II
II
Work 251 of 440
Page 306. 'Tsu' continuation: Section II — the speaker affirms belief 'in heylikn in mayn baruf' (in the holiness of my calling): to wander the world as an 'oreman' (poor man), 'mit royter bord un hoykhn darn guf' (with red beard and tall thin body) — Leivick describing himself. He traces everything 'mit mayn khlefdikn shpan' (with my fleeting span). Section III — passing through 'niderike toyern' (low gates) of all lands, he goes 'nokh nideriker' (even lower) — humility. Everything he encounters becomes 'shpanung un dervartung un gegar' (tension and expectation and fermentation). He carries his 'neshome' (soul) 'oyf di shpitsn finger' (on fingertips) — precarious, vulnerable. The body is commanded to become 'oysgeshtrekter, gringer' (more stretched out, lighter), to dissolve 'in fartog' (in pre-dawn). The final stanza: 'opgelebt a lebn halb' (lived half a life), his 'meysim' (deeds) lie face-down like children. He covers them 'mit lider vayse' (with white songs) — poetry as shroud — and turns away.
II
איך גלייב אין הייליקן אין מײַן באַרוף,
אַרומגיין איבער וועלט אַן אָרעמאַן,
מיט רויטער באָרד און הויכן דאַרן גוף,
און אַלץ באַשפּורן מיט מײַן כלעפֿדיקן שפּאַן.
III
דורך די נידעריקע טויערן פֿון אַלע לענדער
גיי איך דורך נאָך נידעריקער, און דערפֿאַר
אַלץ וואָס קומט אין וועג פֿאַרפֿישט איך, פֿאַרענדער,
אַלץ ווערט שפּאַנונג און דערוואַרטונג און געגאַר.
מײַן נשמה טראָג איך אויף די שפּיצן פֿינגער,
און די ליפּן מײַנע לייזן־אויף זיך אין פֿאַרזאָג:
גוף מײַנער: ווער אויסגעשטרעקטער, גרינגער,
גוף מײַנער, צעטוי זיך אין פֿאַרטאָג.
אָפּגעלעבט אַ לעבן האַלב, און מײַנע מעשׂים
ליגן, ווי קינדער מיט די פּנימער אַראָפּ,
איך דעק זיי צו מיט דעקטוכן — מיט לידער ווײַסע, —
און דאָס איז אַלץ, — און כ'טו זיך פֿון זיי אָפּ.
II
Ikh gleyb in heylikn in mayn baruf,
arumgeyn iber velt an oreman,
mit royter bord un hoykhn darn guf,
un alts bashpurn mit mayn khlefdikn shpan.
III
Durkh di niderike toyern fun ale lender
gey ikh durkh nokh nideriker, un derfar
alts vos kumt in veg farfisht ikh, farender,
alts vert shpanung un dervartung un gegar.
Mayn neshome trog ikh oyf di shpitsn finger,
un di lipn mayne leyzn-oyf zikh in farzog:
guf mayner: ver oysgeshtrekter, gringer,
guf mayner, tsetoy zikh in fartog.
Opgelebt a lebn halb, un mayne meysim
lign, vi kinder mit di penimer arop,
ikh dek zey tsu mit dekthkhn — mit lider vayse, —
un dos iz alts, — un kh'tu zikh fun zey op.
II
I believe in the holiness of my calling,
to go around the world a poor man,
with red beard and tall thin body,
and trace everything with my fleeting span.
III
Through the low gates of all lands
I go through even lower, and therefore
everything that comes my way I enchant, transform,
everything becomes tension and expectation and fermentation.
My soul I carry on my fingertips,
and my lips dissolve themselves in prediction:
my body: become more stretched out, lighter,
my body, dissolve yourself in pre-dawn.
Lived through half a life, and my deeds
lie, like children with their faces down,
I cover them with blankets — with white songs, —
and that is all, — and I turn away from them.
Page 306. 'Tsu' continuation: Section II — the speaker affirms belief 'in heylikn in mayn baruf' (in the holiness of my calling): to wander the world as an 'oreman' (poor man), 'mit royter bord un hoykhn darn guf' (with red beard and tall thin body) — Leivick describing himself. He traces everything 'mit mayn khlefdikn shpan' (with my fleeting span). Section III — passing through 'niderike toyern' (low gates) of all lands, he goes 'nokh nideriker' (even lower) — humility. Everything he encounters becomes 'shpanung un dervartung un gegar' (tension and expectation and fermentation). He carries his 'neshome' (soul) 'oyf di shpitsn finger' (on fingertips) — precarious, vulnerable. The body is commanded to become 'oysgeshtrekter, gringer' (more stretched out, lighter), to dissolve 'in fartog' (in pre-dawn). The final stanza: 'opgelebt a lebn halb' (lived half a life), his 'meysim' (deeds) lie face-down like children. He covers them 'mit lider vayse' (with white songs) — poetry as shroud — and turns away.
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