PA German Dialect

Es Neinuhr Schtick

October 13, 2005

Ihr liewe Leit:

   Wie mer schunn fer en paar Wocke gesehne hen, kann mer net viel vun Esel lanne, wennichdens nix was mer net schunn wisse.

   Awwer Hinkel! Hinkel sin ebbes schunscht! Vun Hinkel kann mer viel lanne. Do iss en Beischpiel:

Die Hinkel scharre uffem Mischt
   Un finne immer Warrem;
En Deel sin yuscht so wunsich glee,
   Un annre lang wie Darrem.

Sie scharre links, sie scharre rechts,
   Dass Schtroh un Dreck dutt fliege,
Sin schteddi fleissich, gaxe viel,
   Verdiene was sie griege.

Sie glaage net wann’s net gut geht,
   Un wann sie net viel finne;
Wann sie ken dicke Warrem hen,
   Dann fresse sie die dinne.

Vun denne Hinkel lannt mer des:
   Mer sett net immer kicke;
Die gleene Warrem mache satt,
   Sowohl wie groose, dicke.

Des Lewe nemme wie es kummt,
   In gut un hadde Zeide;
‘S hot immer Bletz wu mer scharre kann,
   Un brauch ken Hunger leide.

   So hot der William H. Erb (1870-1940) gschriwwe in seim Gedicht “Bedenkt die Hinkel.” Un wie gsaat, mer hen heit ebbes gelannt.

   Awwer mer kenne sogaar noch meh lanne. Do iss en Lehr ass der Frank W. Matz uns gebt in seim Schtick Nadurbuch:

   Der Haahne iss en fedderichi Weckuhr. Die Ursach, dass er sich so schtols weist iss weil er en groosi Gaab hot: er kann wacker warre wann die Daageschelling kummt. Er kennt woll en Milyoneer sei, wann er noh ebbes duh deet wann er mol wacker iss, awwer er dutt nix als greehe.

   Er iss awwer schtols ass er die gans Nochberschaft wecke kann. Die Haahne wecke meh Leit als die Weckuhr. Der Haahne brauch mer net uffziehe; ann mer die Haahne schtoppe will vum Greehe, Muss mer ihm sei Hals drehe un sell schtoppt ihn graad.

   Der Haahne iss hibsch un schtols, un sei viele Weiwer liewe ihn arrig. Dieweil sie Oier lege, dutt er watscht, un wann’s Oi gelegt iss, nemmt er all der Kredditt fer der Tschab. Dieweil dass sei Weiwer die Kinner uffziehe, watscht der haahne so dass ken Grappe odder Hinkelwoi kumme fer die gleene Hinkelin zu fange.

   Fer die wichdichi Lehr am End der do Gschicht misse mer neegscht Woch wiederlese!

Macht’s gut,
Der Alt Professer

Dear people:

   As we have seen now for a couple of weeks, we cant learn very much from mules/asses, at least nothing that we don’t already know.

   But chickens! Chickens are something else! We can learn a lot from chickens. Here is an example:

The chicken scratch on the manure (pile)
   And always find worms;
Some are just so tiny little,
   And others are thick as intestines.

They scratch left, they scratch right,
   So that straw and dirt fly,
Are steadily diligent, cackle a lot,
   And earn what they get.

They don’t complain when things don’t go well,
   And if they don’t find a great deal;
If they have no thick worms,
   Then they eat the thin ones.

From those chickens one learns this:
   One shouldn’t always kick;
The little worms also satisfy,
   As well at the large and thick.

To take life the way it comes,
   In good and bad times;
There are always places you can scratch,
   And needn’t suffer hunger.

   And thus William H. Erb (1870-1940) wrote in his poem “Consider the Chickens.” And as we have said, we learned something today.

   But we can actually learn a lot more. Here is a lesson that Frank W. Matz gives us in his piece Book of Nature:

   The cock/rooster is a feathery alarm clock. The reason that he seems so proud is that he has a great gift: he can get awake when daylight comes. He could no doubt be a millionaire if he did something else when he got awake, but he does nothing but crow.

   But he is proud that he can wake up the whole neighborhood. Roosters wake more people that do alarm clocks. You don’t have to wind up a rooster; if you want to stop a rooster from crowing, you have to wring its neck, and that stops him right there and then.

   The rooster is handsome and proud, and his many wives love him very much. While they are laying eggs, he watches, and when the egg has been laid, he takes all the credit for the job. While hes wives are raising/rearing the children, the rooster watches so that the crows or chicken hawks don’t come to catch the little chicks.

For the important lesson at the end of this here storey, we’ll have to continue reading next week!

Take care,
The Old Professor

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