PA German Dialect

Es Neinuhr Schtick

March 17, 2005

Ihr liewe Leit:

   Am 17. feiere mer em Heiliche Paetrick sei Daag. Es kennt sei as der Parre William H. Erb (1870-1940) es eensciht PD Gedicht vum Paetrick gschriwwe hot wie er 1937 mol en roder Siwwezeheder uff seim Kallener gsehne hot. Do sin en paar Vaerscht devun:

Uff mein Kallenner, rot gedruckt,
   Sehn ich en Feierdaag;
Ich grick mei Brill un butz sie ab,
   Zu sehne was es saagt.

St. Patrick’s Daag iss was es iss,
   So schteht es datt gedruckt;
Doch schur zu sei, dass ich recht bin,
   Hab ich dreimol geguckt.

Der Patrick waar en guder Mann,
   So saage mir die Leit:
Er dreibt die Schlange aus em Land
   In der gude, alde Zeit.

Sell waar datt driwwe in Eierland,
   Sin aa viel Eirische datt;
Sie drinke nau was ihne schmeckt,
   Die Schlang sin all fatt.

   Awwer ich glaab ihr PD viel mehner Indresse hen in der Zwansichschde, der aerscht Daag im Friehling 2005. Do sin Vaerscht aussem Ralph Funk seim Gedicht “Friehling”:

Wann der Blohvoggel kummt
Un Forell wider tschumpt
Un der Haas iss wusslich im Glee;
Wann der Biwwi schee peipft
Un die Nacht nimmi reift,
Un am Dach gebt’s ken Eiszappe meh;
Wann die Pissebett Blumm
Weist sich alliwwer rum,
Un’s Graas in de Felder iss grie;
Wann der Bauer im Feld
Welschkann Farrich graad schtellt,
Wann die sunn in der Heeh
Scheint so warm un so schee,
Un die “kneedeeps,”, die greische im Schwamm;
Wann die Eil un Schpeckmaus
Sin mol nachts widder draus,
Un der Bullfrack singt bass im Damm;
Noh iss Winder verbei
Un vun Schnee sin mer frei—
Wie is doch der Himmel so bloh!
Was en lieblichi Zeit
Un so haerrlich die Leit,
Wann Friehyaahr iss widder do!

Macht’s gut,
Der Alt Professer

Dear people:

   On the 17th we are going to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. It could be that Pastor William H. Erb (1870-1940) wrote the only PG poem about Patrick when in 1937 he once saw a red 17 on his almanac/calendar. Here are a few verses:

On my calendar, printed in red,
   I see a holiday;
I get my glasses and clean them off,
   To see what it says.

St. Patrick’s Day is what it says,
   There it stands printed;
But to be sure that I am right,
   I looked three times.

Patrick was a good man,
   So the people tell me;
He drives the snakes from the land
   In the good, old times.

That was over there in Ireland,
   There are a lot of Irish there;
They drink whatever tastes good to them,
   The snakes are all gone.

   But I believe that you PGs are much more interested in the twentieth, the first day of spring 2005. Here are verses from Ralph Funk’s poem “Spring”:

When the bluebird comes
And trout again jump
And the rabbit is lively in the clover;
When the peewit nicely whistles
And there’s no longer frost in the night,
And no more icicles at the roof (eave);
When the dandelion flower
Shows up all around,
And the grass in the fields is green;
When the farmer in the field
Straightens out the corn furrows,
When the sun up on high
Shines so warm and so nicely,
And the “kneedeeps” cry out in the swamp;
When the owl and the bat
Are out again at night,
And the bullfrog sings bass in the dam;
Then winter is over
And we are free of snow –
How blue the sky is!
What a dear time
And the people so happy/cheerful,
When spring is here again!

Take care,
The Old Professor

Click here to go to PA German Dialect archive page.

The Pennsylvania German Society
Located in the Zimmerman Cabin

at the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center

22 Luckenbill Road

Ephrata, PA 19522

Our mailing address is:

The Pennsylvania German Society

P.O. Box 118
Ephrata, PA 19522
(484) 646-4227
Fax: (484) 646-4228
E-mail: pgs@kutztown.edu

updated 3-15-2007 paf