האָט דער באַלעבאָס געבראַכט
The host brought
Work 274 of 440
Page 330. 'Di sude' conclusion: 'der balebos' (the host) brings 'nokh a shvartserern broyt' (yet blacker bread) and places it exactly where 'Sovetland' fell — Soviet identity and Soviet bread are one. He cuts it with a knife. They eat, drink, and hear the youngest poet's song: 'Poetn, brider, / fun ale lender' (Poets, brothers, from all lands) — an internationalist call. The young poet describes himself rising 'vi vayser teyg / in nayem furem' (like white dough in a new mold), fired up by 'fayer' (fire) — the revolutionary fire. He invites all to the 'naystser sude' (newest feast) when he becomes 'dos vayse broyt' (the white bread). The transformation from black bread (current scarcity) to white bread (future abundance) symbolizes Soviet utopian promise. The young poet offers himself as sacrificial/eucharistic bread for the new order.
האָט דער באַלעבאָס געבראַכט
נאָך אַ שוואַרצערן ברויט
און אַוועקגעלייגט אים
אויפֿן מיטן פֿון טיש;
אויפֿן סאַמע אָרט
וואו ס'איז געפֿאַלן נאָרוואָס
דעם צווייטנס וואָרט:
סאָוועטנלאַנד.
האָט דער באַלעבאָס גענומען
אַ מעסער אין האַנט
און צעשניטן דאָס ברויט,
דאָס שוואַרצערע נאָך.
מיר האָבן געגעסן
און געטרונקען ביר;
און געהערט דאָס ליד
פֿונעם יונגסטן פֿון אונדז:
— „פּאָעטן, ברידער,
פֿון אַלע לענדער,
איך בין דער יונגסטער,
וואָס גיי ערשט אויף,
ווי ווײַסער טייג
אין נײַעם פֿורעם,
און פֿײַער קומט
און פֿלאַמט מיך אויף.
פּאָעטן, ברידער,
פֿון אַלע לענדער,
צו אײַך מײַן רוף:
קומט אַלע גרייט,
קומט, זעצט זיך אויס
צו נײַסטער סעודה —
ווען איך וועל זײַן
דאָס ווײַסע ברויט.
Hot der balebos gebrakht
nokh a shvartserern broyt
un avekgeleygt im
oyfn mitn fun tish;
oyfn same ort
vu s'iz gefaln norvos
dem tsveytsn vort:
Sovetland.
Hot der balebos genumen
a meser in hant
un tseshnitn dos broyt,
dos shvartsere nokh.
Mir hobn gegesn
un getrunken bir;
un gehert dos lid
funem yungstn fun undz:
— "Poetn, brider,
fun ale lender,
ikh bin der yungster,
vos gey ersht oyf,
vi vayser teyg
in nayem furem,
un fayer kumt
un flamt mikh oyf.
Poetn, brider,
fun ale lender,
tsu aykh mayn ruf:
kumt ale greyt,
kumt, zetst zikh oys
tsu naystser sude —
ven ikh vel zayn
dos vayse broyt."
The host brought
yet blacker bread
and laid it down
on the middle of the table;
on the very spot
where just now fell
the second one's word:
Sovietland.
The host took
a knife in hand
and cut the bread,
the blacker still.
We ate
and drank beer;
and heard the song
of the youngest of us:
— "Poets, brothers,
from all lands,
I am the youngest,
who is just rising,
like white dough
in a new mold,
and fire comes
and flames me up.
Poets, brothers,
from all lands,
to you my call:
come all ready,
come, seat yourselves
to the newest feast —
when I will be
the white bread."
Page 330. 'Di sude' conclusion: 'der balebos' (the host) brings 'nokh a shvartserern broyt' (yet blacker bread) and places it exactly where 'Sovetland' fell — Soviet identity and Soviet bread are one. He cuts it with a knife. They eat, drink, and hear the youngest poet's song: 'Poetn, brider, / fun ale lender' (Poets, brothers, from all lands) — an internationalist call. The young poet describes himself rising 'vi vayser teyg / in nayem furem' (like white dough in a new mold), fired up by 'fayer' (fire) — the revolutionary fire. He invites all to the 'naystser sude' (newest feast) when he becomes 'dos vayse broyt' (the white bread). The transformation from black bread (current scarcity) to white bread (future abundance) symbolizes Soviet utopian promise. The young poet offers himself as sacrificial/eucharistic bread for the new order.
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