לידער פון גן-עדן
Songs from Paradise
Work 361 of 440
Page 425. First poem of 'Lider fun gan-eydn' (Songs from Paradise): 'Efn zikh, toyer' (Open yourself, gate). Arrives at sanatorium — 'tsimerle-tsel' (little room-cell) conflates hospital room and prison cell. Body is 'fayer' (fire — fever), head is 'shney' (snow). Carries 'zak mit geshray' (sack of screams) on shoulders. Repeated 'opshid' (farewell). 'Eybike fregn' (eternal questioning). Colorado landscape: fire-like 'step' (steppe), snow on 'bergike kep' (mountainous peaks). Final question: 'Shpitol? Vider tfise? Tsi gor monastir?' (Hospital? Prison again? Or monastery?) — conflates sanatorium with previous exile experiences ('tfise' — Hebrew 'tofes', prison) and spiritual retreat. Denver setting evoked through fire/snow imagery of mountain desert.
לידער פון גן-עדן
עפן זיך, טויער
עפן זיך. טויער,
נעענטער זיך. שוועל, --
איך קום צו דיר ווידער,
צימערל"צעל.
מיין לייב. -- פייער,
מיין קְאָפ -- שניי:
און אויף מיינע אַקסלען
8 זאָק מיט געשריי.
אפשייד. אָפשייד.
אויגן. הענט.
אַדיע אויף די 5יפן
דערברענט -- פּאַרברענט.
מיט וועמען צעשיידט זיך 1
פון וועמען אַוועק1 --
מס אייביקע פרעגן
דאָס מאָל ניט פרעג.
אין פייער, אין פלאַקער
אַרומיקער סטעפ,
און שניי אינעם פלאַקער
אויף בערגיקע קעפ.
זע, ס'צתיז שוין אָפן
טויער און טיר: --
שפיט:מל 1 = ווידער תפיסה1
צי גאָר מאָנאַסטיר1
21
Lider fun gan-eydn
Efn zikh, toyer
Efn zikh, toyer,
neenter zikh, shvel, —
ikh kum tsu dir vider,
tsimerle-tsel.
Mayn layb — fayer,
mayn kop — shney:
un oyf mayne akslen
a zak mit geshray.
Opshid. Opshid.
Oygn. Hent.
Adye oyf di lipn
derbrent — farbrent.
Mit vemen tsesheydt zikh?
Fun vemen avek? —
Dos eybike fregn
dos mol nit freg.
In fayer, in flaker
arumiker step,
un shney inem flaker
oyf bergike kep.
Ze, s'iz shoyn ofn
toyer un tir: —
Shpitol? Vider tfise?
Tsi gor monastir?
Songs from Paradise
Open Yourself, Gate
Open yourself, gate,
come nearer, threshold, —
I come to you again,
little room-cell.
My body — fire,
my head — snow:
and on my shoulders
a sack of screams.
Farewell. Farewell.
Eyes. Hands.
Goodbye on the lips
burned — burned up.
From whom do I part?
From whom away? —
The eternal questioning
this time don't ask.
In fire, in flame
the surrounding steppe,
and snow in the flame
on mountainous peaks.
See, it's already open
gate and door: —
Hospital? Prison again?
Or even monastery?
Page 425. First poem of 'Lider fun gan-eydn' (Songs from Paradise): 'Efn zikh, toyer' (Open yourself, gate). Arrives at sanatorium — 'tsimerle-tsel' (little room-cell) conflates hospital room and prison cell. Body is 'fayer' (fire — fever), head is 'shney' (snow). Carries 'zak mit geshray' (sack of screams) on shoulders. Repeated 'opshid' (farewell). 'Eybike fregn' (eternal questioning). Colorado landscape: fire-like 'step' (steppe), snow on 'bergike kep' (mountainous peaks). Final question: 'Shpitol? Vider tfise? Tsi gor monastir?' (Hospital? Prison again? Or monastery?) — conflates sanatorium with previous exile experiences ('tfise' — Hebrew 'tofes', prison) and spiritual retreat. Denver setting evoked through fire/snow imagery of mountain desert.
← / → previous & next poem·1–4 toggle columns·hover a line to align all versions