אויף די וועגן סיבירער
On the Siberian Roads
Work 35 of 440
Page 43. 'Oyf di vegn Sibirer' and 'Oyf di taykhn Sibirer' are companion poems about traces left behind on the Siberian exile roads: buttons, strings, torn shoes, pieces of clay jugs, pages from holy books, and for drowned escapees — blood-dried ribbons in the forest, frozen footprints in snow. 'Soldatn' depicts the prisoner transport march at dawn: soldiers at the sides, bread sacks on shoulders, prisoners half-asleep knocking into each other, guards shouting 'In order!' while the rising sun watches from above.
אויף די וועגן סיבירער
אויף די וועגן סיבירער
קען עמעץ נאָך איצטער געפֿינען אַ קנעפּל, אַ שטריקל
פֿון מײַנס אַ צעריסענעם שוך,
אַ רימענעם פּאַס, פֿון אַ ליימענעם קריגל אַ שטיקל,
אַ בלעטל פֿון הייליקן בוך.
אויף די טײַכן סיבירער
אויף די טײַכן סיבירער
קען עמעץ נאָך איצטער געפֿינען אַ צייכן, אַ שפּענדל
פֿון מײַנס אַ דערטרונקענעם פֿליט:
אין וואַלד — אַ פֿאַרבלוטיקט-פֿאַרטריקנטן בענדל,
אין שניי — אײַנגעפֿרוירענע טריט.
סאָלדאַטן
סאָלדאַטן אָרום בײַ די זײַטן
מיר שטייען צו פֿירען אין רייען.
אַ זעקל מיט ברויט אויפֿן אַקסל,
אַן אויסגעשריי „מאַרש
Oyf di vegn Sibirer
Oyf di vegn Sibirer
ken emets nokh itster gefinen a knepl, a shtrikl
fun mayns a tserisnemen shukh,
a rimenem pas, fun a leymenem krigl a shtikl,
a bletl fun heylikn bukh.
Oyf di taykhn Sibirer
Oyf di taykhn Sibirer
ken emets nokh itster gefinen a tseykhn, a shpendl
fun mayns a dertrunkenem flit:
in vald — a farblutikt-fartrikntnem bendl,
in shney — ayngefroyrene trit.
Soldatn
Soldatn arum bay di zaytn
mir shteyen tsu firn in reyen.
A zekl mit broyt oyfn aksl,
an oysgeshtrey „marsh
On the Siberian Roads
On the Siberian roads
someone may still now find a button, a string
from my torn shoe,
a leather belt, a piece from a clay jug,
a page from the holy book.
On the Siberian Rivers
On the Siberian rivers
someone may still now find a trace, a pin
from my drowned fugitive:
in the forest — a blood-dried ribbon,
in the snow — frozen footprints.
Soldiers
Soldiers around at our sides
we stand to be led in rows.
A sack with bread on the shoulder,
a shout of "march", and we go.
Still night. The early morning begins
to take one edge of the east.
We walk half-awake, as in a dream,
sleep still lies on our eyelids.
Shoulders knock against shoulders.
Knees knock against knees:
we, blind with open eyes,
confuse and scramble the rows.
— In order! — shout the guards,
we follow the guards' shouts:
the sun has come out in the east
and watches from on high as we march.
Page 43. 'Oyf di vegn Sibirer' and 'Oyf di taykhn Sibirer' are companion poems about traces left behind on the Siberian exile roads: buttons, strings, torn shoes, pieces of clay jugs, pages from holy books, and for drowned escapees — blood-dried ribbons in the forest, frozen footprints in snow. 'Soldatn' depicts the prisoner transport march at dawn: soldiers at the sides, bread sacks on shoulders, prisoners half-asleep knocking into each other, guards shouting 'In order!' while the rising sun watches from above.
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