YIDDISH POEM > > by Gene Wilder > For those in the RP group whose parents & or grandparents spoke Yiddish growing up! Oy Vey! :) > > > Yiddish was the secret code, therefore I dont farshtaist, > A bisseleh maybe here and there, the rest has gone to waste. > Sadly when I hear it now, I only get the gist, > My Bubbe spoke it beautifully; but me, I am tsemisht. > So oi vei as I should say, or even oy vai iz mir, > Though my pisk is lacking Yiddish, its familiar to my ear. > And Im no Chaim Yonkel, in fact I was shtick naches, > But, when it comes to Yiddish though, Im talking out my tuchas. > > Es iz a shandeh far di kinder that I dont know it better > (Though its really nishtgefelecht when one needs to write a letter). > But, when it comes to characters, theres really no contention, > No other linguist can compete with honorable mentshen: > They have nebbishes and nebechels and others without mazel, > Then, too, schmendriks and schlemiels, and lets not forget schlemazel. > > These words are so precise and descriptive to the listener, > So much better than a pill is to call someone farbissener. > Or - that a brazen woman would be better called Choleria, > And youll agree farklempt says more than does hysteria. > > Im not haken dir a tshainik and I hope Im not a kvetch, > But isnt mieskeit kinder, than to call someone a wretch? > > Mitten derinnen, I hear Bubbe say, Its nechtiker tog, dont fear, > To me youre still a maven, zol zein shah, dont fill my ear. > > A leben ahf dein keppele, I dont mean to inte rrupt, > But you are speaking narishkeit... > > And...A gezunt auf dein kop! > > > > > > If you need a Yiddish dictionary go to pass.to/glossary/Default.htm
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 01:38:06 +0000