A Test of Endurance!
Yiddish is a rich and expressive language, filled with maxims and humor, bearing linguistic marks of the history and culture of Ashkenazi Jews. While many Yiddish words and phrases have leaked into our modern vernacular: some useful (shlep), some coarse (shmok), some can end up misused and mangled (think choot•spa).
Now, a Yiddish word peppering conversation is one thing, but as time goes on these words and phrases, stripped of their home language, start to lose their creative power and stop transmitting their original sense.
Quite the opposite from English’s sticks and stones having the power to break bones, but words being unable to harm, Yiddish holds that a patsh (oder a klap) fargeyt, a vort beshteyt — a punch you can get over, but a word endures.
We at Yiddishkayt would like to see Yiddish words endure and so we proudly announce our first flash fiction Context Contest
Every month, Yiddishkayt will post a pithy Yiddish proverb, expression, or classic piece of wisdom. It is up to you to write a brilliant piece of microfiction (500 words or fewer) that ends with the proverb, expression, or classic piece of wisdom we give and which provides the most apt use of it. Entries may be posted below on our website in Yiddish or English but may not exceed 500 words (including the provided phrase). Points are awarded for aptness, sharpness, and creativity. You can also send it in to fiction@yiddishkayt.org. Participants agree to have their work published or republished by Yiddishkayt.
Winners will be announced a month later, sent a Yiddishkayt prize, and given the title of Mayor of Yiddishland. Play fair, good luck and let the games begin!
The phrase of the month:
When the peacock looks at his feathers, he swells with pride. When he looks at his feet, he cries.
The phrase and its translation underscore a Yiddish anomaly. While it is the peacock that has the beautiful plumage, Yiddish commits a gender error by ascribing the feathery fairness to the female of the species, the peahen. The translation adheres to biological fact but mis-states the original: “When the peahen looks at her feathers, she swells with pride. When she looks at her feet, she cries.”
The gender error is even more pronounced when we consider that “di goldene pave” (the golden peahen) is generally used as a symbol of Yiddish poetry; it is the peacock that is intended.
Der Vortsman is, of course, right. Technically. But Yiddishkayt disagrees with the idea that Yiddish is committing a “gender error.” Rather than adhering to Western conceptions of gender and of zoology, we believe this seeming mix-up of peahen/peacock derives from an almost prideful ignorance at the intricacy of the bestial world. Yiddish, like Hebrew often, disregards the genitalia (hot keyn faribl nit) of those beings that aren’t really on the same level as people. Yiddish seems to say, “Come on, who’s going to take the time and to investigate the sex of a bird… and what sort of sicko is it who does)!” In its Yiddishistic ignorance of the natural world, Yiddishkayt is reminded of a vits printed in Olsvanger’s classic Röyte Pomerantsen. (Although we know the Vortsman will not excuse us, we beg forgiveness for the use of Olsvanger’s idiosyncratic spelling of Yiddish.)
Ban unz in shtetl iz geven a cheyder, vos der m’lamed iz geven fun di hayntike. Iz ausser vos er flegt lernen mit di kinder chumesh mit Rashi, flegt er zey lernen noch andere zachn; er flegt mit zey shmuessn fun der natur, fun blumen, fun föyglach. Tsu vos er hot es geton, veys ikh nit. Tsu vos darf a idesher ingl vissn, vi der blum heysst, oder vi yener föygl kvitshet? Eygntlach, iz dos an eyssik far goyim. Ober der m’lamed fun undzer shtetl hot azöy gevelt, un fartig. Iz eynmol, iz em ayngefaln tsu darklern di kinder, tsu vos es töygn ale mine chayes. Hayne: tsu vos darf men hobn kets? A poshete zach. Es iz yedue az ketz fressn mayz…. un noch azelche zachn.
“Nu Yankele, un tsu vos darf men hobn shepssn?” fregt der m’lamed a ingl.
Shvaygt der ingl.
Zogt em der rebe: “Nu, vos nemt men arop fun shepssn?”
Git der ingl a tracht un zogt: “Vol, rebe.”
Un tsu vos töyg es?” Veys der ingl nit. Fregt der rebe: “Shöyte, vos macht men fun vol?” Veys der ingl vayter nit. “Goyishe kop! Fun vos hot men gemacht dayn rekl?”
Zogt der ingl: “Fun tatns a por alte höyzn!”
Zei forzicdick, efsher a goy leint dos meinsa!!!