Israeli Limericks (khamshirim)
Khamshír is an Israeli limerick, a jocular 5-line poem with AABBA rhyming. The Israeli word חמשיר khamshír is a portmanteau blend of חמש khamésh ‘five [lines]’ + שיר shir ‘poem’.
Limericks are usually associated with English. But Israeli, which is a Jewrasian (Jewish+European+Asian; Semito-European) hybrid language, is abundant with limericks. Here are some of Professor Ghil'ad Zuckermann's limericks (khamshirim) in Israeli:
מעשה בחתולה, שמה מיצי
שפונקה, אף הוטסה לאופיצי
תפוזים סחטו לה
עכברים שחטו לה
אך רצתה היא לינוק, רק מציצי
Maasé be-KHATÚLA shmá mítsi
She-punká, af hutsá le-Uffítsi
Tapuzím saKHATÚ LA
Akhbarím shaKHATÚ LA
akh ratstá hi linók, rak mi-tsítsi
There was a cat named Mítsi
That had been spoiled, even flown to Uffizi
Oranges have been squeezed for her
Mice have been slaughtered for her
But she only wanted to be breastfed (from a tsítsí 'tit')
(Please note the repetition of KHATÚLA 'female cat')
מעשה בפרופסור, שמו ניק
שאהב פרמיזן ונקניק
אותו אם חיפשת
מצאת עם פסטה
תובנות בלשניות מעניק
Maasé be-profésor, shmo ník
She-aháv parmizán ve-nakník
Otó im khipásta
Matsáta im pásta
Tovanót balshanyót maaník
There has been a professor named Nick
Who loved Parmesan and sausage/ham
If you looked for him
You found him with pasta
Linguistic insights giving
מעשה בפרופסור גלעד
שאהב לאכול שוקולד
ביום חול, בשבת
באלול ובשבט
ואפילו בחג המולד
maasé be-profésor gilád
she-aháv le-ekhól shokolád
be-yom khól, be-shabát
be-elúl ve-be-shvát
ve-afílu be-khág ha-molád
Lit.
Story in Professor Ghil'ad
That-liked to-eat chocolate
In-day unsacred, in-Sabbath
In-Elul(month) and-in-Shvat(month)
And-even in-feast CONSTRCUCT.STATE the-birth
I.E.
There has been a Professor Ghil'ad
Who loved to eat chocolate
In a weekday, in Sabbath
In August, in February
And even in Christmas.