ביימער, אונדזערע ביימער,
Trees, our trees,
Work 172 of 440
Page 213. 'Di Shtal' Section LAMED-ALEF conclusion and LAMED-BET opening — the final departure and the song of knives: The refugees call on trees to fall, lie nestled, weep with them 'our quiet and final weeping, our final song.' When the world sees the extinguished fires, they will see 'the fires, and us — not.' A catechism of death: 'Where are we? — We have gone away. Where have we gone? — By the way of our messengers [the already dead]. Where are our bodies? — We have taken them with us. What was our last word? — We have carried it away with us.' Bound to God, 'we will not rise anymore — the last messengers to you.' Section LAMED-BET (32): The shocking turn — 'the older brothers rose up in the stillness of night, stretched out their throats and also the throats of their wives and children, and they sang the song of the slaughter knives (khalofim).' A communal kiddush hashem — sanctification of God's name through martyrdom, preparing for their own slaughter.
ביימער, אונדזערע ביימער,
פֿאַלט צו צו דער ערד,
ציט זיך אויס און ליגט צוגעטוליעטע,
און וויינט מיט אונדז
אונדזער שטילן און לעצטן געוויין.
אונדזער לעצטן געזאַנג —
ביז וואַנען די אויגן פֿון דער וועלט
וועלן דערזען די פֿאַרלאָשענע פֿײַערן —
די פֿאַרלאָשענע פֿײַערן, און אונדז — נישט.
— וואו זײַנען מיר?
זאָגט:
מיר זײַנען אַוועקגעגאַנגען.
— וואוהין זײַנען מיר אַוועקגעגאַנגען?
זאָגט:
מיטן וועג פֿון אונדזערע שליחים.
— וואו זײַנען אונדזערע גופֿים?
זאָגט:
די גופֿים האָבן מיר אַוועקגענומען מיט זיך.
— וואָס איז געווען אונדזער לעצט וואָרט?
זאָגט:
דאָס לעצטע וואָרט האָבן מיר אויך אַוועקגעטראָגן מיט זיך.
מיר זײַנען באַהעפֿט שוין מיט דיר,
מיט דיר.
מיר וועלן ניט אויפֿשטיין שוין מער —
די שליחים די לעצטע צו דיר —
צו דיר, צו דיר.
לב
און די עלטערע ברידער זײַנען אויפֿגעשטאַנען
אין דער שטילקייט פֿון נאַכט,
און זיי האָבן אויסגעשטרעקט זייערע העלדזער
און אויך די העלדזער פֿון זייערע ווײַבער און קינדער,
און זיי האָבן געזונגען דאָס ליד פֿון חלפֿים:
Beymer, undzere beymer,
falt tsu tsu der erd,
tsit zikh oys un ligt tsugetulyete,
un veynt mit undz
undzer shtiln un letstn geveyn.
Undzer letstn gezang —
biz vanen di oygn fun der velt
veln derzen di farloshene fayern —
di farloshene fayern, un undz — nisht.
— Vu zaynen mir?
Zogt:
mir zaynen avekgegangen.
— Vuhin zaynen mir avekgegangen?
Zogt:
mitn veg fun undzere shlikhim.
— Vu zaynen undzere gufim?
Zogt:
di gufim hobn mir avekgenumen mit zikh.
— Vos iz geven undzer letst vort?
Zogt:
dos letste vort hobn mir oykh avekgetrogn mit zikh.
Mir zaynen baheft shoyn mit dir,
mit dir.
Mir veln nit oyfshteyn shoyn mer —
di shlikhim di letste tsu dir —
tsu dir, tsu dir.
LAMED-BET
Un di eltere brider zaynen oyfgeshtanen
in der shtilkeyt fun nakht,
un zey hobn oysgeshtekt zeyere heldzer
un oykh di heldzer fun zeyere vayber un kinder,
un zey hobn gezungen dos lid fun khalofim:
Trees, our trees,
fall to the ground,
stretch out and lie nestled,
and weep with us
our quiet and final weeping.
Our final song —
until the eyes of the world
will see the extinguished fires —
the extinguished fires, and us — not.
— Where are we?
Say:
we have gone away.
— Where have we gone away to?
Say:
by the way of our messengers.
— Where are our bodies?
Say:
the bodies we have taken with us.
— What was our last word?
Say:
the last word we have also carried away with us.
We are already bound to you,
to you.
We will not rise anymore —
the last messengers to you —
to you, to you.
LAMED-BET
And the older brothers rose up
in the stillness of the night,
and they stretched out their throats
and also the throats of their wives and children,
and they sang the song of the slaughter knives:
Page 213. 'Di Shtal' Section LAMED-ALEF conclusion and LAMED-BET opening — the final departure and the song of knives: The refugees call on trees to fall, lie nestled, weep with them 'our quiet and final weeping, our final song.' When the world sees the extinguished fires, they will see 'the fires, and us — not.' A catechism of death: 'Where are we? — We have gone away. Where have we gone? — By the way of our messengers [the already dead]. Where are our bodies? — We have taken them with us. What was our last word? — We have carried it away with us.' Bound to God, 'we will not rise anymore — the last messengers to you.' Section LAMED-BET (32): The shocking turn — 'the older brothers rose up in the stillness of night, stretched out their throats and also the throats of their wives and children, and they sang the song of the slaughter knives (khalofim).' A communal kiddush hashem — sanctification of God's name through martyrdom, preparing for their own slaughter.
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