PA German Dialect

Es Neinuhr Schtick

8-21-03

Ihr liewe Leit:

Die Kinner gehne nau ball widder in die Schul fer der Winder. 'S iss en gudi Zeit fer zerrichgeh zu de Yaahrbicher vun der Pennsylvaanisch Deitsch Gesellschaft, desmol Yaahrbuch Nummer 6 (1896 un aa widder 1908). In dem Yaahrbuch kann mer Frederick J. F. Schantz seim Gedicht "'S Schulhaus Am Sandloch" lese:

Vor alder Zeit, ich weess net wann,
So lang dass nimmand's saage kann,
Do hen die Leit die dann gelebt
In Arwet viel noch Heecherm gschtreebt.
In seller Zeit, schunn lang verbei,
Hot yedi Karrich gans neegscht debei
En Schulhaus ghatt, wu Grooss un Glee
In Winderzeit, bei Kelt un Schnee,
Sich gsammelt hen von Neegscht un Weit,
Vun Heiser sellmols weit zerschtreit.
In seller Zeit waar's ewwe so:
Die Karriche waarn net blendi do,
Kee Wunner dass fer viele gaar
Es schulgeh groosse Mieh aa waar.
Lange Zeit iss's so fattgange,
Bis Leit annerscht hen aagfange;
Gemeent hen deel sie sollte doch
En Schulhaus baue am Sandloch,
Noh hedde doch die Kinner aa
En Schulhaus ihrer Heemet naah.
Am Greizweg an dem Nordoshct Eck,
Umringt vun Beem fer'n scheeni Deck,
Datt hen geweehlt die alde Leit
In der uns unbekannde Zeit
Es neie Schulhaus hiezubaue,
Darrich arwet un mit Gottverdraue,
Vun raue Schtee un Bushehols,
Mit keener Schpur vun groossem Schtols.
Was laafe kann, des muss dohie
Un lanne dann mit Fleiss un Mieh.
Datt lanne sie in deitscher Schprooch
Es ABC, dann immernoch
Es Schpelle, Lese, Rechle, Schreiwe,
AA Singe, Bede, fromm zu bleiwe.
Sell waar awwer en scheeni Zeit
Fer all die alt un yunge Leit!
Iss'm Schreiwer seim Daadi wie aa noch
Sei Ungel un sei Aentis viel,
So wie die Nochbere in dem Schpiel-
Net weit vun hunnert Yaahr zerrick-
Gegange aa zu ihrem Glick.
Es waar die schennschde Zeit fer sie,
So kummt zum zweddemol sie nie.

Macht's gut,
Der Alt Professer

Dear people:

The children are soon going to go back to school for the winter. It's a good time to go back to the yearbooks of the Pennsylvania German Society, this time yearbook number 6 (1896 and then again 1908). In that yearbook you can read Frederick J. F. Schantz's poem "The Schoolhouse at the Sandpit":

In olden time, I know not when,
So long that no one can tell,
The people who wee alive then
Strove by means of hard work for something higher.
At that time, already long gone by,
Every church, very close by,
Had a schoolhouse where the big and the small
In winter time, by cold and snow,
Gathered from far and wide (near and far),
From houses widely scattered.
At that time that's the way things were:
There weren't many churches,
No wonder that for many
Going to school was a lot of trouble.
For a long time it went that way,
Until people began to do things differently;
Some thought that they should really
Build a schoolhouse at the sand pit,
Then the children would have
A schoolhouse near their homes.
At the crossroad on the northeast corner,
Surrounded by trees for a nice cover,
There the old people voted
In to us this unknown time
To build the new schoolhouse,
With work and with trust in God,
Of rough stone and beech wood,
With no trace of great pride.
Whoever could walk, he had to go there
And then learn with diligence and trouble.
There they learn in PG dialect
Their ABC's, then also
Spelling, reading, arithmetic, writing,
Also singing, praying, staying pious
For all the old and young people!
The writer's daddy and also
His uncles and his many aunts,
As well as the neighbors in this play-
Not far from a hundred years ago -
Luckily went there too.
It was the nicest time for them,
It will never come a second time.

Take care,
The Old Professor

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The Pennsylvania German Society
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at the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center

22 Luckenbill Road

Ephrata, PA 19522

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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