Samuel, Maurice. (1971). In praise of Yiddish. Chicago: Henry Regency Company.

Dales, "poverty," has become hypostasized in the Yiddish folk mind, and is a living presence. The poet Mani-Leyb sings:

In dem oremland fun lite
Zingt a foygl in a shmite,
Un derfar oyf yeden rog
Zingt der dales yedn tog;
Zingt der dales un der oylem
Zingt mit im oyf ale keylim.

In the poverty-land of Lithuania
A bird sings once in seven years,
But to make up for it, on every corner,
Poverty sings every day.
Poverty sings, and all and sundry
Sing along with all their organs.

Of a poverty-stricken home one hears it said, der dales fayft fun ale yinkelekh, "Poverty whistles from every comer"; der dales tantst in mitn shtub; "Poverty dances in the middle of the room"; or, in the early stages, der dales hot zikh arayngeganvet in hoyz 'Poverty stole into the house."

But I should like to establish dales in English with some of its Yiddish status; I shall capitalize it henceforth, and I shall not translate it, but speak of it as one does of the Muses, Clio for history, Melpomene for tragedy, and Dales, the tenth, for poverty, a masculine Muse unknown to Parnassus, the dominant voice in the life of the Yiddish-speaking masses of eastern Europe. (Samuel, 1971, pp. 195-196)

. . .

In the opinion of Professor Dov Sadan, perhaps the foremost authority on Yiddish, Dales "was once actually a demon, a malevolent spirit with an independent existence which was acknowledged in countless sayings.

Vu der dales klept zikh on ken men fun im nit azoy layk lit poter (Heb) vern, "Where Dales has once fastened on, it's no light matter to get rid of him, shake him off"; and a similar sentiment runs to rhyme, der dokter ken ales ober nit aroystraybn dem dales, "The doctor can do everything except drive out Dales." For Dales is the ever-present threat; farn (far dem) toyt un farn dales ken men zikh nit bavorenen, "There's no insurance against death and Dales." Moreover, der dales hot a grobn kop, "Dales has a thick head," i.e., where Dales reigns one sees not the brains, which is confirmed by another saying, der dales farshtelt di khokhme (Heb), "Dales conceals (a man's) wisdom." (Samuel, 1971, pp. 196-197)