In 1874, Mennonites migrated to Hutchinson and Turner counties, South Dakota, and McPherson and Harvey counties, Kansas, from Volhynia, a region in the Russian Empire that today spans southeastern Poland, southwestern Belarus, and northwestern Ukraine. These Mennonites descended from Swiss Anabaptists originally from Canton Berne who were driven out of Switzerland in 1670/71 and settled in the Palatinate. There, they shifted from speaking Swiss German to Palatine German (Pfälzisch). While some Mennonites and Amish migrated to Pennsylvania in the first half of the 18th century, others migrated eastward to Volhynia in the 1780s and 1790s. Their descendants came to be known as Swiss Volhynian Mennonites. Swiss Volhynian German is sometimes referred to as “Swiss German,” even though it is actually derived from Palatine German, thereby making it a linguistic cousin to Pennsylvania Dutch.
Here is a recording of a Swiss Volhynian Mennonite from McPherson County, Kansas, Arthur J. Goering (1910–1999), reciting a poem attributed to another Kansas Swiss Volhynian, Andrew J. Schrag (1876–1956), who was the son of one of the original Volhynian migrants, Daniel Schrag (1842–1903). The poem is titled “Yuscht Fertzich Yohr Zurick” (Just Forty Years Ago). This recording was included on an LP record produced in the 1970s by Dr. J[ohn] O[rlin] Schrag (1924–2024) titled “Unsere Leit (Our People) in Swiss-German Dialect.” Side A features Schrag; the texts on side B, including “Yuscht Fertzich Yohr Zurick,” are read by Arthur Goering. The complete album is accessible here.
For information on the history of the Swiss Volhynian Mennonites, visit the website of the Swiss Mennonite Cultural and Historical Association.
Yuscht Fertzich Yohr Zurick
Wenn ich mir als die Welt aaguck, / Un seh, wie’s alles geht, / Un wenn ich mir so driber denk, / Dann dutt’s mir wirklich leed.
When I look at the world, / And see how everything goes, / And when I reflect on it, / Then I am truly sorry.
Die Schule sin wohl besser yetz, / Die Leit sin noch viel gescheider / Vun allerhand for Sache mache, / Sin sie aach viel weider.
The schools are indeed better now, / People are much cleverer, / For making all kinds of things, / They are more advanced.
Mir hen gude Kerche in dem Land, / Un hen arrich gude Farrer, / In alle Sache sollten yetz / Die Leit viel besser werre.
We have good churches in this country, / And also quite good pastors, / In every respect people should now / Be improving much.
Mer meent, es kennt gewiss net sin, / Un doch is es zu wohr, / In manchem sin sie schlechter worre, / Die letschde fertzich Yohr.
You’d think, it just cannot be, / And it is just too true, / In some ways they have gotten worse, / In the last forty years.
Wenn mer yetz die Leit aaguckt, / Un sieht sie drauss erumlaafe, / Dann guckt e jedere reich genung, / E Haufe Land zu kaafe.
If you look at people now, / And see them out going around, / Then everyone looks wealthy enough / To buy a lot of land.
Die Leit duhn stets fortschaffe / Un gar net weider denke, / Un duhn alles, was sie grien, / Sich uff der Buckel henke.
People are always working away from home / And don’t think anything of it, / And hang everything they get / On their backs.
Andere, die die Arbeit hassen, / Wollen doch stols rumlaafe, / Die lehnen Geld vun ihrem Freund, / Un duhn mit Geborgtem kaafe.
Others who hate work / Like to walk around pridefully, / They borrow money from their friend, / And buy on credit.
Mer hat als net so viel gespend / For allerhand Geschmick, / Mer hat dem Geldsack noochgelegt, / Yuscht fertzich Yohr zurick.
People used to not spend so much / For all kinds of fancy things, / They saved money, / Just forty years ago.
Das Land is so voll schlechte Leit, / Un kummen als noch raus, / Mer is sich nimmi sicher / In seinem eigene Haus.
This country is filled with bad people, / And they still keep coming out, / You’re no longer safe / In your own house.
Der Dieb hat mer als ingesteckt, / Der Merder an der Strick, / Denoh hat mer widder Friede gehatt, / Yuscht fertzich Yohr zurick.
They used to lock up thieves, / And string up murderers, / Afterward there was peace again, / Just forty years ago.
Die Bube wollen nimmi schaffe, / Sie wollen grosse Luh, / Un hedden gern e scheener Blatz, / Wo wennich is zu duh.
Young men don’t want to work anymore, / They want big wages, / And would like a nice place / Where there is little to do.
Sie wollen net im Daagelohn schaffe, / Un wolle noch net bauere. / Es gebt bald kee Leit womit zu breche,/ Un Heiser uffzumauere.
They don’t want to work for a day’s wages, / And don’t want to farm. / Soon there will no more people to break stones with / And build stone houses.
Die Bube hen als gern geschafft, / Mit Gaul en Eeg un Flieg / Un ware net so absenaat, / Yuscht fertzich Yohr zurick.
Young men used to like to work / With horse and harrow and plows / And weren’t so obstinate, / Just forty years ago.
Dann hat mer ya alsnoch gebriggelt, / Die Bube hen das wohl gehasst, / Mer hot gedenkt, es war zu grobb, / Aber dennoch hat’s gebasst.
In those days you still used corporal punishment, / The boys hated that / People thought that was too coarse, / But it still was appropriate.
Ich wees, ich hab mol Briggel griet, / Ich kann mich gut besinne, / Aber eens muss ich do saa, / Ich hatt for e Weil net hocke kenne.
I know that I was punished that way, / I can remember that well, / But one thing I have to say here, / I wasn’t able to sit down for a while.
Aber de Meede geht’s alleweil net besser, / Es dutt mer leid zu saa, / Wenn sie ewennich schaffe sollen, / Dann duhn sie halt gleich glaa.
But young women aren’t much better nowadays, / I’m sorry to say, / If they have to work a little, / Then they just complain.
Sie hocken lieber in dem Parlor / Un stricken scheene Sache, / Un lassen halt die Mama geh, / Un ihnen s’Esse mache.
They prefer to sit in the parlor / And knit pretty things, / And just let Mama go / And make them food.
Sie meenen als, sie waeren schenner, / Un dedden besser gucke, / Wenn sie korz abgegutzt sin, / Wie so fette, lose Glucke.
They always think they’d be prettier / And would look better, / If they’re flattered, / Like plump, loose hens.
Sie jagen alle Daag hin un her, / Das geht wie Blitz un Balle, / Un duhn sich die verrickte Dinger an, / Du weescht net, is’s hinder odder vorne.
Every day they dash back and forth, / That goes like lightning and balls, / And put on crazy things, / You don’t know is it the front or the back.
Die Meede hen als gern geschafft, / Un ware noch fett un dick, / Un hadden noch rodi Backe gehatt, / Yuscht fertzich Yohr zurick.
Girls used to like to work, / And were still stout and plump, / And still had red cheeks, / Just forty years ago.
Veleicht is das aach genung for yetz, / Aber nemmet eich drum aa um eire Kinder, / Wenn das zu Fall noch schlimmer werd, / Dann geht die Welt zum Schinder.
Maybe this is enough for now, / But take care of your children, / If this all gets worse, / Then the world will go to pot.
Wenn das die negschde fertzich Yohr, / In dem so weider geht, / Dann is es wirklich zweifelhaft, / Ob unsere Welt noch steht.
If things for the next forty years / Keep on going like this, / Then it is truly questionable, / If the world will endure.
Die Leit duhn alles ibberdreibe, / Un leben viel zu gross, / Wenn das net schtoppt, / Dann brecht gewiss bald Aergeres heftich los.
People exaggerate everything, / And live much too large, / If this doesn’t stop, / Then for sure much worse things will break out.