PA German Dialect

Es Neinuhr Schtick

                                                                       
 
August 31, 2000

Ihr Liewe Leit:

   Die Kinner gehne widder in die Schul – ich kann die Schulbusse heere wie sie am haus verbei gehne.

   Es waar nadierlich net immer so. Wie ihr elder Leser wisst, sin mer immer in die Schul geloffe, un es waar do haus uffem Land fascht immer en eeschtubbiches Schulhaus.

  Der Henry Harbaugh (ya, derv adder vun der Pennsylvaanisch Deitsche Lidderadur) hot awwer net zu weit laafe misse. In seim Gedicht “Das Alt Schulhaus and der Krick” schreibt er:

Heit iss’s saecktli zwansich Yaahr
Dass ich bin owwenaus;
Nau bin ich widder lewich zerrick
Un schteh am Schulhaus an der Krick,
Yuscht neegscht an Daadis Haus.

Der D. B. Shuey hot aa net weit laafe misse. In seim Gedicht “Des Schulhaus an der Karrich” sagt er uns wu sei Schul gschtanne hot:

Gans neegscht wu ich mei Heemet hab,
Net weit vum neie Wagnerschapp,
Sehnscht du en Haus gans iwwerzwarrich—
Sell iss’s Schulhaus an der Karrich.

Un wu waar em M.P. Flick sei Schul? Do sin Linye aus seim Gedicht ‘’S Alt Schulhaus am Weg”:

Des Schulhaus schteht datt an der Schtrooss,
Graad newe an dem Weg.
Fer Yaahre lang waar es gekennt
“’S Schulhaus an dem Weg.”

Fer en langi Zeit hen die Kinner im Frederick J. F. Schantz seim Schteddel zu weit laafe misse fer in die Schul geh. Awwer in seim Gedicht “’S Schulhaus am Sandloch” schreibt er:

Langi Zeit iss’s so fattgange
Bis Leit annerscht hen aagfange;
Gemeent hen deel se sollde doch
En Schulhaus baue am Sandloch.

Gemeenerhand hen die eeschtubbiche Schulheiser vier Ecke un vier Wend ghatt. Un wie mer sich denke kann, hot die Schtubb Desks, Benk, Disch, un Offe ghatt. Der Harbaugh schreibt:

Die lange Desks rings an der Wand,
Die groosse Schieler drum;
Uff eener Seit die groosse Meed,
Un datt die Buwe net so bleed—
Guck wie sie piepe rum!

Inwennich um der Offe rum
Hocke die gleene Tschaepps.
Die lanne aartlich hatt, verschteh,
Un waer net weess sei A, B, C –
Sei Ohre griege Raepps.

Mer misse neegscht Woch weidermache.

Macht’s gut,
Der Alt Professer

 
Dear people:

   The children are going to school again – I can hear the school busses as they go past the house.

   It was naturally not always thus. As you older readers know, we always walked to school, and it was out here in the country almost always as a one room school house.

   Henry Harbaugh (yes, the Father of Pennsylvania German literature) did not, however, have to walk too far. In his poem “The Old School House at the Creek” he writes:

Today it is exactly 20 years
That I left home (went over and out);
Now I am back alive
And stand at the school house at the creek,
Just next to Daddy’s house.

D. B. Shuey also did not have to walk far. In his poem “The School House at the Church” he tells us where his school stood:

Very close to where I have my home,
Not far from the wagner’s shop,
You see a house all twisted—
That is the school house at the church.

And where was M.P. Flick’s school? Here are lines from his poem “The Old School House at the Road”:

The schoolhouse stands there at the street,
Just beside the road.
For years it was known as
“The school house at the road.”

For a long time the children in Frederick J. F. Schantz’s village had to walk to far to go to school. But in his poem “The School House at the Sand Quarry” he writes:

For a long time it went on that way
Till people began to think otherwise;
Some thought they should really
Build a school house near the sand quarry.

Usually the one room school houses have four corners and four walls. And as one can imagine, the room has desks, benches, tables and stoves. Harbaugh writes:

The long desks along the walls,
The big (older) pupils at them

On one side the big girls,
And there the boys not so stupid –
Look how they’re peeping around!

Inside, around the stove,
Sit the little boys (chaps).
They learn very hard, understand,
And whoever doesn’t know his A, B, C –
His ears will get raps.

We’ll have to continue next week.

Take care,
The Old Professor
 
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