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Work 155 of 440

Page 194. 'Di Shtal' Section G-H: Section G: The poet in exile ('from the distant distance') observes that his brothers already understood long ago what he now grasps — they accept their fate 'with love,' lying down wherever they fall. Section D: The last spark of anger has burned out in their eyes — except for one, the 'younger in years,' who still cherishes the flame of fever, longing for home, longing for redemption of himself and all his brothers. Section H: In the deep forest, the fugitive brothers sit looking at trees covered in dying summer's webs, 'smiling with a smiling sorrow' (shmeykhlndikn kumer) — resigned, melancholic. The younger one sees the soul of his life ignite in flooding fire, his vision of the trees ablaze. His lips twitch, his fingers 'break in boyish pain' — he still feels intensely what the older ones have numbed themselves to. The tension between youthful passion and resigned acceptance runs through the poem.

Yiddish Original

ג

וואָס איך זע מיט מײַן פֿאַרשטאַנד פֿון דאַנען

פֿון דער ווײַטער ווײַט

האָבן מײַנע ברידער שוין פֿאַרשטאַנען

לאַנג נאָך אין דער פֿריערדיקער צײַט.

און דעריבער קוקן מײַנע ברידערס אויגן

מיט אַן אײַנגעהאַלטענעם און קאַלטן קוק,

און זיי נעמען אָן באַהאַבע — פֿאַלן, זיך אַנידערלייגן

וואו עס מאַכט זיך: אין דער טיף פֿון וואַלד, צי אויפֿן שטיין פֿון ברוק.

ד

האַרבסט. האַרבסט.

אין מײַנע ברידערס אויגן

האָט שוין אויסגעברענט דער לעצטער פֿונק פֿון צאָרן,

נאָר איינער נאָך פֿון זיי, — דער יינגערער אין יאָרן,

צערטלט נאָך אין זיך דעם פֿלאַם פֿון פֿיבער,

פֿון בענקשאַפֿט נאָך די היימישדיקע שטיבער,

פֿון בענקשאַפֿט נאָך דערלייזונג

פֿון זיך און אַלע ברידער.

ה

אין טיפֿן וואַלד אַנטרונענע

זיצן מײַנע ברידער,

קוקן אויף די ביימער די פֿאַרשפּונענע

מיט געוועבן פֿונעם שטאַרבנדיקן זומער,

און שמייכלען מיט אַ שמייכלענדיקן קומער.

און דער יינגערער קוקט אויך אויף די געוועבן,

און זעט, ווי די נשמה פֿון זײַן לעבן

צינדט זיך אין פֿאַרפֿלייצנדיקן פֿײַער.

כאַפּט אַרום דאָס פֿײַער אַלע ביימער

מיט טאַנצנדיקע, קנאַקנדיקע צינגער:

צוקן זײַנע ליפּן,

ברעכן זיך אין יינגלישדיקן ווייטיק זײַנע פֿינגער.

Transliteration

G

Vos ikh ze mit mayn farshtand fun danen

fun der vayter vayt

hobn mayne brider shoyn farshtanen

lang nokh in der frierdiker tsayt.

Un deriber kukn mayne briders oygn

mit an ayngehaltenem un kaltn kuk,

un zey nemen on be'ahave — faln, zikh aniderleygn

vu es makht zikh: in der tif fun vald, tsi oyfn shteyn fun bruk.

D

Harbst. Harbst.

In mayne briders oygn

hot shoyn oysgebrent der letster funk fun tsorn,

nor eyner nokh fun zey, — der yingerer in yorn,

tsertlt nokh in zikh dem flam fun fiber,

fun benkshaft nokh di heymishdike shtiber,

fun benkshaft nokh derleyzung

fun zikh un ale brider.

H

In tifn vald antrunene

zitsn mayne brider,

kukn oyf di beymer di farshpunene

mit gevebn funem shtarbndikn zumer,

un shmeykhlеn mit a shmeykhlendikn kumer.

Un der yingerer kukt oykh oyf di gevebn,

un zet, vi di neshome fun zayn lebn

tsindt zikh in farfleytsndikn fayer.

Khapt arum dos fayer ale beymer

mit tantsndike, knakndike tsinger:

tsukn zayne lipn,

brekhn zikh in yinglishdikn veytik zayne finger.

English Translation

G

What I see with my understanding from here

from the distant distance

my brothers have already understood

long ago in earlier times.

And therefore my brothers' eyes look

with a restrained and cold gaze,

and they accept with love — fall, lie down

where it happens: in the depth of the forest, or on the stones of the road.

D

Autumn. Autumn.

In my brothers' eyes

the last spark of anger has already burned out,

but one of them still — the younger in years,

still cherishes in himself the flame of fever,

of longing for the homely cottages,

of longing for redemption

of himself and all the brothers.

H

In the deep forest, fugitives,

sit my brothers,

looking at the trees, the spun-over ones

with webs from the dying summer,

and smiling with a smiling sorrow.

And the younger one looks also at the webs,

and sees how the soul of his life

ignites in flooding fire.

The fire embraces all the trees

with dancing, cracking tongues:

his lips twitch,

his fingers break in boyish pain.

TRANSLATOR’S NOTE

Page 194. 'Di Shtal' Section G-H: Section G: The poet in exile ('from the distant distance') observes that his brothers already understood long ago what he now grasps — they accept their fate 'with love,' lying down wherever they fall. Section D: The last spark of anger has burned out in their eyes — except for one, the 'younger in years,' who still cherishes the flame of fever, longing for home, longing for redemption of himself and all his brothers. Section H: In the deep forest, the fugitive brothers sit looking at trees covered in dying summer's webs, 'smiling with a smiling sorrow' (shmeykhlndikn kumer) — resigned, melancholic. The younger one sees the soul of his life ignite in flooding fire, his vision of the trees ablaze. His lips twitch, his fingers 'break in boyish pain' — he still feels intensely what the older ones have numbed themselves to. The tension between youthful passion and resigned acceptance runs through the poem.

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