צו אָפּאַטאָשו
To Opatoshu
Work 248 of 440
Pages 301-302. 'Tsu Opatoshu' (To Opatoshu) — tribute to Joseph Opatoshu (1886-1954), major Yiddish prose writer and Leivick's contemporary. 'Brokhe fun der erd' (blessing from the earth), the sun as father's face — earth blessing and sun protection. 'Mir zaynen brider beyde, un du — der bekher' (we are both brothers, and you — the firstborn) — Opatoshu was slightly older. The father has 'lang geshtorbn' (long died) — the passing of the old generation. Opatoshu's humble 'shtub' (home) radiates 'gloybik vort' (believing word) like a 'vayser taykh' (white river). The father's 'kos fun kidesh' (kiddush cup) in old dust gives forth new Yiddish song and the answer 'ikh bin do!' (I am here!). Then 'Teater' (Theater) begins — a meditation on performance. 'Tonts, troyer' (dance, sorrow) on stage boards in zigzags and circles. The curtain-puller waits 'in ruikeyt in hintergrund' (calmly in the background) — death or fate behind the theatrical spectacle. 'Teater' conclusion: sorrow is commanded to 'varf zikh' (throw yourself) on everyone 'vi a negldike khaye oyf ir royb' (like a clawed beast on its prey). The 'gefarbtn darn guf' (painted thin body) of the performer is 'farfalenem' (fallen) through 'akhzriesdikn derheyb' (cruel lifting-up) — the paradox of theater elevating through cruelty. The command: tear off all 'farbn' (colors/makeup) with the skin to emerge 'in emesn geshtalt' (in true form). The performer 'shpant tsum umfarmaydlekhn — tsum shtarbn' (strides toward the unavoidable — toward dying), dying 'nokh eyder... der forhang falt' (before the curtain falls) — art anticipating and practicing death. The stage is 'opgenitstse briklekh' (worn-out little boards), all is 'funanderfal' (falling apart), 'midn shund' (tired scandal/shame). But the curtain-puller — death or stage manager — 'vart in ruikeyt' (waits calmly). A meditation on Yiddish theater as memento mori.
צו אָפּאַטאָשו
ברכה פֿון דער ערד נאָך רוט אין שלומער,
איבער אונדז די זון, ווי פֿון אַ פֿאָטער דאָס געזיכט,
באַהיט אונדז און באַשיצט אויפֿן וועג צום זומער,
צום אַקערדיקן ווילן, צו זייענדיקער פֿליכט.
מיר האָבן זיך דערקענט און זיך דערוואָרבן,
מיר זײַנען ברידער ביידע, און דו — דער בכּור:
דער טאַטע איז אונדז לאַנג שוין, לאַנג געשטאָרבן —
גייען מיר אַליין אָן אים צו נײַער וואָר.
אַ שטוב אַן אָרעמס, אַ טיש באַשיידן —
ווי פֿריידיק ווערט אָבער דאָס האַרץ און רײַך,
ווען איך דערזע אָרום דײַן שטוב זיך שפּרייצן
דײַן גלויביק וואָרט, ווי אַ ווײַסער טײַך.
אין אַלטן שטויב דעם טאַטנס כּוס פֿון קידוש —
גייסט אַמאָל צו, קוקסט אַרײַן אין דאָס,
און ס'גיט אַ לויכט אַ ניי געזאַנג פֿון יידיש,
און אַ פֿעסטער ענטפֿער: איך בין דאָ!
ווי אַ האַר האָסט אונטערטעניקט צו זיך די יאָרן,
ווי אַ רײַטער אונטערטעניקט צו זיך זײַן פֿערד:
און שלעכטס וואָס איז געווען — איז גוטס געוואָרן
אין דערקענטעניש פֿון אונדזער גורל אויף דער ערד.
טעאַטער
טאָנץ, טרויער, אויף די בינעדיקע בריקלעך,
אין זיגזאַגן און אין רונד.
דער וואָס ציט דעם פֿאָרהאַנג פֿאַר די שטריקלעך,
וואַרט אין רואיקייט אין הינטערגרונט.
וואַרף זיך, טרויער, אויף אונדז אַלעמען, אויף אַלעמען,
ווי אַ נעגלדיקע חיה אויף איר רויב:
דעם געפֿאַרבטן דאַרן גוף פֿאַרפֿאַלענעם
דורך אַכזריותדיקן דאָס דערהייב.
מיט דער הויט צוזאַמען רײַס אַרונטער אַלע פֿאַרבן
אויפֿצוגיין אין אמתן געשטאַלט:
דער וואָס שפּאַנט צום אומפֿאַרמײַדלעכן — צום שטאַרבן
שטאַרבט נאָך איידער ווען דער פֿאָרהאַנג פֿאַלט.
טאָנץ, טרויער, אויף די אָפּגעניצטע בריקלעך,
אויף פֿונאַנדערפֿאַל, אויף מידן שונד:
דער וואָס ציט דעם פֿאָרהאַנג פֿאַר די שטריקלעך,
וואַרט אין רואיקייט אין הינטערגרונד.
Tsu Opatoshu
Brokhe fun der erd nokh rut in shlumer,
iber undz di zun, vi fun a foter dos gezikht,
bahit undz un bashitst oyfn veg tsum zumer,
tsum akerdikn viln, tsu zeyendiker flikht.
Mir hobn zikh derkent un zikh dervorn,
mir zaynen brider beyde, un du — der bekher:
der tate iz undz lang shoyn, lang geshtorbn —
geyen mir aleyn on im tsu nayer vor.
A shtub an orems, a tish basheydn —
vi freydik vert ober dos harts un raykh,
ven ikh derze arum dayn shtub zikh shpreytsn
dayn gloybik vort, vi a vayser taykh.
In altn shtoyb dem tatns kos fun kidesh —
geyst amol tsu, kukst arayn in dos,
un s'git a loykht a nay gezang fun yidish,
un a fester entfer: ikh bin do!
Vi a har host untertenikgt tsu zikh di yorn,
vi a rayter untertenikgt tsu zikh zayn ferd:
un shlekhts vos iz geven — iz guts gevorn
in derkentenish fun undzer gorl oyf der erd.
Teater
Tonts, troyer, oyf di binedike briklekh,
in zigzagn un in rund.
Der vos tsit dem forhang far di shtriklekh,
vart in ruikeyt in hintergrund.
Varf zikh, troyer, oyf undz alemen, oyf alemen,
vi a negldike khaye oyf ir royb:
dem gefarbtn darn guf farfalenem
durkh akhzriesdikn dos derheyb.
Mit der hoyt tsuzamen rays arunter ale farbn
oyftsugeybt in emesn geshtalt:
der vos shpant tsum umfarmaydlekhn — tsum shtarbn
shtarbt nokh eyder ven der forhang falt.
Tonts, troyer, oyf di opgenitstse briklekh,
oyf funanderfal, oyf midn shund:
der vos tsit dem forhang far di shtriklekh,
vart in ruikeyt in hintergrund.
To Opatoshu
Blessing from the earth still rests in slumber,
above us the sun, like a father's face,
guards us and protects on the way to summer,
to plowing will, to sowing duty.
We have come to know each other and to earn each other,
we are both brothers, and you — the firstborn:
our father has long, long ago died —
we go alone without him toward new spring.
A poor home, a modest table —
how joyful becomes yet the heart and rich,
when I see around your home spread
your believing word, like a white river.
In old dust the father's cup of kiddush —
you sometimes approach, look into it,
and there shines a new song of Yiddish,
and a firm answer: I am here!
Like a lord you have subjugated the years to yourself,
like a rider subjugates his horse:
and what was bad — has become good
in recognition of our fate on earth.
Theater
Dance, sorrow, on the little stage-boards,
in zigzags and in circles.
The one who pulls the curtain by the strings,
waits in calm in the background.
Throw yourself, sorrow, on us all, on everyone,
like a clawed beast on its prey:
the painted thin body fallen
through cruel lifting-up.
With the skin together tear off all the colors
to emerge in true form:
the one who strides toward the unavoidable — toward dying
dies before when the curtain falls.
Dance, sorrow, on the worn-out little boards,
on falling-apart, on tired scandal:
the one who pulls the curtain by the strings,
waits in calm in the background.
Pages 301-302. 'Tsu Opatoshu' (To Opatoshu) — tribute to Joseph Opatoshu (1886-1954), major Yiddish prose writer and Leivick's contemporary. 'Brokhe fun der erd' (blessing from the earth), the sun as father's face — earth blessing and sun protection. 'Mir zaynen brider beyde, un du — der bekher' (we are both brothers, and you — the firstborn) — Opatoshu was slightly older. The father has 'lang geshtorbn' (long died) — the passing of the old generation. Opatoshu's humble 'shtub' (home) radiates 'gloybik vort' (believing word) like a 'vayser taykh' (white river). The father's 'kos fun kidesh' (kiddush cup) in old dust gives forth new Yiddish song and the answer 'ikh bin do!' (I am here!). Then 'Teater' (Theater) begins — a meditation on performance. 'Tonts, troyer' (dance, sorrow) on stage boards in zigzags and circles. The curtain-puller waits 'in ruikeyt in hintergrund' (calmly in the background) — death or fate behind the theatrical spectacle. 'Teater' conclusion: sorrow is commanded to 'varf zikh' (throw yourself) on everyone 'vi a negldike khaye oyf ir royb' (like a clawed beast on its prey). The 'gefarbtn darn guf' (painted thin body) of the performer is 'farfalenem' (fallen) through 'akhzriesdikn derheyb' (cruel lifting-up) — the paradox of theater elevating through cruelty. The command: tear off all 'farbn' (colors/makeup) with the skin to emerge 'in emesn geshtalt' (in true form). The performer 'shpant tsum umfarmaydlekhn — tsum shtarbn' (strides toward the unavoidable — toward dying), dying 'nokh eyder... der forhang falt' (before the curtain falls) — art anticipating and practicing death. The stage is 'opgenitstse briklekh' (worn-out little boards), all is 'funanderfal' (falling apart), 'midn shund' (tired scandal/shame). But the curtain-puller — death or stage manager — 'vart in ruikeyt' (waits calmly). A meditation on Yiddish theater as memento mori.
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