האָסט באַדאַרפֿט זען דעמאָלט אונדזערע אויגן,
You should have seen our eyes then,
Work 334 of 440
Page 391. 'A briv fun Amerike' continuation: 'Host badarft zen... undzere oygn' (You should have seen our eyes). References to Yiddish folk songs: 'di goldene pave gefloygn' (the golden peacock flew — famous folk song), 'tsen gute brider' (ten good brothers — folk song). The peacock 'a guses gelegn' (lay dying — Hebrew 'guses'), the brothers plucked it, forgetting to ask who sent it. Now seen 'vi durkh a likhtkn shleyer' (as through a bright veil); the friend's name 'farheylt un fargit' (heals and forgives). But then — 'naketer, royer' (naked, raw) their body lay under their own steps. As hordes grew, 'tuml' (tumult) tore them; 'koved-zukher' (honor-seeker — Hebrew 'koved') became teacher, the 'oflakher' (mocker) became 'firer fun dor' (leader of the generation). At the expense of faith and 'martirertetum' (martyrdom), 'biliker gasiker shunder' (cheap vulgar trash) arose. Language became 'brudik' (filthy), emptied of 'toykh' (substance — Hebrew). Words puffed up like dry moss. Songs forgotten, poets 'farlakht' (mocked), thrown down stairs. The new song with 'fartroimte oygn' (dreamy eyes) writhed, 'farfaynikt in sheynkayt fun tser' (tortured in the beauty of sorrow).
האָסט באַדאַרפֿט זען דעמאָלט אונדזערע אויגן,
נאָר בעסער, מײַן פֿרײַנט, אַז דו האָסט עס ניט געזען:
געדענקסט — „די גאָלדענע פּאַווע געפֿלויגן, געפֿלויגן
Host badarft zen demolt undzere oygn,
nor beser, mayn fraynt, az du host es nit gezen:
gedenks — „di goldene pave gefloygn, gefloygn
You should have seen our eyes then,
but better, my friend, that you didn't see:
you remember — "the golden peacock flew, flew" —
and "ten good brothers we were."
The golden peacock lay dying,
and the ten brothers plucked it in time,
and in great haste even forgot to ask:
where to, and who sent it flying.
Now I see it as through a bright veil,
and the sound of your name heals and forgives;
but then, then, — naked, raw
our body lay under our own steps.
And when our hordes became more,
the tumult began to tear us by the hair,
the honor-seeker became our teacher,
and the mocker — the leader of the generation.
And at the expense of faith, youthful wonder,
of martyrdom and tears and blood,
the cheap vulgar trash rose up
and sang to the world that it was good.
And our language became filthy,
and emptied of every substance,
and a word, the size of an ounce, puffed itself up
and immediately scattered like dry moss.
And our songs became forgotten,
our poets mocked. — Above their heads
the tumult raged, ate their word
and hurled them themselves down the stairs.
And the new song with dreamy eyes
writhed cornered and stiff,
and raised itself, suckled itself,
and tortured itself in the beauty of sorrow.
Page 391. 'A briv fun Amerike' continuation: 'Host badarft zen... undzere oygn' (You should have seen our eyes). References to Yiddish folk songs: 'di goldene pave gefloygn' (the golden peacock flew — famous folk song), 'tsen gute brider' (ten good brothers — folk song). The peacock 'a guses gelegn' (lay dying — Hebrew 'guses'), the brothers plucked it, forgetting to ask who sent it. Now seen 'vi durkh a likhtkn shleyer' (as through a bright veil); the friend's name 'farheylt un fargit' (heals and forgives). But then — 'naketer, royer' (naked, raw) their body lay under their own steps. As hordes grew, 'tuml' (tumult) tore them; 'koved-zukher' (honor-seeker — Hebrew 'koved') became teacher, the 'oflakher' (mocker) became 'firer fun dor' (leader of the generation). At the expense of faith and 'martirertetum' (martyrdom), 'biliker gasiker shunder' (cheap vulgar trash) arose. Language became 'brudik' (filthy), emptied of 'toykh' (substance — Hebrew). Words puffed up like dry moss. Songs forgotten, poets 'farlakht' (mocked), thrown down stairs. The new song with 'fartroimte oygn' (dreamy eyes) writhed, 'farfaynikt in sheynkayt fun tser' (tortured in the beauty of sorrow).
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