שפינאָזע
Spinoza
Work 414 of 440
Page 487. New poem 'Spinoze' (Spinoza) — dated 1934. About Baruch Spinoza (1632–1677), Dutch-Jewish philosopher. Section I: 'Intelektuele libe' (Intellectual Love) — alludes to Spinoza's concept 'amor Dei intellectualis' (intellectual love of God). 'Keyn guts, keyn shlekhts' (no good, no bad) — Spinoza's ethics beyond good/evil. 'Nakhtike shvester' (nighttime nurse) forbids late reading. Takes Spinoza's 'verk' (work = Ethics) from hand. 'Tsente shoh' (tenth hour). Turns lamp out. Book stays 'farmakht' (closed). Hospital sleeps 'in tsoyberland fun shney' (magic land of snow) — Denver TB sanatorium. 'Amol iz geven' (once upon a time) — fairy tale formula. Opens eyes from 'kholoymen' (dreams — Hebrew 'chalom'). New body beside him — 'Spinoze ligt un shloft' (Spinoza lies and sleeps). Mystical encounter: philosopher appears in hospital.
שפינאָזע
)1934(
ו
אינטעלעקטועלע ליבע
אינטעלעקטועלע ליבע צו גאָט. -- --
קיין גוטס, קיון שלעכטס ניטא -- --
די נאַכטיקע שוועסטער פאַרבאָט
זיין וואַך אין שפעטער שעה.
זי נעמט אַָרויס פון מיין האַנט
שפינאָזעס ווערק און זאָגט +
שוין שפעט אין נאַכט, מיין פריינט,
די צענטע שעה שוין שלומגט,
זי דרייט דאָס לעמפל אויס,
זי פליסטערט צו: גוט נאַכט,
און שלייכט זיך אין שטילקייט אַרויס --
דאס בוך בל-ייבט ליגן פּאַרמאַכט.
פּארזונקען שלאָפט שפיטאָל
אין צויבערלאַנד פון שניי:
אַמאֶָל איז געווען -- -- אמאל --
ס'איז איצטער אויך אַזוי.
איך רייס די אויגן אויף
פון חלומען צודאָפט :
נעבן מיר אַ נייער גוף --
שפינאָזע ליגט און שלאָפט.
43
Spinoze
(1934)
I
Intelektuele libe
Intelektuele libe tsu Got. — —
keyn guts, keyn shlekhts nito — —
di nakhtike shvester farbot
zayn vakh in shpeter shoh.
Zi nemt aroys fun mayn hant
Spinozes verk un zogt:
shoyn shpet in nakht, mayn fraynt,
di tsente shoh shoyn shlogt.
Zi dreyt dos lempl oys,
zi flistert tsu: gut nakht,
un shleykht zikh in shtilkeyt aroys —
dos bukh blaybt lign farmakht.
Farzonken shloft shpitol
in tsoyberland fun shney:
amol iz geven — — amol —
s'iz itster oykh azoy.
Ikh rays di oygn oyf
fun kholoymen tsudoft:
nebn mir a nayer guf —
Spinoze ligt un shloft.
Spinoza
(1934)
I
Intellectual Love
Intellectual love of God. — —
no good, no bad exists — —
the nighttime sister forbade
his watch in late hour.
She takes out of my hand
Spinoza's work and says:
already late at night, my friend,
the tenth hour already strikes.
She turns the lamp out,
she whispers: good night,
and sneaks out in silence —
the book remains lying closed.
Sunken sleeps the hospital
in magic land of snow:
once upon a time — — once —
it's also now this way.
I tear my eyes open
from dreams too thick:
next to me a new body —
Spinoza lies and sleeps.
Page 487. New poem 'Spinoze' (Spinoza) — dated 1934. About Baruch Spinoza (1632–1677), Dutch-Jewish philosopher. Section I: 'Intelektuele libe' (Intellectual Love) — alludes to Spinoza's concept 'amor Dei intellectualis' (intellectual love of God). 'Keyn guts, keyn shlekhts' (no good, no bad) — Spinoza's ethics beyond good/evil. 'Nakhtike shvester' (nighttime nurse) forbids late reading. Takes Spinoza's 'verk' (work = Ethics) from hand. 'Tsente shoh' (tenth hour). Turns lamp out. Book stays 'farmakht' (closed). Hospital sleeps 'in tsoyberland fun shney' (magic land of snow) — Denver TB sanatorium. 'Amol iz geven' (once upon a time) — fairy tale formula. Opens eyes from 'kholoymen' (dreams — Hebrew 'chalom'). New body beside him — 'Spinoze ligt un shloft' (Spinoza lies and sleeps). Mystical encounter: philosopher appears in hospital.
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