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שטורעם, ווינטער־נאַכט

Storm, Winter-Night

Work 281 of 440

Page 338. 'Shturem, vinter-nakht' (Storm, Winter-Night): snow will cover 'undz beydn-beydn' (both of us), but they will be found 'bazunder' (separately). Last words before parting 'zogn on dem kumendikn vunder' (announce the coming wonder). Who perceived whom first, became 'hart... khosidik-bafelnd' (hard, Hasidically commanding)? Farewell comes with 'zayn groysn oytser... zayn elnt' (its great treasure... its loneliness). Despite the storm's 'koyekh blindn' (blind force), they will overcome 'mit a shmeykhl a fareybiktn oyf lipn' (with an eternalized smile on lips). 'Oyf di akslen' (On the Shoulders): the refrain 'Ikh bin dayn gekhlumter, / ikh bin dayn gehofter' (I am your dreamed-one, your hoped-for). Death's shoulders carry the speaker — 'breyte, gezunte, shtolene... foterlekhe' (broad, healthy, steely... fatherly). 'Tate-toyt' (Father-Death) strides, streets dance. Father says: 'ruyik zay, zun. / likhtik zay, zun' (be calm, son. / be bright, son) — 'zun' means both 'son' and 'sun.'

Yiddish Original

שטורעם, ווינטער־נאַכט

ס'וועט פֿאַרשנײַט אונדז ביידן־ביידן,

נאָר געפֿינען וועט מען אונדז באַזונדער —

לעצטע ווערטער פֿאַרן זיך־פֿונאַנדערשיידן

זאָגן אָן דעם קומענדיקן וואונדער.

ווער האָט וועמען גאָר צום ערשט פֿאַרנומען,

האַרט געוואָרן, חסידיק־באַפֿעלנד?

סײַ ווי סײַ דער אָפּשייד מוז דאָך קומען

מיט זײַן גרויסן אוצר — מיט זײַן עלנט.

שטורעם, ווינטער־נאַכט, מיט כּוח בלינדן

וועלט צעשיידן, מענטש פֿונאַנדערקניפּן —

מיר וועלן אין שניי זיך איבערווינדן

מיט אַ שמייכל אַ פֿאַראייביקטן אויף ליפּן.

אויף די אַקסלען

איך בין דײַן געחלומטער,

איך בין דײַן געהאָפֿטער,

דו זאָגסט: קום —

קום איך אַרײַן.

די אַקסלען פֿון טויט טראָגן מיך,

ברייטע, געזונטע, שטאָלענע אַקסלען —

פֿאָטערלעכע.

איך בין דײַן געחלומטער,

איך בין דײַן געהאָפֿטער,

דו זאָגסט: קום —

קום איך אַרײַן.

טאַטע־טויט שפּאַנט מיט גרויסע טריט

נאָך גרעסערע פֿון זײַנע אַקסלען:

און אַז טאַטע שפּאַנט — טאַנצן די גאַסן,

טאַטע זאָגט צו מיר: רויִק זײַ, זון.

טאַטע זאָגט צו מיר: ליכטיק זײַ, זון.

Transliteration

Shturem, vinter-nakht

S'vet farshnayt undz beydn-beydn,

nor gefinen vet men undz bazunder —

letste verter farn zikh-funandersheydn

zogn on dem kumendikn vunder.

Ver hot vemen gor tsum ersht farnumen,

hart gevorn, khosidik-bafelnd?

Say vi say der opheyd muz dokh kumen

mit zayn groysn oytser — mit zayn elnt.

Shturem, vinter-nakht, mit koyekh blindn

velt tsesheydn, mentsh funanderknipen —

mir veln in shney zikh ibervinden

mit a shmeykhl a fareybiktn oyf lipn.

Oyf di akslen

Ikh bin dayn gekhlumter,

ikh bin dayn gehofter,

du zogst: kum —

kum ikh arayn.

Di akslen fun toyt trogn mikh,

breyte, gezunte, shtolene akslen —

foterlekhe.

Ikh bin dayn gekhlumter,

ikh bin dayn gehofter,

du zogst: kum —

kum ikh arayn.

Tate-toyt shpant mit groyse trit

nokh gresere fun zayne akslen:

un az tate shpant — tantsn di gasn,

tate zogt tsu mir: ruyik zay, zun.

Tate zogt tsu mir: likhtik zay, zun.

English Translation

Storm, Winter-Night

It will snow over both of us,

but they will find us separately —

last words before parting from each other

announce the coming wonder.

Who perceived whom first of all,

became hard, Hasidically commanding?

Either way the farewell must come

with its great treasure — with its loneliness.

Storm, winter-night, with blind force

world dividing, human tying apart —

we will overcome ourselves in the snow

with a smile eternalized on lips.

On the Shoulders

I am your dreamed-one,

I am your hoped-for,

you say: come —

I come in.

The shoulders of death carry me,

broad, healthy, steely shoulders —

fatherly.

I am your dreamed-one,

I am your hoped-for,

you say: come —

I come in.

Father-Death strides with great steps

even greater than his shoulders:

and when father strides — the streets dance,

father says to me: be calm, son.

Father says to me: be bright, son.

TRANSLATOR’S NOTE

Page 338. 'Shturem, vinter-nakht' (Storm, Winter-Night): snow will cover 'undz beydn-beydn' (both of us), but they will be found 'bazunder' (separately). Last words before parting 'zogn on dem kumendikn vunder' (announce the coming wonder). Who perceived whom first, became 'hart... khosidik-bafelnd' (hard, Hasidically commanding)? Farewell comes with 'zayn groysn oytser... zayn elnt' (its great treasure... its loneliness). Despite the storm's 'koyekh blindn' (blind force), they will overcome 'mit a shmeykhl a fareybiktn oyf lipn' (with an eternalized smile on lips). 'Oyf di akslen' (On the Shoulders): the refrain 'Ikh bin dayn gekhlumter, / ikh bin dayn gehofter' (I am your dreamed-one, your hoped-for). Death's shoulders carry the speaker — 'breyte, gezunte, shtolene... foterlekhe' (broad, healthy, steely... fatherly). 'Tate-toyt' (Father-Death) strides, streets dance. Father says: 'ruyik zay, zun. / likhtik zay, zun' (be calm, son. / be bright, son) — 'zun' means both 'son' and 'sun.'

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