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Düsse Siedenserie
ward vun Reinhard F. Hahn (
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This page series is
being published by Reinhard F. Hahn (
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- © 1998, R. F. Hahn
Low Saxon in the original orthography: Pingsten 1998
vun Clara Kramer-Freudenthal
De Tiet de löppt, un wi loopt mit. Wo kann't angohn, Pingsten steiht vör de Döör. Nix hebb ik gründlich reinmookt as mien Mamma dat freuher to Pingsten mookt hett. Seker harr se düchtig mit mi schimpt, wenn ik seggt harr: ,,Mamma dat is hüüttodoogs gans anners, wi sünd doch Dag för Dag mit den Huulbessen togang, dor kann sik gor keen Stoff fastsetten.'' Recht mütt ik ehr geben; denn de Huulbessen kummt nich öberall hin. In de Ecken, ünnert Sofo un de Schappen mütt de Hand, liek so as freuher, rein Schipp moken. Ok hett Mamma unsen Pappa nich froogt, so as ik hüüt: ,,Heinz, was wollen wir Pfingsten essen, oder soll ich uns beim Yu einen Tisch bestellen?'' ,,Ach Pfingsten ist es überall ziemlich voll, ich hole Heidespargel, und dazu essen wir einmal keinen Schinken, sondern zartes Kalbsfilet oder Kalbsleber mit braunen Zwiebeln und gebratenen Apfelringen. Wir haben noch schöne, glatte Boscops im Keller. Neue Kartoffeln werde ich vom Markt holen", anter mien Mann. ,,Leckertähn, magst ok greune Seep?" Een lütt Smustergrien kunn ik mi nich verkniepen. Kloor wüür ik inverstohn, wüür jo ok gans no mien Mütz.
So, dat Middageten stünn fast. To Kaffeetiet koomt sachs de Kinner. Keen Problem, sünd jo al lang frische Ierdbeern op'n Markt, wat liggt neuger, as een Ierdbeertorte proot to hebben, wenn Beseuk schull koom'. Uns Bäcker Schmidt backt den besten Tortenbodden, ik kann dat nich beter, un Schlagrohm is gau sloon, denn so een lütt beten Slackermoschü hüürt op de Ierdbeern. So licht hett mien Mamma dat nich hatt. Foken vergliek ik dat Hüüt mit dat Güstern to mien Mamma ehr Tiet.
To'n Obendbroot köönt se ok giern blieben. All' de Freetkörf, de to mien Heinz sien tachentigsten ut Olland, Thüringen un Frankriek anlebert worrn sünd, mööt wi jo mol to Lief gohn, sünst sitt wi beiden Olen Wiehnachten noch dorvör.
Bet herto hebb ik bloots vun Eten un Drinken vertellt. Pingsten is ober een christlichet Fest, dat wüllt wi mol nich vergeten. Pingsten is de föfftigste Dag no Oostern de den Schlußdag vun de Oostertiet bedüüdt. Pingsten warrt de Hillige Geist öber uns Minschen utschütt. Bi den Pingstgottsdeenst hett man männigmol een Duuv flegen loten, de den Hilligen Geist dorstelln schull.
Gifft veel Bruukdoom to Pingsten. Bekannt sünd de Maibüsch, de op'n Dörpen linker- un rechterhand noch hüüdigendoogs blang de Huusdöörn stoht. De Kutschen, Peer un eenfache Wogens wörrn to mien Kinnertiet an de Pingstdoog ok mit Maigreun utstaffeert, wenn dat no Kark güng. To Pingsten kregen wi Dierns nee'e Kleder un de Jungs nee'e Hemms un Büxen. De Hambörger keumen in Schoorn op unsen Diek langs de Est'. Wi Dierns hebbt Blomen an den Diek un op de Wischen plückt, un de Hambörger hebbt se köfft. Tofreden un glücklich wüürn wi, wenn wi Mamma obends een Reichsmark in Fiefpennstücken un Groschens geben kunn.
English translation by R. F. Hahn: Pentecost 1998
by Clara Kramer-Freudenthal
Time runs, and we run along with it. How can it be possible? Pentecost is right around the corner. I have not cleaned anything thoroughly the way my Mom used to do during Whitsuntide. Probably she would scold me terribly if I said, "Mom, it's quite different these days. We use the vacuum cleaner daily. No [dirt] particles can settle under these conditions." I must agree with her, because the vacuum cleaner can not get into every place. As in the olden days, you must use your hands to clean and tidy in corners, underneath the sofa and inside cupboards and closets. Also, Mom did not ask Dad like I do these days [in German], "Heinz, what shall we have for Pentecost? Or should I reserve a table at Yu's?" "Agh, it's crowded everywhere during Whitsuntide. I'll get some heath asparagus, and this time let's not have ham with it but tender filet of veal or veal liver with browned onions and braised apple rings. We still have some nice, smooth Boscop [apples] in the basement. I'll get new potatoes from the market," my husband answered [in German]. "Sweet tooth, how 'bout some green soap?" [= a saying to tease people with a craving for sweet things]. I could not help grinning a little. Sure it was all right with me! After all, it was pretty much to my liking too.Well, lunch has been decided on. The children will probably come for afternoon coffee. No problem. Fresh strawberries have been on the market for quite a while now. This calls for having a strawberry torte at the ready in case there is company. Our baker Schmidt bakes the best torte bases. I can not do it any better, and it does not take much to whip up some cream, because you just have got to top strawberries with a little bit of whipped cream. My Mom did not have it that easy. I often compare today with yesterday, with my Mom's times.
They might as well stay for supper, as far as I am concerned. We have to get started sometime on all those baskets of food my Heinz had been sent from Olland [Altes Land], Thuringia and France on the occasion of his eightieth birthday. If not, then we two old people would be still having them at Christmas time.
Up until now I have been talking only about food and drink. But Pentecost is a Christian holiday. Let us not forget this! Whitsunday is the fiftieth day after Easter [Sunday] and is the final day of the Easter season. At Pentecost the Holy Ghost is cast upon us humans. Oftentimes during Pentecost services people used to release a dove [or pigeon] that was supposed to represent the Holy Ghost.
There are lots of traditions at Pentecost. Famous are the May bushes [= arrangements made from branches and twigs] that you can still find on the left and on the right of front entrances in rural communities. When I was a child, also carriages, horses and plain carts used to be decorated with May green [= bouquets and garlands of twigs, especially birch twigs, with flowers and young leaves] when people went to church [with them]. During Whitsuntide we girls would get new dresses and the boys would get new shirts and trousers. People from Hamburg would appear in droves on our dike along River Este. We girls would pick flowers by the dike and in the meadows, and people from Hamburg would buy them. We were happy and excited when in the evening we were able to give Mom a reichsmark's worth of five and ten pfennig pieces.
Transliteration in Lowlands Orthography: Pingsten 1998
fun Clara Kramer-Freudenthal
De tiid, dei loept, un wii loupt mit. Wou kann't an-gaan? Pingsten stait foer de deur. Niks hev ik gruendlich rain maakd as miin Mamma dat froyer tou Pingsten maakd het. Seker har sei duechtig mit mii schimpd wen ik segd har: ,,Mamma, dat is huyttoudaags ganss anners. Wii suend doch dag foer dag mit d'n huulbessen tou gang. Daar kan sik gaar kein stof fast-setten.'' Recht muett ik er geven, den de huulbessen kumt nich euveral hin. In de ekken, uenner't sofa un de schappen muett de hand, liik soo as froyer, rain schip maken. Ouk het Mamma unsen Pappa nich fraagd, soo as ik huyt: ,,Heinz, was wollen wir Pfingsten essen? Oder soll ich uns beim Yu einen Tisch bestellen?'' ,,Ach Pfingsten ist es überall ziemlich voll. Ich hole Heidespargel, und dazu essen wir einmal keinen Schinken, sondern zartes Kalbsfilet oder Kalbsleber mit braunen Zwiebeln und gebratenen Apfelringen. Wir haben noch schöne, glatte Boscops im Keller. Neue Kartoffeln werde ich vom Markt holen", anter miin man. ,,Lekkerteen, magst ouk groyne seip?" 'n Luet smuustergrinen kun ik mii nich ferknipen. Klaar woyr ik inferstaan! Woyr jaa ouk ganss naa miin muets.
Soo, dat middag-eten stuend fast. Tou kaffetiid kaamt sachs de kinder. Kein probleem. Suend jaa al lang frische eirdberen op d'n markt. Wat ligt noyger as 'n eirdbeertorte praat tou hebben wen besoyk schul kamen. Uns bekker Schmidt bakt d'n besten tortenbodden. Ik kan dat nich beter, un slag-raam is gau slaan, den soo 'n luet beten slakkermaaschuy hoyrt op de eirdberen. Soo licht het miin Mamma dat nich hatt. Faken fergliik ik dat huyt mit dat guestern tou miin Mamma er tiid.
Tou d'n avendbrood keunt sei ouk geirn bliven. Al de freetkoerv, dei tou miin Heinz siin tachentigsden uut Olland, Thüringen un Frankriik an-leverd worren suend, meutt wii jaa maal tou liiv gaan. Suenst sitt wii baiden olden Winachten noch daar foer.
Bet hertou hev ik bloots fun eten un drinken ferteld. Pingsten is aver 'n Kristlichet fest. Dat wuelt wii maal nich fergeten. Pingsten is de foevtigsde dag naa Oostern, dei d'n slussdag fun de Oostertiid beduydt. Pingsten wardt de Hillige Gaist euver uns minschen uut-schuett. Bii d'n Pingstgotsdeinst het man mennigmaal 'n duuv' fleigen laten, dei d'n Hilligen Gaist daar-stellen schul.
Givt feel bruukdoum tou Pingsten. Bekand suend de maibuesch, dei op d'n doerpen linker- un rechterhand noch huydigendaags blang de huusdeuren staat. De kutschen, peird' un einfache wagens woerden tou miin kindertiid an de Pingstdaag' ouk mit maigroyn uut-staffeird wen dat naa kark gueng. Tou Pingsten kregen wii deirns neie kleider un de jungs neie hems un bueksen. De Hamboerger koymen in scharen op unsen diik langs de Est. Wii deirns hebt bloumen an d'n diik un op de wischen pluekd, un de Hamboerger hebt sei koefd. Toufreiden un glueklich woyren wii wen wii Mamma avends 'n reichsmark in fiivpenstuekken un groschens geven kunnen.
English translation by R. F. Hahn: Pentecost 1998
by Clara Kramer-Freudenthal
Time runs, and we run along with it. How can it be possible? Pentecost is right around the corner. I have not cleaned anything thoroughly the way my Mom used to do during Whitsuntide. Probably she would scold me terribly if I said, "Mom, it's quite different these days. We use the vacuum cleaner daily. No [dirt] particles can settle under these conditions." I must agree with her, because the vacuum cleaner can not get into every place. As in the olden days, you must use your hands to clean and tidy in corners, underneath the sofa and inside cupboards and closets. Also, Mom did not ask Dad like I do these days [in German], "Heinz, what shall we have for Pentecost? Or should I reserve a table at Yu's?" "Agh, it's crowded everywhere during Whitsuntide. I'll get some heath asparagus, and this time let's not have ham with it but tender filet of veal or veal liver with browned onions and braised apple rings. We still have some nice, smooth Boscop [apples] in the basement. I'll get new potatoes from the market," my husband answered [in German]. "Sweet tooth, how 'bout some green soap?" [= a saying to tease people with a craving for sweet things]. I could not help grinning a little. Sure it was all right with me! After all, it was pretty much to my liking too.Well, lunch has been decided on. The children will probably come for afternoon coffee. No problem. Fresh strawberries have been on the market for quite a while now. This calls for having a strawberry torte at the ready in case there is company. Our baker Schmidt bakes the best torte bases. I can not do it any better, and it does not take much to whip up some cream, because you just have got to top strawberries with a little bit of whipped cream. My Mom did not have it that easy. I often compare today with yesterday, with my Mom's times.
They might as well stay for supper, as far as I am concerned. We have to get started sometime on all those baskets of food my Heinz had been sent from Olland [Altes Land], Thuringia and France on the occasion of his eightieth birthday. If not, then we two old people would be still having them at Christmas time.
Up until now I have been talking only about food and drink. But Pentecost is a Christian holiday. Let us not forget this! Whitsunday is the fiftieth day after Easter [Sunday] and is the final day of the Easter season. At Pentecost the Holy Ghost is cast upon us humans. Oftentimes during Pentecost services people used to release a dove [or pigeon] that was supposed to represent the Holy Ghost.
There are lots of traditions at Pentecost. Famous are the May bushes [= arrangements made from branches and twigs] that you can still find on the left and on the right of front entrances in rural communities. When I was a child, also carriages, horses and plain carts used to be decorated with May green [= bouquets and garlands of twigs, especially birch twigs, with flowers and young leaves] when people went to church [with them]. During Whitsuntide we girls would get new dresses and the boys would get new shirts and trousers. People from Hamburg would appear in droves on our dike along River Este. We girls would pick flowers by the dike and in the meadows, and people from Hamburg would buy them. We were happy and excited when in the evening we were able to give Mom a reichsmark's worth of five and ten pfennig pieces.