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וואָס מײַן זון וועט ירשנען פֿון מיר. —

which my son will inherit from me. —

Work 196 of 440

Page 239. 'Lider fun Umkum' poem 'Nit parad un nit yontev' conclusion and new poem 'A mayse' (A Story). The voice concludes: 'which my son will inherit from me. People, what name should I call the fifth death?' Instead of wonder — fear. 'Tumult of sheep who sense a wolf.' The refrain returns. New poem 'A mayse': The father tells his child a bedtime story. 'Once there was a little lamb who got lost in the dense forest. (Poor, poor little lamb.) There came a ravenous wolf — a little lamb must wander, a wolf must devour. (Poorer, poorer wolf.)' Night, stars, frost — 'What is left for me — the father — between stars and frost and little boy? (Poorer, poorer wolf.)' The father identifies with the wolf, not the lamb — pity for the predator forced to devour. Echo of 'Der Volf' (The Wolf) poem from earlier.

Yiddish Original

וואָס מײַן זון וועט ירשנען פֿון מיר. —

מענטשן, כ'וויל עפֿענען מײַן לעבן פֿאַר אײַך! —

מענטשן, זאָגט,

מיט וואָס פֿאַר אַ נאָמען זאָל איך רופֿן

דעם פֿינפֿטן טויט?

Transliteration

Vos mayn zun vet yirshenen fun mir. —

Mentshn, kh'vil efenen mayn lebn far aykh! —

Mentshn, zogt,

mit vos far a nomen zol ikh rufn

dem finftn toyt?" — — —

Onshtot farvunderung — shrek.

Geshrey un mehume.

Mehume fun shefsn vos dershpirn a volf.

Nit parad un nit yontev

in kaltn, tseblitn fartog.

A mayse

Ikh hob dertseylt mayn yingele a mayse,

iz dos yingele ayngeshlоfn.

Ver veys es nit di mayses vos men dertseylt,

az yingele zol aynshloyfn?

Amol

iz geven

a shepsele,

hot dos shepsele farblоndzshet

in vald in gedhkhtn.

(Оrem, оrem shepsele).

Iz gekumen a volf,

a volf a fartsuker: —

a kleyn shepsele muz dokh farblоndzhen.

Volf fartsuker muz dokh fartsukn.

(Оremer, оremer volf).

Nakht, shtern, glivern.

Vos blaybt iber tsu ton

mir — dem tatn

tsvishn shtern un glivern un yingele?

(Оremer, оremer volf).

English Translation

which my son will inherit from me. —

People, I want to open my life for you! —

People, tell me,

with what name should I call

the fifth death?' — — —

Instead of wonder — fear.

Crying and tumult.

Tumult of sheep who sense a wolf.

Neither parade nor holiday

in the cold, blossoming dawn.

A Story

I told my little boy a story,

and the little boy fell asleep.

Who doesn't know the stories one tells

so a little boy should fall asleep?

Once

there was

a little lamb,

and the little lamb got lost

in the dense forest.

(Poor, poor little lamb).

There came a wolf,

a ravenous wolf: —

a little lamb must wander astray.

A ravenous wolf must devour.

(Poorer, poorer wolf).

Night, stars, frost.

What is left to do

for me — the father

between stars and frost and little boy?

(Poorer, poorer wolf).

TRANSLATOR’S NOTE

Page 239. 'Lider fun Umkum' poem 'Nit parad un nit yontev' conclusion and new poem 'A mayse' (A Story). The voice concludes: 'which my son will inherit from me. People, what name should I call the fifth death?' Instead of wonder — fear. 'Tumult of sheep who sense a wolf.' The refrain returns. New poem 'A mayse': The father tells his child a bedtime story. 'Once there was a little lamb who got lost in the dense forest. (Poor, poor little lamb.) There came a ravenous wolf — a little lamb must wander, a wolf must devour. (Poorer, poorer wolf.)' Night, stars, frost — 'What is left for me — the father — between stars and frost and little boy? (Poorer, poorer wolf.)' The father identifies with the wolf, not the lamb — pity for the predator forced to devour. Echo of 'Der Volf' (The Wolf) poem from earlier.

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which my son will inherit from me. — · H. Leivick: Complete Works · Half-Voll Attempts