PA German Dialect

Es Neinuhr Schtick

March 10, 2005

Ihr liewe Leit:

   Mannichmol kummt es em alde Professer vor ass der Matz viel windicher waar wann er en yunger Schuler waar – wennichdens kummt es ihm so vor. Yedderebber hot en Keit ghatt un drei odder vier Meil Bendel/Schnur – wennichdens kummt es ihm nau so vor. Do sin zwee Gdichde vum Wind, es aerscht vum D. George Knecht (1876-1966) un es zwett vun der Louise A. Weitzel (1862-1934):

Saag, heerscht du selli Zucht datt draus?
Scheint mir, wie graad am Eck vum Haus!
Heer’s alle nacht, ball alle Schtunn –
Was brummt yuscht so am Hauseck rum?
   Saag mir doch was sell iss, nau kummt,
   Ass mir so in de Ohre brummt;
   Villeicht en Geischt im Zann iss drin,
   Macht seller Larrem mit seiner Schtimm!
‘S iss Owet schpot, der Daag iss rum,
Unner die Sunn, un dunkel sie Schtunn;
Was kann dann so en Larrem sei?
Mach zu die Dier, schunnscht kummt’s do rei!
   ‘S farrichbaar, die Zucht mer heert!
   Der hot mir all mei Ruh verschteert,
   Schpot in der Nacht, mit so me Zuck
   Ass macht der Larrem! – iss sell en Gschpuck?
Kann Dunkelheit en Schpuk nau sei,
Ass dutt ihm so viel Angschde ei?
Der Klang devun em numnerdreickt
Ass mer ball Histerrics grickt?
   “Net Dunkelheit – nau sei net bang!
   Ken beeser Geischt – ‘s iss net sei Zang;
   Des iss der Wind was macht die Yacht –
   Es singt fer uns en freehlichi Nacht.”

   Die Weitzeln, wie immer, hot en glee Lehr fer ihre Leser:

Der Wind, der bloosst im Land erum,
Exactly wie er will;
Ebmols is ser abscheilich rau,
Un ebmols sanft un schtill.
   Er butzt die Heiser aussem Weg
   Wie Bledder vun de Beem;
   Die Mensche hen you haar ken Chance,
   Sie fliehe Haus un Heem.
Im Summer bloosst er sanft un weech,
Datt wu die Rose schtehe;
Mer deet net denke’s waer die seem,
Het mer ihn net gsehe.
   So gebt’s aa Mensche uff der Welt,
   Mer meent es kennt net sei;
   Sie raase ebmols wie en Vieh,
   Noh sin sie zaart un fei.
Es kummt mir vor mer kennt aa meh
Exschpeckde vumme Mann
Ass vunem Wind, der gaar nix weess
Un aa net denke kann!

Macht’s gut,
Der Alt Professer

Dear people:

   Sometimes it seems to the Old Professor that March was much windier when he was a young student/pupil – at least it seems to him that way. Everybody had a kite with three or four miles of string – at least it seems to him that way now. Here are two poems about the wind, the first by D. George Knecht (1876-1966) and the second by Louise A. Weitzel (1862-1934):

Tell me, do you hear that noise out there?
Seems to me it’s right at the corner of the house!
I hear it every night, almost every hour –
What could be that hum at the house corner?
   Tell me now what that is, now come on,
   That hums that way in my ears;
   Perhaps a spirit is angry in there,
   Is making that noise with his voice!
It’s late in the evening, the day is done,
The sun is down, the hour is dark;
What could such a noise be?
Close the door, or else it’ll come in here!
   It’s terrible, the noise one hears!
   It has disturbed my rest,
   Late in the night, with such a jerk/twitch
   That makes the noise! -- is that a spook?
Can darkness be a spook
That makes one so afraid?
The sound of it presses one down
So that one almost gets hysterics?
   “Not darkness – now, don’t be afraid!
   Not a bad spirit – it isn’t its scolding;
   That is the wind that is making that noise –
   It is singing for us a happy night.”

   Weitzel, as always, has a little lesson for her readers:

The wind, it blows around in the land,
Exactly as it wants;
Sometimes it is terribly raw,
And sometimes soft and still.
   It cleans the houses out of the way
   Like leaves from the trees;
   People have no chance at all,
   They flee from the house and home.
In summer it blows quietly and softly,
There where the roses stand;
One wouldn’t think it was the same,
If one hadn’t seen it.
   There are people like that in the world,
   One would think it couldn’t be;
   They rage sometimes like cattle,
   Then they are tender and fine.
It seems to me one could expect more
Of a man
Than from the wind, which knows nothing
And also can’t think!

Take care,
The Old Professor

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updated 3-15-2007 paf