Re: Jump in, the Yiddish is fine

[Sylvia Schildt <creativa...>]

right on


sylvia


on 5/13/03 2:42 PM, Joe Kurland at ganeydn (at) crocker(dot)com wrote:

> At 1:59 PM -0400 5/13/03, LevineLM (at) aol(dot)com wrote:
>> Yes!  Moreover, once you've learnt some Yiddish, you can continue
>> the great tradition of using Yiddish with your spouse when you don't
>> want the kids (or others) to know what you're saying...leading to
>> the great tradition of children (such as mine) learning via what my
>> kids call the "Nisht Far Der Kinder Yiddish" method!
> 
> I can only jump in to this discussion with the lyrics to my song
> about the subject.  You'll find the translation below.
> 
> Yosl (Joe) Kurland
> The Wholesale Klezmer Band
> 
> 
> Redt yidish
> Words and music © 1993 Yosl Kurland
> On "Yidn fun amol" by the Wholesale Klezmer Band
> http://WholesaleKlezmer.com/records.html#yidn
> 
> In di amolike yorn, in elter zeydns tsayt,
> Iz er geven a handler yung, tsvishn fremde layt.
> Hobn gesheftlekhe soydes vos gehert tsu zayne skhoyres,
> Hot im der balebos gegebn an eytse vos flegt yidn oyf dor-doyres:
> 
> Redt yidish, oy, redt yidish; di konkurentn hern.
> Voltn zey geganvet undzere plener, veln mir ongezetst zikh vern.
> Redt yidish, oy, redt yidish. Bahalt tif vos ir meynt.
> Redt yidish, konkurentn zoln nisht farshteyn.
> 
> Un az me hot gehaltn pogromen, hobn gemuzt di yidn antloyfn,
> Neyen rendlekh in di kleyder, a shifskartl tsu koyfn.
> Ganvenen dem grenets in der shvartser nakht,
> Bentshn goyml az zey zenen koym gevoren nitzl fun der shlakht.
> 
> Redt yidish, oy, redt yidish; kozakn hern tsu.
> Voltn zey gevust az mir flien, zey lozn undz nisht keyn ru.
> Redt yidish, oy, redt yidish. Bahalt tif vos ir meynt.
> Redt yidish, kozakn zoln nisht farshteyn.
> 
> Un gekumen in Amerike, un Amerikaner vern,
> Hobn zey gevolt dos loshn fun der alter heym oyskern.
> Muz men lernen kinder redn english take fayn,
> Bahalt fun zey dos loshn vos dermont di alte payn.
> 
> Nor redt yidish, oy, redt yidish; di kinder hern tsu.
> Voltn zey gevust fun undzere tsores, hobn zey nisht keyn ru.
> Redt yidish, oy, redt yidish. Bahalt tif ayer geveyn.
> Redt yidish, di kinder zoln nisht farshteyn.
> 
> Nor az vaksn oyf di eyniklekh, Amerikanere yidn mit shtoltz un mut,
> Un geyn in universitet, zikh tsu lernen zeyer gut,
> To, vosere limudim viln zey forshn? Sara khidesh!
> Vos iz amol geredt gevorn bay yidn, take yidish!
> 
> Redt yidish, oy, redt yidish; tate-mame hern tsu.
> Voltn zey gevust fun undzere tsores, hobn zey nisht keyn ru.
> Redt yidish, oy, redt yidish. Bahalt tif ayer geveyn.
> Redt yidish, tate-mame zoln nisht farshteyn.
> 
> Un az me hot dervust fun di yidishe shraybers, hot men oyfgedekt a
> hartzikn zikorn.
> Zise oytsres fun der yidishkayt zenen umbahaltn gevorn.
> To, lomir redn yidish, yidish zingen un yidish hern.
> Lomir hitn azoy az yidish zol, kholile, nisht farshvunden vern.
> 
> Redt yidish, oy, redt yidish; tsi zayt ir voyle yidn?
> Redt yidish, oy, redt yidish, oy- lomir zayn tsufridn.
> Redt yidish, oy redt yidish, un nisht bay zikh aleyn;
> Redt yidish, mir ale darfn farshteyn.
> 
> Speak Yiddish
> Words and music © 1993 Yosl Kurland
> 
> Long ago, in great grandfather's time,
> He worked for a merchant, among strangers.
> When he had trade secrets to protect,
> His boss gave him advice used by Jews for generations:
> 
> Speak Yiddish, oy, speak Yiddish; our competitors are listening.
> If they were to steal our secrets, we would go bankrupt.
> Speak Yiddish, oy, speak Yiddish; hide your thoughts.
> Speak Yiddish so our competitors won't understand.
> 
> And when pogroms were held, the Jews needed to flee,
> Sewing coins into their clothing to buy their steamship tickets.
> They stole across the border in the darkest night,
> Thanking G-d when they barely escaped from the slaughter.
> 
> Speak Yiddish, oy, speak Yiddish; Cossacks are listening.
> If they knew that we were leaving, they would not let us escape.
> Speak Yiddish, oy, speak Yiddish; hide your thoughts.
> Speak Yiddish so the Cossacks won't understand.
> 
> And coming to America, becoming Americans,
> They wanted to get rid of the language of their old home.
> We must teach our children to speak very good English, and
> Hide from them the language that reminds us of our suffering.
> 
> But speak Yiddish, oy, speak Yiddish; the children can hear.
> If they knew our troubles, they would have no peace.
> Speak Yiddish, oy, speak Yiddish; hide your tears.
> Speak Yiddish so the children won't understand.
> 
> But when the grandchildren grow up, proud American Jews,
> And they go to university to get an education,
> Well, what subjects do you suppose they study? What a surprise!
> The language that Jews once spoke, well, of all things, Yiddish!
> 
> Speak Yiddish, oy, speak Yiddish; our parents are listening.
> If they knew our troubles, they would have no peace.
> Speak Yiddish, oy, speak Yiddish; hide your tears.
> Speak Yiddish so father and mother won't understand.
> 
> And when we have learned about the Yiddish writers, we uncover a sweet memory.
> Treasures of Yiddishkayt have been rediscovered.
> So let's speak Yiddish, sing Yiddish, and listen to Yiddish.
> Let us assure that Yiddish, G-d forbid, does not disappear.
> 
> Speak Yiddish, oy, speak Yiddish- are you happy to be Jews?
> Speak Yiddish, oy, speak Yiddish. Let's take pleasure in it.
> Speak Yiddish, oy, speak Yiddish, and not only among ourselves;
> Speak Yiddish, everyone should understand.
> 
> ---------------------- jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org 
> ---------------------+
>