Notice: If you entered this page from a search engine without reading the introduction, you should be aware that this book is from 1762 and criticises everybody - not just Jews

Death to the Jew

Death to the Jew

Death to the Jew

Der hielper ingen Snak, min kiære gode Jøde!
Thi Patriarcherne og dine Fædre døde:
    Saa du den samme Vey med mig nu dandse skal,
    Og seer Beslutningen paa dine Dages Tal.
Slæng Pungen ikkun bort. Jeg ingen Penge tager.
Du dig i saadant Haab, som i din Troe, bedrager.
    Du skal ey skakre meer. Au way mir! skraaler du.
    Du har dit Gode faaet, min Søn! kom det ihu.
Du har ey vildet troe, Messias han var kommen;
Men jeg skal føre dig for hannem frem til Dommen.
    Kand du for ham bestaae med din Retfærdighed:
    Saa er det best for dig. Marsch! du skal dandse med.
No talking helps, my dear good Jew!
Because the Patriarchs and your fathers died:
    So you must dance along the same path with me,
    and see the end of the number of your days.
Just throw away the wallet. I won't take any money.
In such a hope, as well as in your faith, you deceive yourself.
    You shall not peddle(1) anymore. Au way mir!(2) you scream.
    You have received your good things, my son, remember that.(3)
You have not wanted to believe that Messiah had arrived;
but I shall lead you to him for the judgement.
    Can you stand for him with your righteousness:(4)
    then it's best for you. Get going! you must dance along.

The Jew to Death

Ah! way mir! kiære Død! see Pengene, hvor vakre.
Lad mig et Aar endnu i denne Verden skakre.
    Du kand mig altid faae. Jeg skal ey løbe bort;
    Men klip min Leve=Traad dog ey saa meget kort.
Skal det da gielde mig, og jeg maae ey forskaanes .
Saa bør mit Manddoms Skieg af dig dog ey forhaanes.
    Lad mig et Øyeblik dog nyde stille Roe,
    At jeg betænke kand mit Levnet og min Troe.
Jeg har omhyggelig for Livets Biering været,
Og mig af Skakrerie til sidste Time næret.
    Messias troer jeg vist, ey ham, som kommen er;
    Men ham, som komme skal, og jeg har ventet her.
Ah! way mir! dear Death! see the money, how beautiful.
Let me peddle another year in this world.
    You can always get me. I shall not run away;
    But do not cut my life-thread so very short.
If it applies to me and I must not be spared
then my beard of manhood should not be insulted by you.
    Let me but a moment enjoy silent stillness,
    That I may consider my life and my faith.
I have been careful for the subsistence of life,
and by peddling made a living till the last hour.
    I certainly believe in Messiah, not the one who has arrived;
    but he who shall come and that I have been waiting for here.

* * * *

Endskiønt ey Salighed kand faaes i nogen anden,
Har Vantroe saadan Magt dog fundet i Forstanden
    Hos mange Mennesker, at de kand ikke see,
    Det dennem nytter meest, den dyre Frelsere.
Although salvation cannot be found elsewhere,
infidelity has found such power in the minds
    of many people, that they cannot see,
    that which helps them most, the dear Saviour.

Footnotes: (1) (2) (3) (4)

Peddle . . .: Jews were not allowed to own land and the craft guilds were only open for Christians.
Au way mir . . .: (modern spelling: oi vai iz mir). Yiddish for "oh woe is me".
Lazarus rocking in the bosom of Abraham.
lazarus
From the story of Lazarus and Dives: »But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented« Luke 16:25.
Psalm 1:5, "Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous".