PURELY COMMENTARY
The Folksong Milennially Inspired
The songs reflect Jewish life
in Eastern Europe and the
Editor Emeritus
United States and depict
childhood, love, family celebra-
n times of glory and in spiting
tions, poverty, work and strug-
dangers, the song has always been
gle. There are also songs from
a message of strength for our peo-
the Chassidic and Maskilic
ple. Whether in Psalms or in the
movements, songs of Zion and of
folksongs that have provided thrills for
America (the "Golden Land") as
the masses, there was accumulation of
well as songs from the Yiddish
hopes that defy the meancing.
theater.
Preservation of the Yiddish
This song treasury reflects
folksongs by acknowledged experts in
both universal and Jewish
this area of devotions earn admiration
themes and activities. The
and gratitude. It is incorporated under
crooning of a lullaby by a
the title Pearls of Yiddish Song
Jewish mother bears the same
assembled and defined by Chana and
elements of tenderness and love
Yosl Mlotek and published by
shared by all mothers; clapping
Workmen's Circle.
hands (patshe kikhelekh in Yid-
There is much that is very
dish) is a variant of a universal
remarkable about this anthological
play-song that all infants enjoy.
work. It includes 115 Yiddish songs.
Yiddish songs also portray little
Some are published for the first time.
boys, Moyshelekh and Shloyme-
Each of the Mlotek assembled songs is
lekh, playing in the traditional
in the original Yiddish, accompanied by
garb of fringed garments and
transliteration and a free translation
frocks. Love songs generally ex-
into English.
press feelings of sadness nd
Pearls of Yiddish Song referred to
longing, of unrequited love, of
as a cultural product, is also a part of
parental interference or parting
Yiddish theatrical developments. Every
because of the young man's
song in the Mlotek book traces the
recruitment into the army. Later
background in textual notes and
songs reflect more relaxed
history. Since many of the songs rein-
social conventions when young
troduced here were in Yiddish theater
men could marry girls without
productions, this anthology merits the
family pedigree or dowry.
rating of an important role in the
Songs of poverty, toil and
history of the Yiddish theater.
struggle — common to Jewish
Full credit must be given for the en-
life in both the old and new
couragement given to the publication of
worlds — describe a range of ex-
this very important volume to its
periences. They depict the
origin. It began with a related work,
plight of the seamstress whose
Mir Trogen a Gezang the Mlotek collec-
threads are soaked in tears and
tion of songs that had begun as a col-
the unhappy yeshivah student
umn on Yiddish poetry in the Forward
who compares his life to the
in 1970. The wife-husband couple that
tears of raindrops and to the
produced this work continues this task
flickering candle. Some songs
as a regular Forward feature.
exhort women to enter the
Eleanor (Chana) Mlotek published
struggle against exploitation
her first anthology under the title Mir
and oppression.
Trogen a Gezang — "We Carry a Song."
This is like a summation of the sen-
Joseph (Yosl) Mlotek associated with his
wife in the asembling of facts about this timents and ideological treatments of
the Jewish folksong. The refutation of
important undertaking.
It is interesting to note that by prejudice is like an echo of resistance to
popular request the Mlotek songs were Nazism, as it was to Czarism.
There is also the emphasis to the
published in Israel. The Mloteks in-
dicate in an explanatory note that the traditional, to the hymnals in the
songs they assembled in their newest synagogue and to the Psalms that had
work contain many published for the become world acquisition of the sancti-
first time, some hitherto inaccessile. ty of human folksinging. It is like an
emphasis on the legacy from Isaiah
They point out in their introduction:
49:13 — Sing, 0 heaven, be joyful, 0
earth, and break forth into singing, 0
mountains!.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Since many of the songs as em-
(US PS 275-520) is published every Friday
phasized by the Mloteks have Chasidic
with additional supplements the fourth
week of March, the fourth week of August
roots, there is a temptation to utilize at
and the second week of November at
least one Chasidic definition. One of the
27676 Franklin Road, Southfield,
very
famous 18th century Chasidic
Michigan.
sages, Nahman Bratzlav in one of sen-
Second class postage paid at Southfield,
timents expressed in 1806 stated:
Michigan and additional mailing offices.
Each science, religion,
Postmaster: Send changes to:
philosophy,
even atheism, has
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS,
its particular song. The loftier
27676 Franklin Road,
Southfield, Michigan 48034
the religion or science, the more
exalted is its music.
$26 per year
$33 per year out of state
A review of a collection of folksongs
60' single copy
would gain enthusaism from an accom-
November 24, 1989
Vol. XCVI No. 13
paniment by a singer of some of the con-
tents from the Mloteks. Therefore the
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
I
2
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1989
added suggestion that the reader also
learn the tunes. That would combine
learning with enjoyment.
In recognition of the researched
musical treasures by the Mloteks,
cultural source must be acclaimed. The
Mloteks are closely associated in their
efforts with YIVO, the archival treasure
house for Jewish lingual, musical and
historic values. The Junior Jewish En-
cyclopedia provides this note on YIVO:
Founded in Vilna in 1925 for
the purpose of studying the Yid-
dish language and literature,
Jewish folklore and history, par-
ticularly the history of East
European Jewry, contemporary
Jewish social problems, Jewish
psychology, education, and
related subjects.
Since 1940, the main office of
YIVO, which has branches in
many countries, has been
located in New York. YIVO has
a library of approximately
170,000 volumes.
The manner in which the Mloteks
treat their themes can best acquire ap-
preciation by resort to one of the
folksongs. There was reference here
previously to "Dos Pintele Yid," ex-
plained as the "Quintessence of Being
a Jew." A definitive evaluation of it is
in the accompanying text.
Therefore the joyful thrill of sharing
the musical values with our readers. ❑
Quintessence Of 'Dos Pintele Yid'
As indicated in the introductory article on this page, the fascinatingly assembl-
ed collection included by the musicologists Eleanor and Joseph Mlotek under the
title Pearls of Yiddish Song can be best appreciated by resort to one folksong from
the text. I am selecting "Dos Pintele Yid" explained as "the quintessence of be-
ing Jewish." I have referred to it previously in the tribute to Irving Berlin.
The Mloteks attach enrichment to every one of the songs included in their
new book by providing the original text, transliteration and a free translation
in English. They also indicate the Yiddish theatrical source, the actors and the
time element. "Dos Pintele Yid" is recorded source-wise as follows by the Mloteks:
7` 1:17V,riz
DOS PINTELE YID
The Little Spark Of Jewishness
Words by Louis Glirod (1879-1930); music by Arnold Perlmutter (1859-1g53) and Herman
Wohl (1877-1936). Published in sheet music by the Hebrew Publishing Co., N.Y., 1909. It was the
title song of a play by Boris Thomashefsky.
In yedn land, oyf yedn ort
Hert dos yid! nor eyn vort:
A yid bistu, gey dir, mir darfn dikh nit,
A fremder bistu, a ger,
Dos yidl vandert, vert nit mid,
Trogt in hartsn dos pintele yid,
Er lakht fun di sonim; yen got iz mit im
Ver ken im shlekhts ton, ver,
Fil mol iz gebrokhn yisroliks gemit,
Er beygt zikh far dem klenstn vintele,
Kokh der grester shturem oysvortsien ken nit
Dos sheyninke, kleyninke pintele —
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Dos pintele yid iz zeyer git,
Koved un shtoltz makht es idr, yid,
Akht as un shets as un hit.
Refrain:
Yidele, dayn kroyn iz dos pintele yid,
Fil gelitn shoyn far dem pintele yid,
Gematert daynt glIderlekh,
Gepaynikt dayne briderlekh,
Gebodn zikh hot yeder in dayn
Bilbulim on a tsol oyf dem pintele yid,
Dokh mutik ale mol blaybt dos pintele yld,
Der kleyntshlker Yisrolikl
Lakht fun dir, Amolikl,
Un blaybt tray dem pintele yid.
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In every land, in every place, the Jew hears only one thing: Ydu're a Jew. Go. We don't
need you. You're a stranger, a convert. The Jew wanders, does not tire, carries in his heart
the spark of Jewishness. He laughs at his enemies, for when God is with him who can harm
him? Yet many times the Jew's spirit is broken. He bends with the slightest wind. Still, the
greatest storm cannot uproot the beautiful, tiny spark. The little spark of Jewishness is very
good. It makes the Jew honored and proud. Care for it and cherish it and guard it.
Little Jew, your crown is the spark of Jewishness. You've suffered greatly for this spark of
Jewishness. Your limbs were tormented, your brothers tortured, everyone bathed in your
blood. Countless libels were leveled against your spark of Jewishness. Still, the spark
remains strong. The little Jew laughs at you, Amalek, and remains true to the spark of
Jewishness.
Used by permiuion of the copyright owners. Ethnic Music Publishing Co., Inc.