Chapter VIII — Examples
§ 1 Wiidǝr aa˛geschmiirt
¶ 1. Dass dii meed ǝn wunnǝrbaarǝr schtǝff sin, wen [wann?] sii f’r mennǝ ausgrukǝ, wærd iir aa schun ausgefunnǝ hawǝ. Sii sin so schlippǝrich wii ǝn fisch, un wan m’r meent m’r hätt eens fescht, dan knabbǝrt ’s schun an nǝr annǝrǝ ang’l.
Tricked again.—That the maidens are a wondrous matter if they (ausgucken) look out for husbands (werdet Ihr) will you (auch) also have (schon) already discovered. They are as slippery as a fish, and when one supposes (subjunctive er hätte) he might have one fast, (it nibbles) there is already nibbling at (einer andern) another hook.
¶ 2. Ich hab eich do schun foor ‘sǝm’ tseit tsrik f’rtseelt, wii ich mit d’r ‘Hænnǝ’ ei˛kummǝ bin, un was f’r ‘kælkǝleesch’nss’ dass ich gemacht hab f’r n ‘schtoor’ úftsusétsǝ an dem alti Schniipikl seinǝr kreits-schtross.
I have recounted (euch) to you here ‘some’ time ago, how I paid attentions to ‘Hannah,’ and the ‘calculations’ that I made to set up [an English idiom] a ‘store’ at old Schniepickel’s Crossroads.
¶ 3. ‘Well,’ selli tseit hab ich mich bei d’r ‘Hænnǝ’ wiischt aa˛geschmiirt gefunnǝ (kfunnǝ), f’r ich hab gemeent, dass sii niimand sunscht ‘gleichǝ,’ un liiwǝr drei moonat lang gebrootǝnǝ rattǝ fressǝ deet, wii an eenighǝr annǝrǝr kærl tsu denkǝ—
‘Well,’ that time I found myself badly60 tricked with ‘Hannah,’ for I believed that she ‘liked’ nobody else, and (thät lieber fressen) would rather devour fried rats three months long, than to think on any other fellow;
¶ 4. un dii ‘seem’ tseit hat sii dem ‘Sæm’ Hinnǝrbee˛ ‘kumpanii’ gewwǝ, un tsu annǝri ksaat, sii wǝtt sich liiwǝr ufhenkǝ un d’r hals mit d’r hǝls-seeg apschneidǝ, as so ǝn alt ‘griinharn’ wii mich heiǝrǝ.
and the ‘same’ time she gave ‘Sam’ Hinterbein ‘company’ and said to others, she would rather hang herself and cut off the neck with the wood-saw (als) than to marry such an old greenhorn as me.
¶ 5. Du kannscht diir denkǝ, dass mich sel f’rtsernt hǝt un dass ich mei˛ ‘plæns’ weeghǝ schtoorhaltǝ an dem kreitsweek pletslich ge-ennǝrt hab.
You can imagine to yourself that that (verzürnt) angered me, and that (plötzlich) suddenly I (habe geändert) changed my plans about storekeeping at the Crossway.
¶ 6. Ich hab mich dann ǝn bissl rúmgegúkt un gefúnnǝ dass drǝwǝ an d’r ‘Passǝm krik’ ǝn ‘neisi opning’ f’r n tíchtighǝr ‘schmærtǝr’ kærl wii ich eenǝr bin, wær.
I then looked me (ein biszchen herum) a little round and (gefunden) found that (droben) up on ’Possum creek’ was a ‘nice opening’ for a (tüchtig tight) capable ‘smart’ fellow, as I am one.
¶ 7. Dart am ek wuunt d’r alt ‘Eeb’ Windbeissǝr uf m groosi schtik land; dem sei˛ ‘Meeri’ hǝt m’r ‘ǝbaut’ aa˛kschtannǝ, un allǝs sunscht dart rum hǝt m’r recht guut gefállǝ (kfallǝ), juscht hǝt dii ‘Meeri’ so gaar eewich fiil schweschtǝr un briidǝr, dass als kee˛ plats f’r uns tswee im haus waar, un in dii scheir geeǝ musstǝ, wann m’r mit ǝn-annǝr schwetsǝ wǝttǝ.
There on the corner lives old ‘Abe’ Windbeisser on a large piece (of) land; whose ‘Mary about’ pleased me, and all (sonst dort herum) besides there-about pleased me right well, only Mary had (gar ewig so viel) quite ever so many sisters and brothers, that (there) was always no place for us two in the house, and (we) must go in the barn when we would speak with oneanother.
¶ 8. Sell hǝt m’r ‘ǝf-koors’ net so árik aa˛kschtannǝ, awǝr (aawǝr) dii Meeri hǝt gemeent des wær niks, m’r misst sich ewwǝ tsu helfǝ wissǝ.
That ‘of-course’ was not so very agreeable to me, but Mary considered that to be nothing; one must know (eben) exactly how to help one’s self.
¶ 9. En tseit lang iss ‘nau’ allǝs guut gangǝ, meini ‘kælkǝleeschǝnss’ waarǝ wiidǝr ‘reddi’ un dii Meeri hǝt mir tsu f’rschteeǝ gewwǝ, dass ich eenichǝ tseit mit iirǝm daadi schwetsǝ un dann d’r parrǝr [and parrǝ] beschtéllǝ kennt.
(For) some time ‘now’ all went well, my ‘calculations’ were again ‘ready,’ and Mary had given me to understand that any time I could speak with her (Swiss dädi) father, and then engage the minister.
¶ 10. ‘Well,’ d’r neekscht sundaak, ich hab iim ksaat dass ich un sei˛ Meeri unsǝr meind ufgemacht hättǝ tsu heiǝrǝ, un froog iin ep ær eenich eppǝs [or ebbǝs] dageeghǝ hätt. Nee˛, secht ær, ich hab niks dageeghǝ, aawǝr hǝscht du dann dii ‘Mændǝ’ heit kseene?
‘Well’ the next Sunday I told him that I and his Mary had (English idiom) made up our ‘mind’ to marry, and asked him (ob) if he had (einiges etwas) any(some)thing there-against. No, (sägt, for G. sagte) said he, I have nothing against it—but have you seen ‘Amanda’ to-day?
¶ 11. “Iir hen mich lets f’rschtannǝ,” saag ich, “ich will dii Meeri heiǝrǝ, net dii Mændǝ.” (Du muscht wissǝ, dii Mændǝ iss ‘ǝbaut’ seks joor eltǝr wii dii Meeri un net neekscht soo guutgukich.)
“You have understood me [Swiss and SG. letz] wrongly,” say I, “I wish to marry ‘Mary’ and not ‘Amanda’.” (You must know, ‘Amanda’ is ‘about’ six years older than ‘Mary,’ and not (next) near so goodlooking.)
¶ 12. “Joo, ich hab dich recht guut f’rschtannǝ, aawǝr du bischt noch net ‘ufgepooscht.’ Geschtǝr marighǝ iss dii Mændǝ nooch ‘Hen’ Greifdaalǝrs ‘schtoor’ un hǝt sich eppǝs kaaft—‘Griischǝn’ Bendǝr glaab ich heescht sii des ding.
“Yes, I have understood you right well, but you are not yet ‘posted’ up. Yesterday morning ‘Amanda’ went to ‘Hen.’ Gripedollar’s ‘store’ and bought herself something—‘Grecian’ Bend (pun on bend and bänder, ribbons,) I believe she calls the thing.
¶ 13. “Wii dii Meeri sel geseenǝ (or kseenǝ) hat, wærd sii gans (or gants) närrisch dofoor, un fangt aa˛ mit d’r Mændǝ tsu handlǝ, weil d’r ‘schtoorkiipǝr’ juscht dii eéntsighǝ maschiin katt hǝt.
When Mary saw it she becomes quite silly (dafür) for it, and begins to bargain with Amanda, as the ‘storekeeper’ (hat gehabt) had but the single machine.
¶ 14. “Well, sii sin net eenich [geworden] warrǝ bis geeghǝ oowǝt, un dann hen sii ‘ǝgriid,’ das dii Meeri dich tsu d’r Mændǝ ufgept, un dii Meeri dii Griischǝn Bendǝr kriikt!”
“Well, they were not (einig) in accord till (gegen abend) towards evening, and then they ’agreed’ that Mary would give you up to Amanda, and she should get the Grecian Bend.”
¶ 15. F’rschwappt? Mich uf den ‘Griischǝn’, Bendǝr ‘f’rschwappt,’ oone mich ærscht tsu frooghǝ?!
‘Swapped’! Me ‘swapped’ on the Grecian Bend, (ohne mich erst zu fragen) without first asking me?!
¶ 16. “So schteet s ‘nau,’ dii Mændǝ is drunnǝ im kuuschtall, wann du fĭleicht ærscht mit iir dǝrweeghǝ schwetsǝ witt.”
“So stands it ‘now,’ Amanda is (darunter) down there at the stable, if you perhaps (willst) will first speak with her about it.”
¶ 17. Ich? mit iir dǝrweeghǝ schwetsǝ? Iss gaar net nootwennich! Wann mich deini meed kaafǝ, f’rkaafǝ un f’rschwappǝ kennǝ, dann sollǝ sii aa seenǝ, dass sii mich kriighǝ. ‘Guutbei.’
I? speak with her about it? (It) is quite unnecessary. If your girls (können kaufen) can buy, sell, and ‘swap’ me, then (sollen sie auch sehen) shall they also see that they get me. ‘Goodby.’
¶ 18. Ich wees net was dii Windbeissǝr meed61 mit un oone Griischǝn Bendǝr fun miir denkǝ, aawǝr was ich fun iinǝ denk wees ich, wærd diir s aawǝr ‘ennihau’ net saaghǝ.
I know not what the Windbeisser girls with and without Grecian Bend think of me, (aber ich weiss) but I know what I think of them—but will ‘anyhow’ not tell it to you.
¶ 19. ‘Nau’ hab ich im sinn noch eé˛mool62 tsu prowiirǝ, sobál ich n ‘tschænss’ ausfinn, un wann m’r s aa dann net glikt, geb ich s uf un wærd ǝn altǝr ‘bætschǝlǝr.’63
I now have in mind (zu probîren) to try yet (einmal) once, as soon as I find out a ‘chance,’ and if it also prospers not then with me, I will give it up and be an old ‘bachelor.’