Schwetz Deitsch! / Speak PA Dutch!
Ernest G. Gehman (1901–1988), was a native Pennsylvania Dutch–speaking Mennonite minister who was born and raised in Bally, Berks County, PA, and taught German from 1924 to 1973 at Eastern Mennonite College (today, Eastern Mennonite University) in Harrisonburg, VA. This poem is his most well-known and was published in ‘S Pennsylfaanisch Deitsch Eck edited by Preston A. Barba in the [Allentown] Morning Call on March 16, 1963, p. 10. It originally appeared some time before this in the [Harrisonburg, VA] Daily News-Record, for which Gehman wrote a column in PA Dutch. This recording is part of a collection of Gehman materials held by the Sadie Hartzler Libary at EMU.
Two comments on vocabulary: Gehman’s use of the verb petze ‘to pinch’ likely conveys the sense of feeling restricted, in a metaphoric sense, as a pair of shoes that is too small “pinches.” In the second stanza, the first line means literally “(The) Dutch goes to shadows.”
Saag, kannscht du Deitsch schwetze?Un kannscht du’s verschteh?Dutt’s Englisch dich petze?Macht’s Deitsch dir Heemweh?
Es Deitsch geht zu Schadde,Un sell is doch schaad!Die Eldre hen’s ghaddeVun Kindsbett zu Laad.
Mer sott’s net verliere,Sell darf yuscht net sei!Was naus geht mit EldreKummt gaar nimmi rei.
Dann schwetz Deitsch, du Amischer!Du Luddrischer, du Gedolischer, du Dunker,Schwetz Deitsch, du Mennischt!Schwetz Deitsch, du wer-, wie-, wu-,Was-ewwer du bischt!
Say, can you speak PA Dutch?And can you understand it?Does English “pinch” you?Does Dutch make you nostalgic?
Dutch is becoming rarer,And that is too bad!The parents had itFrom cradle to coffin.
One shouldn’t lose it,That just must not be!What goes out with the parentsWill never come back again.
Then speak Dutch, you Amishman!You Lutheran, you Catholic, you Dunkard,Speak Dutch, you Mennonite!Speak Dutch, you, who-, how-, where-,What-ever you are!