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  YIDDISH THEATRE 101 > THE YIDDISH PLAYS > THE PLAY IN HISTORY  >  CHANTSHE IN AMERICA                                                 

Nahum Rakow's

"CHANTSHE IN AMERICA"
 

(music by Joseph Rumshinsky, text by Isidore Lillian)
 


"CHANTSHE IN AMERICA"
Sheet Music Cover
Courtesy of the Library of Congress
1913
 

“Chantshe in America” is a comedy in four acts, written by Nahum Rakow, music by Joseph Rumshinsky and words by Isidore Lillian.

I don’t know when and in what theatre it was first performed, but I do have a cast list and know what roles each actor played:  Hyman Meisel (Motel Motelzon), Sally Schorr (Zelde Zlate, his wife),  Bessie Thomashefsky (Chantshe, their daughter), Bernard Shoengold (her fiancé),  Charles Nathanson (Goldhendler, an ‘all-rightnik’, i.e. an upstart, philistine or parvenu, per Weinreich),  Ida Nathanson (his wife), Pepi Lavitz, Ida Kessler and  Abraham Fishkind (their children), and Sam Kasten (an elevator boy).

From the Joseph Rumshinsky Song Book of 1911, here are the words from the song (which has the same name as the play title). The transliteration from the Yiddish is as it appears in the sheet music (i.e. not according to YIVO standards). It is interesting to see an example of how song writers would combine English words with the Yiddish lyrics, which you will see here….  Last time I checked the National Yiddish Book Center had the sheet music to the song, or at least to a song from the show…..

Here is the Yiddish transliteration, as well as the English translation, courtesy of Jane Peppler.

1.

Chantshe is gewen amol a nomen nor zum shpass,
Men hot gelacht
Un fun ihr choisek gemacht,
Oi! Nit far mir gedacht!
Chantshe is shoin mehr kein Chantshe nit,
Dos sog ich eich, a neue zeit,
Sich fun shklaferei befreit,
Chantshe is a gantzer leit.
Iberall is sie a knackering a gantze,
Un men rukt zih un men shart zich zu der Chantshe.
Far ihr die mener – hert:
Hoben mehr kein werth.
Chantshe is auf’n ferd.

Refrain:

Chantshe is a lady shoin a gantze,
Oi! Oi! Oi! Chantshe a chvat, a held,
Nit geshpet, plein geredt.
Hoibt die hend far Chantshe.
Chantshe, nor wu a policeman shpant sie
Oi! Oi! Oi! Chantshe, or Chantshe,
Nor Chantse,
Beinheint die gantze welt.

 

1.

Khantshe used to be a name people laughed at and they made fun of her.
Oy, let it not happen to us!
Khantshe's not the same now, I'm telling you.
It's new times - she's freed from slavery,
Khantshe is completely respectable now.
Everywhere she's big shot.
And people push and shove to get to Khantshe.
Listen: for her men have no worth.
Khantshe is on a horse.

 


Refrain:

Khantshe is a now quite the lady.
Oy, she's audacious, a hero,
Not mocked, plain to say.
Lift your hands for Khantshe.
Khantshe, wherever a policeman hitches? her
Oy, Khantshe, only Khantshe lights up the world.

2.

Chantshe gehmt kein blof nit
Un sie kempft  far frauen-recht,
Dos is a plan.
Far a frau un far a man
Sol gleiche rechte sein.
Aruster mit die hoisen, un
Aruster mit dem man – git sie a kwitsh.
Wen sie shteht un halt a speech.
Chantshe is a regule peach.
Meidel, weibel, sie a man! – zushreit sich Chantshe,
Nit dershrek sich far a berdel mit a wontze,
Mir hoben auch recht
Zu shpielen gantze necht
Poiker – es is nit shlecht.


(Refrain)

 

2.

You can't catch Khantshe in a bluff
And she fights for women's rights
That is a plan:
for a woman and her husband to be equal.
Down with trousers and down with the husband.
She gives a squeak when she stands and gives a speech.
Khantshe is a regular peach.
"Girls, women, man up!" cries Khantshe,
Don't be afraid of a beard and moustache
"We, too, have the right
To play all night every night
Drummer - this isn't bad!"

 

(Refrain)

3.

Wer Fehlt zu a picnic, zu a ball,
In dancing school wer sucht a treat?
Auf a car, wie Ch’bin a Yid,
Wemen git men ob a seat?
Wer dertapt in butcher shop
Dem butcher’s march-bein?
Unter dem brick
Koift sie ein fish, hert a trick:
Liegt in fartuch finf shtick.
Wer ken machen gehn a watch un chain, nor Chantshe.
In department store a latchente a gantze.
Wer is fun die toffs?
Zunoifgeshtelt fun bloffs?
Rats, handticher un poffs?

(Refrain)

 

3.

Who goes to a picnic, a ball,
Goes to find a treat in the dancing school?
In a car, I swear,
Who gives up her seat?
Who finds in the butcher shop
The butcher's marrow bone?
Under the bridge she sells fish, hear a trick:
Five pieces are hidden in her apron.
Who can make a watch and chain run? Only Khantshe
In the department store a total thief.
Who is the tops?
Put together from bluffs?
Rets, handkerchiefs and puffs?


(Refrain)

Here is the actual sheet music to the song, courtesy of the Library of Congress. You can click on the photo to see the larger image:

 

 

 

 

 




Photograph courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York.

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