Es Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch Eck
(Originally published in the March 11, 1987 issue of The Shopping News)
DER HECH UN DER MECH
By Ernest Waldo Bechtel
Der Hech un der Mech, was sin sie dann?
Schpieler in re Baend un bloose en Hann?
Adder sin sie Bauer mit Hinkel un Vieh,
Un melke der Gees im Schtall uff die Gnie?
Ken Bauer as schaffe draus uff em Feld.
Ken Schpieler as bloose fer yuscht mehner Geld.
Ebbes schunscht is des, awwer ich wees net was.
Glei finn ich aus, noh kummt die Gschpass.
Im Schteddel, im Barig un noh im Land,
Iwwer Schtee un Graas un grobber gehl Sand,
Ich bin gloffe, un gloffe, gfrogt un gwunnert.
All deweil in meim Kopp hot’s mechdich gedunnert.
Noh sehn ich mei Nochber, an die Hund waar er bees.
Es Wedder waar windich un die Sunn arig hees.
Sei Hund hawwich iwwer un iwwer beguckt:
Die Waahret waar am kumme, ya, graad wie gedruckt.
“Wie heese dei Hund, mei liewer Mann?”
Hawwich den gfrogt in die Mitt vun seim Zann.
Saagt er schnell un scharif: “Ich saag der glei;
Naeme wie des sedde gaar net sei!”
Er heest eener Hech, un der anner heest Mech.
“Dummer,” saagt er, “as en alt Schtick Blech!”
Mich hot’s gwunnert fer hunnerde vun Schtund,
As der Hech un der Mech sin yuscht zwee Hund!
HECH AND MECH
Hech and Mech, just what are they?
Players in a band and blow a horn?
Or are they farmers with chickens and cattle
And milk the goat in the stable?
No farmers that work out in the field.
No players who just play for money.
It’s something else, but what?
Soon I’ll find out, then comes the fun.
In town, on the hill and in the country,
Over stones, grass and rough yellow sand,
I walked and asked and questioned.
All the while my head was throbbing.
Then I see my neighbor, he was angry with his dogs.
The weather was windy and the sun very hot.
I looked at his dogs again and again:
The truth was emerging, yes, just as if in print.
“What are your dogs names?”
I asked him in his anger.
Said he sharply: “I’ll tell you quick;
Such names there should not be!”
He calls one Hech and the other Mech.
More stupid than an old piece of tin.
I pondered for hundreds of hours
That Hech and Mech are only two dogs!
***
This recent poem from the pen of Ernest Waldo Bechtel, “der Buschgnippel,” was written on November 7, 1986. It is based on the fact that a neighbor in anger named a set of dogs. The neighbor told Buschgnippel the names of the dogs, but Buschgnippel did not understand him too well, so he just used the nearest sounds – Hech and Mech!
We are honored this week to be able to share with you DER HECH UN DER MECH by Ernest Waldo Bechtel, our most gifted living dialect poet. We hope that the muses will continue to pester him, so that we’ll be printing more of his new poems from time to time.
March 11, 1987
En Bischli-Gnippli,
as aa die Hund gleicht