איך האָב געזאָגט: יאָ,
I said: yes,
Work 278 of 440
Page 334. 'Dos lid fun mayn khoruver heym' conclusion: the speaker accepts with 'yo' (yes), heading 'tsu der tir fun der khurve' (toward the door of the ruin). The dog follows 'a gliklekher' (a happy one). Speaker sits 'oyf der shvel' (on the threshold), dog beside him. He turns 'mayn ponim in zun arayn' (my face into the sun) and begins to sing. Together they sing: 'undzer heym, / undzer vays-fayerdik heym' (our home, our white-fiery home) — note the shift from 'aza heym' (such a home) to 'undzer heym' (our home), marking acceptance. The poem ends with the same refrain: 's'iz geven shtil, erev-yontevdik oyf der erd' (it was quiet, like the eve of a holiday on earth). Leivick transforms the destroyed childhood home into a shared mystical dwelling, affirming presence in absence, finding holiness in ruins.
איך האָב געזאָגט: יאָ,
און געלאָזט זיך צו דער טיר פֿון דער חורבֿה.
און דער הונט, אַ גליקלעכער, נאָך מיר.
איך האָב זיך געזעצט אויף דער שוועל פֿון דער חורבֿה,
און דער הונט, אַ גליקלעכער, לעבן מיר.
איך האָב אָנגעשטעלט מײַן פּנים אין זון אַרײַן,
און איך האָב גענומען זינגען.
און דער הונט, אַ גליקלעכער, מיט מיר: —
אונדזער היים,
אונדזער ווײַס־פֿײַערדיק היים,
אונדזער היים,
אונדזער היים,
אונדזער היים —
אַזוי האָבן מיר ביידע געזונגען.
ס'איז געווען שטיל, ערבֿ־יום־טובֿדיק אויף דער ערד.
Ikh hob gezogt: yo,
un gelozt zikh tsu der tir fun der khurve.
Un der hunt, a gliklekher, nokh mir.
Ikh hob zikh gezetst oyf der shvel fun der khurve,
un der hunt, a gliklekher, lebn mir.
Ikh hob ongeshtelt mayn ponim in zun arayn,
un ikh hob genumen zingen.
Un der hunt, a gliklekher, mit mir: —
undzer heym,
undzer vays-fayerdik heym,
undzer heym,
undzer heym,
undzer heym —
azoy hobn mir beyde gezungen.
S'iz geven shtil, erev-yontevdik oyf der erd.
I said: yes,
and headed toward the door of the ruin.
And the dog, a happy one, after me.
I sat down on the threshold of the ruin,
and the dog, a happy one, beside me.
I turned my face into the sun,
and I began to sing.
And the dog, a happy one, with me: —
our home,
our white-fiery home,
our home,
our home,
our home —
thus we both sang.
It was quiet, like the eve of a holiday on the earth.
Page 334. 'Dos lid fun mayn khoruver heym' conclusion: the speaker accepts with 'yo' (yes), heading 'tsu der tir fun der khurve' (toward the door of the ruin). The dog follows 'a gliklekher' (a happy one). Speaker sits 'oyf der shvel' (on the threshold), dog beside him. He turns 'mayn ponim in zun arayn' (my face into the sun) and begins to sing. Together they sing: 'undzer heym, / undzer vays-fayerdik heym' (our home, our white-fiery home) — note the shift from 'aza heym' (such a home) to 'undzer heym' (our home), marking acceptance. The poem ends with the same refrain: 's'iz geven shtil, erev-yontevdik oyf der erd' (it was quiet, like the eve of a holiday on earth). Leivick transforms the destroyed childhood home into a shared mystical dwelling, affirming presence in absence, finding holiness in ruins.
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