PA German Dialect

Es Neinuhr Schtick

April 29, 2004

Ihr liewe Leit:

Mei Kallenner saagt mir ass mer marrige der "Arbor Day" feiere. "Arbor" iss ladeinisch fer PD "Baam," un sell meent ass mer marrige "der Baamdaag" nenne kenne, en Daag wu mer Beem blanse sette. Un so fange mer heit aa mit Linye aussem Ralph Funk (1889-1969) seim Gedicht "Der Keschdebaam":

Wie ich waar noch en yunger Bu,
Wie's ewwe geht, hot die Unruh
   Mich nausgeyaagt ins Feld;
Datt waar en gleener Keschdebaam,
En gleeni Wipp, so aarm un laahm,
   Doch was er schtrack sich schtellt!

Ich hab en gleeni Fens drumgschtellt,
Wann ebber nausgeht do ins Feld,
   Dass er net driwwer laaft;
Noh hab ich datt en Schtickel gsetzt,
Un druff es Yaahrzaahl gschnidde, yetzt,
   Ihn sell Weg gedaaft.

In paar Yaahr bin ich owwenaus,
Der Baam macht fatt, schlooft ei, schlaagt aus,
   Wie Beem gewehnlich duhn;
Un's waar vleicht fimfunzwansich Yaahr
Bis ich bin zrick un guck devor
   En scheener Daag in Tschuun.

Ei, sehn yuscht mol, so'n grooser Baam,
Un nimmi glee un aarm un laahm.
   Wie ich en letscht Mol seh;
Die Fens verrisse -alles fatt-
Der Schtickel gfault un nimmi datt,
Ken Marker brauch er meh.

   Awwer Beem waxe net immer schtarrick un hoch in die Ewichkeit nei. Wie der Parre Charles A. Butz (1874-1945) mol gschriwwe hot:

Im Kaerrichebusch, net weit vun heem-
'S waar noch in meiner Kindheets Daage-
Do sin gschtanne Keschdebeem
Gaar groos genunk fer Frucht zu draage.
Sie aazusehne waar en Luscht-
Wie Brieder sin sie gschtanne schee;
Nau wann ich guck, dann schmaerzt mei Bruscht-
Die Briederschaft sehn ich net meh.

De Vedder waar's en Haerrlichkeet
Zu sitze oft im Schadde datt;
'S waar fer sie gaar en groosi Freeht,
Zu schwetze vun was lengscht waar fatt.

Die Beem hen aa in schpeedre Zeit
Fer Groos un Glee en Freeht gemacht;
Ich weess noch gut wie vun so weit
Sie kumme sin am Samschdaag Nacht
Un datt im Busch hen Picknick gschpielt-
'S iss land zerrick, des gewwich ei-
Es scheint die Leit hen luschdich gfiehlt.
Nau, wie die Beem, 's iss all verbei!

Beem. Nau sehnscht sie, nau sehnscht sie net!

Macht's gut,
Der Alt Professer

Dear people:

   My calendar/almanac tells me that we are going to celebrate Arbor Day tomorrow. "Arbor" is Latin for "tree"; and that means that we can call tomorrow "Tree Day," a day when we should be planting trees. And so we will begin today with lines from Ralph Funk's (1889-1969) poem "The Cherry Tree":

When I was still a young boy,
You know how it goes, unrest/restlessness
   Chased me out into the fields;
There was there a little cherry tree,
A little whip, so poor and lame,
   Yet how erect it stands there!

I put a little fence around it,
So that if someone goes out into the field
He won't walk over it;
Then I put there a stake,
Cut the year into it, now,
   And baptized the tree that way.

In a few years I left the area,
The tree continued, falls asleep, sprouts shoots,
As trees usually do;
And it was perhaps 25 years
Till I returned and looked for it
   A nice day in June.

Oh, just look, such a big tree,
And no longer small and poor and lame,
   As I saw it the last time;
The fence torn away - everything gone-
The stake rotted and no longer there,
It no longer needs a marker.

   But trees don't always grow strong and high into eternity. As Pastor Charles A. Butz (1874-1945) once wrote:

In the church woods, not far from home-
It was still in my childhood days-
There stood chestnut trees,
Big enough to bear fruit/chestnuts.
To look at them was a joy-
Like brothers they stood there nicely;
Now when I look, then my breast pains me-
I no longer see that brotherhood.

It was a glorious thing for our fathers
To sit often in the shade there;
It was for them an especially great joy
To talk about what was gone already long ago.

The trees also in later times made
Joy for adults and youngsters;
I still remember well how from afar
They came on Saturday evenings
And there in the woods had picnics-
It's a long time ago, I'll admit that-
It seems the people felt happy.
Now like the trees, everything is gone/over!

Trees. Now you see them, now you don't!

Take Care,
The Old Professor

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