Gimpel Beynish the Matchmaker
(Gimpl Beynish der Shadkhn)
Yiddish Comics of the early 20th century
Translation and commentary by Jane Peppler
Click here to read about and order the seven Gimpel books I've published.

Comics read right to left. Click on any comic strip for larger view.

Friday, January 20, 2017

He didn't have to work, yet he hit the jackpot. 1-26-1915

Tales from the time when institutionalized matchmaking was beginning to have to compete with love matches carried out casually by the interested parties themselves. Here, the girl Gimpel chose for Jake rejected him, but on the way back from her house Jake spies his old fiancee and they strike up again. But Gimpel gets his fee anyway. Curious. I'm also curious about his describing her as a "cunning dove." Opinions welcome.


January 26, 1915: He didn't have to work, and he hit the jackpot.
  1. Jake: What good are your stories to me? Let me see your wares.
  2. Jake: She doesn't want me, one should... oh, a girl I know, as I live and breathe.
  3. Suzy: Jake, where have you been all this time, you bad, false man?
  4. Jake: Mister Matchmaker, it's all right. This is my former fiancee, you know, Mister Levin.
  5. GB: Thirty-five, forty, forty-five, fifty -- you certainly could call her a cunning dove.
1-26-1915
אי ניט געאַרבײט, אי געקראָגען אַזאַ גרױסע מאַטניאַ.
1
דזשײק: װאָס טױג מיר אײַערע מעשות? לאָמיך שױן אַמאָל זעהן אײַער שחורה.
2
דזשײק: זיא װיל מיך ניט, דאַרף… עפּעס אַ בעקאַנטע מײדעל, זאָל איך אַזױ עסען.
3
סוזי: דזשײק, װאו ביזטו געװען דיא גאַנצע צײַט, דיא שלעכטער, פֿאַלשער מענש.
4
דזשײק: מיסטער שדכן, ס׳איז אָלל-רײַט. מײַן געװעזענע כּלה, יו נו, מיסטער לעבען.
5
גימפּעל בײניש: פֿינף און דרײַסיג, פֿערציג, פֿינף און פֿערציג, פֿופֿציג… שײַך צו זאָגען אַ געבראָטענע טײַבעל.

Labels: ,

by melinama @ 10:48 AM  

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home