All Works

דער אויסלייזער ליגט אין זיין אָרון

The Redeemer Lies in His Coffin

Work 351 of 440

Page 409. Poem 'Der oysleyzer ligt in zayn oron' (The Redeemer Lies in His Coffin): a powerful elegy with repetitive refrain 'un tsukopns im brenen tsvey likht' (and at his head two candles burn). The redeemer lies 'in paradne kleyder' (in parade clothes). Lips pressed, hands on heart. In 'oyhel' (tent — Hebrew 'ohel') festive and 'porkhtig' (splendid), shadows flutter. Outside — 'mehume' (tumult — Hebrew), cannons boom. Battles, blood, screams and jubilation. People come to see 'dem goel' (the redeemer — Hebrew 'goel') with 'hakhno'e' (humility — Hebrew 'hachna'a'), carrying away 'treyst' and 'trern' (comfort and tears). When people leave, sister comes to see brother. She places hands on shoulder, 'famlt' (gropes) with lips to his. Then exits — 'der bruder baglayt zi mit di bremen' (the brother accompanies her with his brows — even in death, he watches). Messianic/revolutionary imagery of dead leader lying in state while conflict rages outside.

Yiddish Original

דער אויסלייזער ליגט אין זיין אָרון

דער אויסלייזער ליגט אין זיין אָרון

אָנגעטאָן אין פּאַראַדנע קליידער, —

און צוקאָפּנס אים ברענען צוויי ליכט.

די דינע ליפּן צונויפֿגעשלאָסן,

די הענט פֿאַרלייגט אויפֿן האַרצן, —

און צוקאָפּנס אים ברענען צוויי ליכט.

אין אוהל איז יום־טובדיק פּאָרכטיק,

עס פֿלאַטערן די שפּיצן פֿון שאָטנס, —

און צוקאָפּנס אים ברענען צוויי ליכט.

אויף יענער זייט אוהל — מהומה,

געפּויק און געקנאַל פֿון קאַנאָנען, —

און צוקאָפּנס אים ברענען צוויי ליכט.

געפֿעכטן און בלוט איבער גאַסן,

געשרייען פֿון אַנגסטן, געיובל, —

און צוקאָפּנס אים ברענען צוויי ליכט.

דאָס פֿאָלק ביז שפּעט אין אָוונט

קומט אָנקוקן דעם גואל אין אָרון, —

און צוקאָפּנס אים ברענען צוויי ליכט.

דאָס פֿאָלק גייט פֿאָרבײַ מיט הכנעה,

און טראָגט אַוועק אי טרייסט אי טרערן, —

און צוקאָפּנס אים ברענען צוויי ליכט.

אַז דאָס פֿאָלק גייט אַוועק — קומט די שוועסטער

צו אָנקוקן דעם ברודער אין אָרון, —

און צוקאָפּנס אים ברענען צוויי ליכט.

זי לייגט אַרויף אירע הענט אויף זיין אַקסל,

און פֿאַמלט צו מיט די ליפּן צו זיינע, —

און צוקאָפּנס אים ברענען צוויי ליכט.

דערנאָך נעמט זי גיין צום אַרויסגאַנג,

און דער ברודער באַגלייט זי מיט די ברעמען, —

און צוקאָפּנס אים ברענען צוויי ליכט.

Transliteration

Der oysleyzer ligt in zayn oron

Der oysleyzer ligt in zayn oron

ongeton in paradne kleyder, —

un tsukopns im brenen tsvey likht.

Di dine lipn tsunoyfgeshlohn,

di hent farleygt oyfn hartsn, —

un tsukopns im brenen tsvey likht.

In oyhel iz yontevdik porkhtig,

es flatern di shpitsn fun shotns, —

un tsukopns im brenen tsvey likht.

Oyf yener zayt oyhel — mehume,

gepoyik un geknal fun kanonen, —

un tsukopns im brenen tsvey likht.

Gefechtn un blut iber gasn,

geshreyen fun angstn, geyubl, —

un tsukopns im brenen tsvey likht.

Dos folk biz shpet in ovnt

kumt onkukn dem goel in oron, —

un tsukopns im brenen tsvey likht.

Dos folk geyt forbay mit hakhno'e,

un trogt avek i treyst i trern, —

un tsukopns im brenen tsvey likht.

Az dos folk geyt avek — kumt di shvester

tsu onkukn dem bruder in oron, —

un tsukopns im brenen tsvey likht.

Zi leygt aroyf ire hent oyf zayn aksl,

un famlt tsu mit di lipn tsu zayne, —

un tsukopns im brenen tsvey likht.

Dernokh nemt zi geyn tsum aroysgang,

un der bruder baglayt zi mit di bremen, —

un tsukopns im brenen tsvey likht.

English Translation

The Redeemer Lies in His Coffin

The redeemer lies in his coffin

dressed in parade clothes, —

and at his head two candles burn.

The thin lips pressed together,

the hands laid upon the heart, —

and at his head two candles burn.

In the tent it is festive and splendid,

the tips of shadows flutter, —

and at his head two candles burn.

On the other side of the tent — tumult,

drumming and booming of cannons, —

and at his head two candles burn.

Battles and blood in the streets,

screams of fear, jubilation, —

and at his head two candles burn.

The people until late in the evening

come to look upon the redeemer in the coffin, —

and at his head two candles burn.

The people pass by with humility,

and carry away both comfort and tears, —

and at his head two candles burn.

When the people go away — the sister comes

to look upon her brother in the coffin, —

and at his head two candles burn.

She places her hands upon his shoulder,

and gropes with her lips toward his, —

and at his head two candles burn.

Then she begins to go to the exit,

and the brother accompanies her with his brows, —

and at his head two candles burn.

TRANSLATOR’S NOTE

Page 409. Poem 'Der oysleyzer ligt in zayn oron' (The Redeemer Lies in His Coffin): a powerful elegy with repetitive refrain 'un tsukopns im brenen tsvey likht' (and at his head two candles burn). The redeemer lies 'in paradne kleyder' (in parade clothes). Lips pressed, hands on heart. In 'oyhel' (tent — Hebrew 'ohel') festive and 'porkhtig' (splendid), shadows flutter. Outside — 'mehume' (tumult — Hebrew), cannons boom. Battles, blood, screams and jubilation. People come to see 'dem goel' (the redeemer — Hebrew 'goel') with 'hakhno'e' (humility — Hebrew 'hachna'a'), carrying away 'treyst' and 'trern' (comfort and tears). When people leave, sister comes to see brother. She places hands on shoulder, 'famlt' (gropes) with lips to his. Then exits — 'der bruder baglayt zi mit di bremen' (the brother accompanies her with his brows — even in death, he watches). Messianic/revolutionary imagery of dead leader lying in state while conflict rages outside.

/ previous & next poem·14 toggle columns·hover a line to align all versions

The Redeemer Lies in His Coffin · H. Leivick: Complete Works · Half-Voll Attempts