פֿון קומענדיקער מי,
Of coming toil,
Work 239 of 440
Page 291. 'Sobvey-baginen' continuation. The subway as site of forced intimacy and latent violence. 'Yog, yog, ban' (chase, chase, train) — the imperative of the commute. 'Der tsufelikster iz nit keyn tsufeliker' (the most accidental is not accidental) — fate in crowding. Body pressed to body: man to woman, woman to man. The paradox: 'guf vos fremder... neenter, neenter' (body the more foreign... nearer, nearer). Elbows in breasts. Eyes meeting: 'ze dayn shvartsapl dayn eygnem... in der zeung fun dayn shkns oyg' (see your own pupil... in your neighbor's eye). 'Ikh — un shekn. Ikh — in shekn. Ikh — bin shekn' (I and neighbor. I in neighbor. I am neighbor) — identity dissolving in the mass. The erotic-aggressive: 'yedns layb — an oyfrays' (each body — an incitement), 'otem — sine' (breath — hatred). The snake image: twist around the opposite neck. Breath becoming word — the primal cry emerging from the crush.
פֿון קומענדיקער מי,
פֿון טעמפּער קלאַנג פֿון ניט אויסגערוטע אבֿרים.
יאָג, יאָג, באַן.
וואוהין?
וועמענס?
דער צופֿעליקסטער איז ניט קיין צופֿעליקער.
גוף צו גוף.
מאַן — צו פֿרוי.
פֿרוי — צו מאַן.
גוף — וואָס פֿרעמדער,
גוף — וואָס קעלטער;
גוף וואָס שטײַפֿער —
נעענטער, נעענטער,
אויפֿגעוואַכטער,
אויפֿגעשטרעקטער.
עלנבויגנס — אין דער טיפֿעניש פֿון ברוסטן.
אויג — וואָס בייזער,
אויג — וואָס שאַרפֿער,
אויג — וואָס טיפֿער
זע דײַן שוואַרצאַפּל דײַן אייגענעם,
זע דײַן זעאונג
אין דער זעאונג פֿון דײַן שכנס אויג אַנטקעגן.
אינעם ליכט פֿון שוואַרץ באַגינען.
איך — און שכן.
איך — אין שכן.
איך — בין שכן.
גוף — וואָס פֿרעמדער;
צו נאָך נעענטער.
גוף — וואָס קעלטער;
צו נאָך הייסער:
יעדנס לײַב — אַן אויפֿרײַץ,
יעדנס מויל — אַן אויפֿרײַס.
אָטעם — שׂנאה,
גיב אַ שטראָם, פֿאַרפֿלייץ
דעם אַנטקעגנדיקן גאָרגל.
גיב אַ דריי זיך, שלאַנג,
אַרום אַנטקעגנדיקן האַלדז.
אָטעם — ווער אויסגעשריי,
ווער אויסגעזונגען וואָרט, —
Fun kumendiker mi,
fun temper klang fun nit oysgerute evrim.
Yog, yog, ban.
Vuhin?
Vemens?
Der tsufelikster iz nit keyn tsufeliker.
Guf tsu guf.
Man — tsu froy.
Froy — tsu man.
Guf — vos fremder,
guf — vos kelter;
guf vos shtayfer —
neenter, neenter,
oyfgevakhter,
oyfgeshtrekter.
Elnboygns — in der tifenish fun brustn.
Oyg — vos beyzer,
oyg — vos sharfer,
oyg — vos tifer
ze dayn shvartsapl dayn eygnem,
ze dayn zeung
in der zeung fun dayn shkns oyg antkegn.
Inem likht fun shvarts baginen.
Ikh — un shekn.
Ikh — in shekn.
Ikh — bin shekn.
Guf — vos fremder;
tsu nokh neenter.
Guf — vos kelter;
tsu nokh heyser:
yedns layb — an oyfrays,
yedns moyl — an oyfrays.
Otem — sine,
gib a shtrom, farfleyts
dem antkegndikn gorgl.
Gib a drey zikh, shlang,
arum antkegndikn haldz.
Otem — ver oysgeshray,
ver oysgezungen vort, —
Of coming toil,
of dull clang of unrested limbs.
Chase, chase, train.
Where to?
Whose?
The most accidental is not accidental.
Body to body.
Man — to woman.
Woman — to man.
Body — the more foreign,
body — the colder;
body the stiffer —
nearer, nearer,
more awakened,
more stretched out.
Elbows — in the depths of breasts.
Eye — the angrier,
eye — the sharper,
eye — the deeper
see your own pupil,
see your seeing
in the seeing of your neighbor's eye opposite.
In the light of black dawn.
I — and neighbor.
I — in neighbor.
I — am neighbor.
Body — the more foreign;
yet nearer.
Body — the colder;
yet hotter:
each one's body — an incitement,
each one's mouth — a tear-open.
Breath — hatred,
give a stream, flood
the opposite throat.
Give a twist, snake,
around the opposite neck.
Breath — become a scream,
become a sung-out word, —
Page 291. 'Sobvey-baginen' continuation. The subway as site of forced intimacy and latent violence. 'Yog, yog, ban' (chase, chase, train) — the imperative of the commute. 'Der tsufelikster iz nit keyn tsufeliker' (the most accidental is not accidental) — fate in crowding. Body pressed to body: man to woman, woman to man. The paradox: 'guf vos fremder... neenter, neenter' (body the more foreign... nearer, nearer). Elbows in breasts. Eyes meeting: 'ze dayn shvartsapl dayn eygnem... in der zeung fun dayn shkns oyg' (see your own pupil... in your neighbor's eye). 'Ikh — un shekn. Ikh — in shekn. Ikh — bin shekn' (I and neighbor. I in neighbor. I am neighbor) — identity dissolving in the mass. The erotic-aggressive: 'yedns layb — an oyfrays' (each body — an incitement), 'otem — sine' (breath — hatred). The snake image: twist around the opposite neck. Breath becoming word — the primal cry emerging from the crush.
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