Customer Reviews

VINI-DER-PU, A Yiddish Version of Winnie-the-Pooh (Yiddish Edition)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is in TRANSLITERATION. Now you can add Yiddish to the list of 31 languages in which Pooh appears. Read about Vini-der-Pooh, Iya (eeyore), Khazerl (Piglet), and Kristofer Robin, as they munch on Varshaver Tort / Warsaw Cake (Cottleston Pie), and play near Khazerls Hoyz, Kangus Hoyz, Binenboym, Farfleytst Plats, Pu Bers Hoyz, and Hundert akordiker Wald. The book starts with a transliteration pronunciation page, but you really need to know Yiddish to proceed. Ten chapters follow. Each chapter begins with just a paragraph in Yiddish/Hebrew characters. This is followed by the story in Yiddish transliteration in English characters and Ernest Shepard's original illustrations. I was disappointed that there is no English translation, but one can easily just buy the English version also. The easy stuff is "Kristofer Robin hot gornisht gezogt, nor di oygn zenen im alts greser gevorn un des ponem alts Rozever" or when Vini der Pu says "Gut Morgn, and Kristofer Robin replies "Gut-yor, Vini dur Pu" But when Vini der Pu is a narisher alter Ber, and visits Kinigls (rabbit) and is a frayer and ferklempt and everyone must try to pull him out of the hole, the Yiddish is a tad harder. For example, "hot er ongekhapt Puen far di federshte lapes un kinigl hot ongekhapt Kristofer, un Kinigls, un Kinigls ale khaveyrim, un kroyvim hobn ongekhapt Kiniglem, un ale tsuzamen hobn zey getsoygn..." Translated by Leonard Wolf of NYU (Adjunct) and SFSU (Emeritus).

An interesting attempt at creating a Yiddish translation of the beloved children's classic. This is an "official" version of the book, using the original illustrations. Unfortunately (and this is a major drawback) except for the first paragraph of each chapter, the book is entirely in transliteration: it does not present Yiddish using the Hebrew alphabet. While this might be a boon to some, it is a definite drawback to students of Yiddish and native speakers.

I agree with the previous reviewer. The book is quite lovely and a wonderful idea - to not only have one's childhood favorite but to have it in the language of one's parents and grandparents. The familiarity and nostalgia make it a heart-warming buy. But yes, the missing element is seeing and being able to read Yiddish as it was written. Having a transliteration was, I must say, a surprise when I received the book. Clearly, for so many of us who strain to decipher the Hebrew letters, it'd be wonderful to have both - the actual Yiddish and the transliteration, side by side. Nevertheless, a wonderful present for new parents and grandparents - even if just to hold in their hands....

Since none of the reviews that I read here addressed the quality of the translation, I thought I'd say a few words about that.

I thought the translation was EXCELLENT! Wolf has a real feel for Yiddish expression. In reading this book I actually had the sense that the entire Hundred-Acre-Wood and its inhabitants were all Eastern European Jews! There were turns of phrase that I hadn't heard since I was a child in New York.

Yes, I suppose it would've been nice to have the whole text in Hebrew letters. But translation is such a difficult task, and this was SUCH a nice job, so why complain?

I was both delighted and very impressed with Leonard Wolf's Yiddish version of "Winnie the Pooh". The Yiddish text is excellent - the language is so natural that reading it I had the impression that the Hundred-Acre Wood and all its inhabitants were located in Eastern Europe! There were expressions in the text that I hadn't heard since I was a child in New York. An excellent piece of work.

Who's this book for, anyway? Kids who speak Yiddish? Bubbies and Zeidies feeling nostalgic? (doubt they read Milne as kids, though) Jewish Buddhists who want to read the original stories behind the "Tao of Pooh" in the language of their ancestors?

I have a sneaking suspicion that most purchases of this book will be as a "gag" gift item, and for that, it's perfect. Certainly, it's not readable as Yiddish literature (due to the transliteration), despite Wolf's well-meaning translation. Why go to the effort of translating if you're not going to present the finished product in a form Yiddish speakers can actually comprehend???

(the two stars above are for the effort of translating -- the three stars it lost are for assuming we don't understand the Yiddish alphabet)

So if you want to buy it as a joke, go ahead. Otherwise, you're going to be disappointed. As a fan of Milne's original Winnie-the-Pooh books (but NOT the "Disneyfied" versions), I picked this book up with curiousity, but realized before I got sucked into buying it that it's not what I was hoping it would be. Pheh.

In fact, forget I said go ahead. Save your money, and don't encourage whoever published this -- what's the Yiddish word? Ah, yes -- this "fershtunkene" book.

I have been a fan of Winnie the Pooh for many years and I'm learning little bits of Yiddish and Hebrew now. This book is a wonderful addition to any diehard Pooh collector as well as for anyone with a Judaic/Yiddish background. A treasure worth the little price and probably not the easiest to find in such great a condition.

I have to rate this "poor" because of the Transliteration. It serves absolutely no purpose transliterated. It doesn't help people trying to learn Yiddish.