Re: Der Rebe Elimeylekh

[Helen Winkler <winklerh...>]

If anyone is interested in reading descriptions of the the Chasidic courts 
of Europe, there are several chapters devoted to it in the book "From a 
Ruined Garden The Memorial Books of Polish Jewry."
In one chapter "The Kozhenister Rebe"
is described...
"the Rebe in his full glory, his stewards, those accompanying him {sat}at 
the head table ...with prominent Hasidim near him, their proximity befitting 
their rank...Every few minutes another Hasid donated a case of wine...The 
Rebe and his Hasidim drank so much that it was amazing to see them maintain 
their equilibrium"

Another chapter describes a Purim party that went on for about 2 days with 
the participants consuming huge amounts of food and drink(including 96 proof 
liquor) and then travelling by sleigh to the next house to do it all again.

The satiric portrayal in the song is nevertheless similar to these 
descriptions.
Helen


>From: Lori Cahan-Simon <lsimon (at) SoftHome(dot)net>
>Reply-To: jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
>To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
>Subject: Der Rebe Elimeylekh
>Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1999 20:11:29 -0400
>MIME-Version: 1.0
>From owner-jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org Mon Sep 13 17:16:45 1999
>Received: from [207.244.122.42] by hotmail.com (2.1) with ESMTP id 
>MHotMailB9A6DEED0105D82197B1CFF47A2ABDC40; Mon Sep 13 17:16:45 1999
>Received: (qmail 15651 invoked from network); 14 Sep 1999 00:19:50 -0000
>Received: from shamash3.shamash.org (HELO shamash.org) (207.244.122.42)  by 
>shamash.org with SMTP; 14 Sep 1999 00:19:50 -0000
>Return-Path: <lsimon (at) SoftHome(dot)net>
>Delivered-To: jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
>Received: (qmail 15545 invoked from network); 14 Sep 1999 00:19:31 -0000
>Received: from charleston.softhome.net (qmailr (at) 
>204(dot)144(dot)231(dot)41)  by 
>shamash.org with SMTP; 14 Sep 1999 00:19:31 -0000
>Received: (qmail 24652 invoked by uid 417); 14 Sep 1999 00:41:26 -0000
>Received: from net142-130.chuh.org (HELO cwru) (209.57.142.130)  by 
>smtp.softhome.net with SMTP; 14 Sep 1999 00:41:26 -0000
>Message-Id: <3(dot)0(dot)6(dot)32(dot)19990913201129(dot)00837100 (at) 
>pop(dot)SoftHome(dot)net>
>X-Sender: lsimon (at) pop(dot)SoftHome(dot)net
>X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Light Version 3.0.6 (32)
>In-Reply-To: <37BDE6EF(dot)5955 (at) styria(dot)com>
>References: <01BEEB26(dot)FC318160 (at) 
>p54(dot)sas1(dot)dialup(dot)nyc1(dot)flash(dot)net>
>Sender: owner-jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
>X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.2.06 -- ListProc(tm) by CREN
>
>Here is the last verse of a version by Mark Olf, as best as I can make it
>out.  I'm not sure if I have the Yiddish right so I can't translate it
>properly.  Please tell me if what I wrote makes sense; I'm just learning.
>I'm sure someone can help me.
>
>Un ven di fidldike fidlers un di tsimbldike tsimblers
>Un di paykldike paylers payklen op,
>Blaybt der Rebe Elimeylekh, mer ver nor nit azoy freylekh,
>Un shrayt oys, "Oy, mayn kop!  Oy mayn kop!"
>
>Meaning something like:
>
>And when the fiddling fiddler and the cymbling cymbler and the drumming
>drummer finished, the R. E. ended up no longer so merry and shouted out,
>"Oh, my head!  Oh my head!"
>
>I guess after so much making merry he couldn't hold his likker, and became
>a bit more shiker.  ;-)
>-Lori
>Lori Cahan-Simon
>
>

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

---------------------- jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org ---------------------+