The History of Yiddish Literature in the Nineteenth Century

by Leo Wiener

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And now? Is it better? Do they leave us in peace? Have they come to recognize that we Jews are also men like all others? Shall we no longer wander about in the world? Will they no longer complain of us? That I do not know, that I cannot tell you. Thus much I know, there still lives the old God above, the old Law below, and the old faith; therefore do not worry, and hope in the kind Lord and in the holy Law written upon parchment!

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Your health, brethren, your health! To-day we finish the Law, to-day we begin to read it anew; hence, may you prosper in peace, dear brethren! Do not worry, and hope in the kind Lord and in the Law written upon parchment!

IX. THE DOBBIN

In the field I see feeding noble goats, asses, whole herds of horses who have genealogies that prove their

as see stammen araus vun ēdle Eltern. Ēinems Seede is' an englischer Oger, wās hāt varzeitens, durchfāhrendig durch dem Land Kenoan, Chassene geha't mit an arabischer Schkape. Dem Anderens Babe wachst vun a berühmter Mischpoche, wās hāt in Leben genug Pulwer geschmeckt, un' Jenems Älter-bābe hāt genossen a gute Erziehung, a Edukazje, ergez in a berühmten Sawod, is' gewesen a Melumedes un' hāt in ihr Zeit gegeben Konzert in Tanzen un' Springen in-ēinem mit noch assach gebildete, gelernte Ferd. Denn ihr musst wissen, as bei Ferd spielt Jiches a grōsse Rolje, bei see kuckt män stark auf ēdel Blut, un' die wās fun a guten Sawod hēissen ēdel oder wōhlgeborene. Die dāsige ēdele Ferd hāben sich gefüttert frank un' frei, senen äuch gegangen in Schāden, kalje gemacht die Twues, welche āreme Pauern hāben gesaet mit Schwēiss nebech, un' män hāt sich nischt wissendig gemacht, see nischt gesāgt kein umtarbisch Wort. Die Ferd hāben gesprungen, gehirset, gedriget mit die Füss'. Sejer Kōach, sejer Starkkeit, un' sejer Wildkeit is' gewe'n "schelo kederech hatewa"! Plutzlim hör' ich vun der weitens a schrecklich Geschrēi, a Rasch vun Menschen un' a Billen vun Hünd'. Ich hāb' tchilas gemēint, dās hāben die Pauern sich zunaufgenummen un' läufen mit a Geschrēi, arauszutreiben die panske Zapes, die Ferd vun sejere Twues; nor āber nein. Die Kōles hāben sich alls derweitert un' sich vartrāgen gār in ein ander Seit'. Ich bin gewe'n zikawe un' gegangen nāch dem Kol, gegangen bis ich bin gekummen zu a ganz grōssen Platz varwachsen mit Grās. Dort hāt var meine Äugen sich vürgestellt a schreckliche Scene. Jünglech, Kundeessim, hāben vun alle Seiten sich gejāgt nāch a darer, a māgerer Klatsche, geworfen Stēiner un' āngerēizt auf ihr a ganze Tschate

descent from aristocratic parents. The grandfather of one had been an English steed who once, during a journey through the country of Canaan, had been married to an Arabian mare. Again, the grandmother of another was descended from a famous family, and had smelled much powder in her lifetime, while the great-grandmother of still another had been well educated in some famous stud, and had, in her time, given performances in dancing and jumping in company with many other educated, well-trained horses. For you must know that with horses breed is of great importance; much attention is paid to noble blood, and those who come from a good stud are called noble or well born. These noble horses were grazing at their will; now and then they did some damage by ruining the standing grain which poor peasants had sown in the sweat of their brows, and no one noticed that, or said a harsh word to them. The horses jumped about, neighed, kicked. Their strength, their power, and their wildness were out of the common. Suddenly I heard from afar a terrible noise, a hollowing of men and barking of dogs. At first, I thought that the peasants had come together and were starting on a run with a noise, in order to drive out the noble goats and the horses from their corn; but no!... The voice grew more distant, and could be heard from an entirely different direction. I became curious, and followed the noise until I came to a very large place overgrown with grass. There a frightful scene presented itself to my eyes. Street urchins were pursuing from all sides a thin, lean dobbin; they threw stones at her, and urged on against her a whole pack of dogs of all kinds. Some of these dogs were whining, barking, gnashing their teeth; others again were biting her as best they could. I could not stand there looking

Hünd' vun allerlēi Minim. A Thēil Hünd' hāben gār geheult, gebillt, gekrizt die Zaehn', a Thēil āber hāben äuch take gebissen, wie nor see hāben gekännt. Ich hāb' nischt gekännt stēhn un' zusehn asa Majsse-ra vun der weitens. Ēinmāl is' doch glatt a Rachmones, dās Menschlichkeit derlāst nischt zuzusehn asa Achsorjes, un' zwēitens, awekgenummen schōn Rachmones, hāt doch die Schkape auf mir take a grōss Recht geha't, ich soll ihr helfen, machmas ich bin eingekäuft in der Chewre "Zar-bal-hachaim," wās ihr is' nischt niche, män soll peinigen, ānthon Leid lebedige Beschäffenisch, wārim see senen äuch Bossor-wedom, Flēisch un' Blut, un' hāben äuch dās Recht zu leben auf Gotts Welt wie mir. Ich will mich dā nischt areinlāsen in dem alten un' sēhr tiefen Schmues mikōach dem Menschen un' die Beheemes. Lās sich sein chotsche wie Jene sāgen, as ich, Mensch, bin der Tachles, der Zimmes, der Antik vun alle Beschäffenisch; nor zu lieb mir, Tachschit, zu lieb mein Bederfenisch un' mein Vergenügen leben see alle auf der Welt; lās sich sein chotsch, as ich, Tachschit, bin der Meelach, der Ōberharr über alle Beheemes, wās musen mir dienen, wās musen gēhn in Joch un' makriw sein far mir sejer Leben,—vun destwegen, dacht sich mir, wie bald afile a Klatsche, asa proste Podane, hāt auf mir eppes a Recht, mus ich al-pi Din, wenn nischt al-pi Menschlichkeit, akegen ihr jōze sein....