Re: The golden Peacock/Goldene Pave

[Steve Weintraub <dancinsteve...>]

Its always somewhat risky to attribute a literal meaning to a poetic metaphor, 
but here goes.  I first heard the term goldene pave or golden peacock in a song 
recorded by the Klezmatics "Di zun vet aruntegeyn" - the sun will set, words by 
Moshe Lieb Halpern, music by Ben Yomen.  The verse, translated, says:
The sun will set behind the hill
The golden peacock will come
And take us to the place we long for.

In this context, the golden peacock sounds Messianic, or at least like Hope- 
the place Jews in the diaspora long for being Israel.  And a golden peacock is 
certainly as paradaisacal an animal as I can imagine.

In this context, its possible for someone to read the mistreated bride as Jews 
in the diaspora, far from their maternal home, and longing for words from 
overseas.  Perhaps Halpern read the folksong in that way (whatever its original 
intent) and used the image of the golden peacock with that reference.

-Steve
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Allen Davis 
  To: World music from a Jewish slant 
  Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2002 5:47 PM
  Subject: Re: The golden Peacock/Goldene Pave


  Helen,

  I'm sure you have the introduction to the Ginzburg/Marek song in "Mir Trogn a 
Gezang":

  "...The theme of the bitter and harsh treatment of a young bride by her 
in-laws is a popular one in Yiddish folk song. The golden peacock became the 
poetic symbol of the Yiddish folk song, carrying messages and greetings from 
loved ones." (p.106)

  I looked in my copy of the book "The Golden Peacock" by Joseph Leftwich (the 
1961, not the original 1939 edition), and found no additional source material 
for the image in the introduction. The poem by Bialik is presented in that 
collection:

  The golden peacock flies away,
  Where are you flying, pretty bird?
  I fly across the sea,
  Please ask my love to write a word,
  To write a word to me!
  I know your love, and I shall bring
  A letter back, to say,
  With a thousand kisses, that for spring
  He plans the wedding day.

  Does that help at all?
  .





  At 10:42 AM 4/11/02 -0600, you wrote:

    Someone asked me the following question:
    re: Di Goldene Pave" the Golden Peacock - a yiddish poem by  Anna Margolin 
set to music by Chava Alberstein and the Klezmatics.  All my research indicates 
that the Golden Peacock is the symbol for Jewish 'folk' music".  Are you aware 
of any other 'meaning' behind the "Golden Peacock"?  The poem would seem to be 
a love poem, but it would seem that there is a deeper meaning beneath that???  
Where did the Golden Peacock originate?
     
    Does anyone have an answer?  I'll forward the answer on.
     
     
    Helen

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