12
I lay at your feet
Work 362 of 440
Page 426. End of previous poem — lays 'zak mit geshray' (sack of screams) at Colorado's feet, 'land... fun fayer un shney' (land of fire and snow). New poem 'In dreml' (In a doze): grass and bloom in drowsy state. Walk 'vi tsadikim in gan-eydn' (like righteous ones in Paradise — Hebrew 'tzaddikim', 'gan eden') — ironic title of cycle explained. 'Shnirele fun blut' (thread of blood) binds TB patients together. 'Vayse khokhme' (white wisdom — Hebrew 'chochmah') on lips. Wind brings 'veltn nit fun danen' (worlds not from here). 'Lib — leb — lang' — compressed imperative/blessing. Song taken to 'tseln un gezeltn' (cells and tents) — hospital rooms. Night personified 'in vaysn hemd' (white shirt — nurse imagery), 'fiberdik' (feverishly), sprinkles 'shlof-trunk tropn' (sleep-potion drops). New poem 'Vu bistu?' (Where are you?): 'levone-gezikhter' (moon-faces — Hebrew 'levanah'), enchanted houses, slow clock hands — dreamlike sanatorium night.
12
איך לייג צו די פיס דיר
מיין זאָק מיט געשריי,
לאָנד קאָלאַראַדאָ
פון פייער און שנייה
אין דרעמל
איז דרעמל גראָז און בלום,
דער אָוונט נעמט זיך שיידן:
מיר גייען שטיל אַרום,
ווי צדיקים אין גןדעדן.
איין שנירעלע פון בלוט
טוט אַלעמען פאַרקניפן;
די ווייסע חכמה רוט
אויף אַלע אונדוערע 5>יפן.
פון ערגעץ קומט אַ ווינט
מיט שטורעם-טריט צושפאַנען,
דערמאָנט אונדו און פּאַרבינדט
מיט וועלטן ניט פון דאַנען.
ליב--לְעב--לאַנְג --
געזאַנג אַזאַ פון וועלטן :
מיר נעמען-מיט ס'געזאַנג
אין צעלן און געצעלטן.
די נאַכט אין ווייסן העמד
שטייט פיבערדיק צוקאָפן.
און שפריצט אויף דיל צפון ווענט
געווירצטע שלאָף"טרונק טראָפן.
וואו ביסטו ?
לבנה"געזיכטער,
פּאַרכישופטע הייזער,
באַלקאָנען און ליכטער,
און לזמנגזאַמע ווייזער.
Ikh leyg tsu di fis dir
mayn zak mit geshray,
land Kolorado
fun fayer un shney.
In dreml
In dreml groz un blum,
der ovnt nemt zikh sheydn:
mir geyen shtil arum,
vi tsadikim in gan-eydn.
Eyn shnirele fun blut
tut alemen farknipn;
di vayse khokhme rut
oyf ale undzere lipn.
Fun ergets kumt a vint
mit shturem-trit tsushpanen,
dermont undz un farbint
mit veltn nit fun danen.
Lib — leb — lang —
gezang aza fun veltn:
mir nemen-mit s'gezang
in tseln un gezeltn.
Di nakht in vaysn hemd
shteyt fiberdik tsukopn,
un shpritst oyf dil un vent
gevirtste shlof-trunk tropn.
Vu bistu?
Levone-gezikhter,
farkishofste hayzer,
balkonenen un likhter,
un langzame vayzer.
I lay at your feet
my sack of screams,
land of Colorado
of fire and snow.
In a Doze
In a doze grass and bloom,
the evening begins to part:
we walk quietly around,
like righteous ones in Paradise.
One little thread of blood
ties everyone together;
the white wisdom rests
on all our lips.
From somewhere comes a wind
striding with storm-steps,
reminds us and binds us
to worlds not from here.
Love — live — long —
such a song from worlds:
we take along the song
into cells and tents.
The night in a white shirt
stands feverishly at the head,
and sprinkles on floor and walls
spiced sleep-potion drops.
Where Are You?
Moon-faces,
enchanted houses,
balconies and lights,
and slow clock-hands.
Page 426. End of previous poem — lays 'zak mit geshray' (sack of screams) at Colorado's feet, 'land... fun fayer un shney' (land of fire and snow). New poem 'In dreml' (In a doze): grass and bloom in drowsy state. Walk 'vi tsadikim in gan-eydn' (like righteous ones in Paradise — Hebrew 'tzaddikim', 'gan eden') — ironic title of cycle explained. 'Shnirele fun blut' (thread of blood) binds TB patients together. 'Vayse khokhme' (white wisdom — Hebrew 'chochmah') on lips. Wind brings 'veltn nit fun danen' (worlds not from here). 'Lib — leb — lang' — compressed imperative/blessing. Song taken to 'tseln un gezeltn' (cells and tents) — hospital rooms. Night personified 'in vaysn hemd' (white shirt — nurse imagery), 'fiberdik' (feverishly), sprinkles 'shlof-trunk tropn' (sleep-potion drops). New poem 'Vu bistu?' (Where are you?): 'levone-gezikhter' (moon-faces — Hebrew 'levanah'), enchanted houses, slow clock hands — dreamlike sanatorium night.
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