Fisch fange
[Banater Post, Dec 15, 2014]

Fisch ware bei uns uf dr Heed ziemlich seltn zu finne. De enziche Fluss (eigntlich a ganz kleene Bach), de Ranke, ist im Summer meischt ausgetruckelt, un des Wassr in de Kaule war jo wirklich net so sauwer Un die Kaule sin oft im Summer aach ausgetruckelt. Eemol im Johr, am Karfreitach, han mer zu esse Fisch ghat, so ganz kleene aus dr Dosn, mer hat se Russel genennt. In eem Summer han mer awr Hochwasser ghat, un des Wasser is von eener Kaul in e anri gepumpt gin. Es is im’e Grawe in die anri Kaul gelaaf, un jemand hat rausgfun, dass in dem Grawe Fisch im Wasser ware. A Freind un ich sin also Fisch fange gang. A Netz han mer jo net ghat, awr a Korb war gut genuch. Korz un gut, mer han zwaa Fisch gfang, han se in a Eemer mit Wasser getun un hemm getraa. Jedr hat also eene Fisch griet. Drhemm han ich mei Fisch in a kleeni Molder voll mit Brunnewasser getun un dort is er ganz munter rumgschwumm. Ich han ne mit Brotkrimmle gfiedert un han em stundelang zugschaut. Dann is dr Tach kumm, wu mei Oma de Fisch in der Phann gebrot hat. Ufm Teller hat er wie a Schnitzl ausgschaut, awr ich han ne net mit Appetit esse kenne, weil er jo a phaar Täch lang mei Freind war.

Catching fish
Translated by Nick Tullius

In our Banat lowlands, fish were hard to find. The only river (actually a tiny creek) usually dried out in the summer, and the water in the ponds was really not all that clean. And often the ponds also dried out in the summer. Once a year, on Good Friday, we had canned fish as a meal, they were very small and were called Russel. One summer we had a flood, and the water was pumped from one pond to another. It was flowing in a ditch toward the other pond, and somebody had found that there were fish in the water carried by that ditch. A friend and I went fishing. We did not have a net, but a basket made from dried tree branches did the job. In short, we caught two fishes, put them in a pail of water, and carried them home. Each one of us took home a fish. At home I placed my fish in a small wooden water container filled with water from the well. There he happily swam around. I fed him bread crumbs, which he happily swallowed, and I spent hours watching him. Then the day came, when my Oma breaded and fried him in a pan. On the plate he resembled a piece of schnitzel, but I had no appetite to eat him, because for the duration of a few days he had been my friend.