Schwowische Dialect of Alexanderhausen Article by Nick Tullius

Ufm Maulbierebaam [Mei Mottersproch - Banater Post 5. Oktober 2007] Vorm Kriech hann sich vill Leit ganz gut gstann, weil se ihre Iwerschuss an Frucht, Kukruz, Grumbiere, awer ach gmäschti Schwein gut verkaafe hann kenne. Natierlich hann se vill Geld in der eigeni Wertschaft verbraucht, awer bei manche is dann doch mehr als a Kleenichkeit iwrich geblieb. Die hann dann ihre Heiser renoviert, oder umgebaut oder sogar nei gebaut. Außerdem hann manchi Baure a Sohn studiere glosst. Un weil manche Buwe vum Dorf, wann se des Studium hinner sich ghat hann, widder zuruck ins Dorf kumm sinn, hat unser Dorf, wie anri aach, sei eigene Gstudierte ghat. Zuerscht ware des meischtes Pharre un Lehre; später sinn ach Doktre un Advokate drzukumm. Unser kleeni Gschicht is vun so em Gstudierte, nenne mer ne mol de Franzi, weil des erschtens net sei wirkliche Name is, un zweitens awwer gut zu 'me Gstudierte passt. Also, der Franzi hat irgendwu im Reich gstudiert, hat dann a scheenes Mädl vun 'me Nochberschdorf gheirat, un hat sich im Dorf selbständisch gemacht. Sei Familje hat noch mitgholf, un hat’m a scheenes, neies Haus hergericht. Also, des war a zwerches Haus, mit Marmorsockl un vier Finschtre uf der Gasseseit. Die Finschtre hann moderni Rollo ghat, die ware drauß vorm Finschter, awer im Haus hat mer se kontrolliert: uff, zu, un die kleene Holzsticke hat mer ruff, in die Mitte, oder runner verstelle kenne. Des war an 'me heiße Taa, so vorm Schnitt, un die große Buwe hann sich am Owed gewehnlich im Rundell (runder Dorfpark) getroff, hann dann im Kriegerdenkmal im Gras gsitzt un verzehlt. Manchmol hann se aach Lieder gsung, so bis zehn oder elf Uhr, dann is jeder hemm gang. De Hans is uff seim Hemwech beim Franzi seim Haus vorbeikumm un hat dort ausm Zimmer ganz ungewehnliche Stimme gheert. Zuerscht hat er wille zum Finschter ninschaue, dass er feststellt, was dort passiert. Des Rollo war awer so ingstellt, dass die kleene Holzsticke unne zu un owe uff ware. So is Luft ins Zimmer kumm, awer vun drauß hat mer net ningsiehn. Awer große Buwe wisse sich zu helfe: Der Hans is also uff de Maulbierebaam, wu nächscht zum Finschter gstann hat, gekrawwlt. Un dann ism fascht de Atem (Ochtem?) ausgang: Der Franzi un sei hibsches junges Weib ware so wie Adam un Eva im Paradies, also ganz nackich. Sie sinn sich um de Tisch rum 'nanner nohgeloff und der Franzi hat seim Weib immer uff de runde, weiße Hinnre gekloppt. Sie sinn sich dann näher kumm, immer näher, bis es näher nimmer meglich war... Ich brauch des jo net weiter beschreiwe, weil mer jo heitzutach so was fascht jede Tach im Kino oder im Fernsehe gsiehn kann. Am nächschte Tach, wie der Hans sich widr erholt hat ghat, hat er des seim beschte Freind, dem Petr (Phetr?), vrzählt, un am Owed ware se alli zwaa uff dem Maulbierebaam. In der nächschte Wuch ware’s schun vier Buwe, wu uff’m Maulbierebaam gsitzt hann. Un dann is es passiert: De Ascht is mit großm Krach gebroch un alli vier sinn runnergfall. Im Haus is sofort es Licht ausgemacht ginn, un der Fanzi hat rausgschaut, awer er hat nor noch gheert, dass do a paar Kerle fortgelaaf sinn. Die Buwe hann Gottseidank ke Dokter gebraucht, awer de Maulbierebaam hat eene Ascht wenicher ghat. Vun dem Tach an ware die Rollo immer fescht zu un mer hat gar net gsiehn, ob dort noch Licht im Zimmer war.

Up in the Mulberry Tree Translated by Nick Tullius, Jan 14, 2011 Before the war, many people in our village did quite well, because they sold their surplus wheat, corn, potatoes, and even fattened pigs for good money. They spent most of the money on their enterprise, but many had more than just a little left over. They fixed up their houses, built additions, and sometimes rebuilt the whole house. Some farmers sent a son away to get an education. After completing their education, some of the boys returned to their native village. In this way, our village acquired a number of educated people, as did many other villages. At first, these were mainly teachers and priests; later on there were also medical doctors and lawyers. The main character of our little story was actually one of the educated sons of the village, let’s call him Franzi, first because that is not his real name, and second because the name seems to fit the person. After Franzi completed his studies somewhere in Germany, he married a nice girl from a neighbouring village, and opened his practice in our village. With the help of his family, he took possession of a beautiful new house. The house had shiny marble plates at its base, and four windows on the long side of the house, which was facing the street. All windows had modern roller blinds, controlled from the inside of house. The little horizontal Wood strips could be pulled up or let down, or angled either way. On a hot day, just before harvest time, the older boys had gathered in the Rundell (as we called the round public place in the centre of the village), sitting on the grassy lawn around the heroes memorial, talking as usual. They sung a song or two, until around ten or eleven o’clock, then everybody started on his way home. On his way home, Hans was just passing Franzi’s house, when he heard some unusual voices coming from one of the rooms. He tried to look in through the window, but the blinds were adjusted with the wood stripes closed on the bottom and open on the top. In this position, air was getting into the room, but you could not see into the room.  But older boys usually knew what to do. Hans climbed up onto the mulberry tree closest to the window. What he saw literally took his breath away. Franzi and his pretty young wife were like Adam and Eve – stark naked. They chased each other around the table, with Franzi trying to pat his wife’s round, white bum. Then they got closer to each other, until they could not really get any closer . . . No need for me to describe it any further, because in our day and age you can see it almost every day on TV or in the movies. On the following day, after Hans had recovered from the shock, he just simply had to tell his friend Peter the story. In the evening, both of them were sitting on that mulberry tree. One day, in the following week, four boys were sitting on that mulberry tree. And then it happened: There was one big crash, as the branch broke, and all four boys fell down to mother earth. The light in the room went out, and Franzi looked out the window. He could not see anything, but he could hear a few people running away. Luckily, none of the boys needed medical attention, but the mulberry tree had lost a good branch. From that day onwards, the blinds remained closed in the evening; one could not even see if the light was on in the room.