.recom.edu.ar Subject: Yiddish in italie Taier fraint, ikh hob zikh nekhtn getrofn mit a khaver, vos iz ersht gekumen fun italie. er hot mir gebrakht tzvei naies velkhe zenen mistome far fil fun aikh nisht bakant. 1. es iz nor vos dershinen itzkhok katzenelsons "dos lid fun oisgehargetn idishn folk" oif idish , tzuzamen mit an italeinisher iberzetzung (Sigris Sohn un Daniel Vogelmann) un an idisher texst in lateinishe oisies. (farlag Giuntina,Via Ricasoli 26, Firenze) 2. tzvishn dem 19 un dem 26 november iz forgekumen in venedik (Venezia) der festival fun der idisher kultur (festival di cultura ebraica), organizirt durkh der munitzipalitet un der idisher kehile. Tzvishn di fil tetikaitn, zenen gevizn gevorn di idishe filmen "yidl mitn fidl" un "der dybuk". Maim fraint hot oikh gezen anonsn vegn an idish-kurs vos di munitzipalitet shtitzt (oif ale munitzipalitetn gezogt gevorn). Er gedenkt nisht dem nomen fun der froi vos firt on mitn kurs. vi es iz aikh bakant, iz eliohu bojer baerdikt inem beis oilem in venedik. az er vet funem oilem emes aropkukn, vet er efsher hobn a bisl nakhes. zait ale gezunt. aier argentiner fraint. Moises Kijak 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 11 Dec 95 11:16:34 GMT From: p.mett@open.ac.uk Subject: Bekesha vs. kapote Nowadays 'bekishe' is much more widespread than 'kapote' for the shabes garb of khsidm. I have heard kApete only amongst those who originate from kongres poyln. The long coat worn by misnagdim is also called kapete but most of its wearers speak 'litvish' and pronounce it kapOte. The (decorated) informal shabes coat tends to be called tish-bekishe, although I am more used to calling it a khalAt. pe'rets mett 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 11 Dec 95 0:38:50 EST From: dave@cai.lsuc.on.ca Subject: Yiddishkayt goes to the movies Yasher koyekh on the Yiddiskayt movies in L.A. Which leads me to thinking... what Hollywood movies have included Yiddish in them? I can think of a few: Blazing Saddles -- scene with Mel Brooks as a Yiddish-speaking Indian chief Thorougly Modern Millie -- Julie Andrews singing a khasene-tants in Yiddish, which has nothing at all to do with the story line (not that many of the songs do). The Frisco Kid -- Gene Wilder as a rabbi from Europe who ends up in a western; I seem to recall there's Yiddish in the opening scenes, but I'm not sure. David Sherman ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 5.191 Mendele has 2 rules: 1. Provide a meaningful Subject: line 2. Sign your article (full name please) Send articles to: mendele@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu Send change-of-status messages to: listserv@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu a. For a temporary stop: set mendele nomail b. To resume delivery: set mendele mail c. To subscribe: sub mendele first_name last_name d. To unsubscribe kholile: unsub mendele Other business: nmiller@mail.trincoll.edu ****Getting back issues**** 1. Anonymous ftp archives are available. ftp ftp.mendele.trincoll.edu in the directory pub/mendele/files A table of contents is also available, along with weekly updates. 2. Mendele archives can also be reached as follows: via WWW: http://sunsite.unc.edu/yiddish/mewais.html via gopher: gopher://sunsite.unc.edu/11/../.pub/academic/languages/yiddish/mendele via ftp: ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/academic/languages/yiddish/mendele