The Mendele Review: Yiddish Literature and Language
(A Companion to MENDELE)
______________________________________________________
Contents of Vol. 07.002
25 February 2003
1) About this issue of TMR (ed.)
2) "Der yidisher balmalokhe un dos yidishe lernyingl" (Noyekh Prilutski)
3) Five Poems by Rivke Basman translated by Zelda Kahan Newman
1)--------------------------------------------
Date: 25 February 2003
From: Leonard Prager
Subject: About this issue of TMR
In this issue we meet two species of word-lovers, one a poet and the
other a linguist.( a) In addition to his philological and folklore
interests, Prilutski was an attorney and a journalist, deeply immersed
in the day-to-day social and economic struggles of Polish, and
especially Warsaw, Jewry.(b) The op-ed given here illustrates both
Prilutski's civic and Yiddishist consciousness and the popular style he
employed in his newspaper writings. In the course of promoting
vocational education, he does not forget to advocate Yiddish as
language of instruction: "dos lernen darf forkumen in der
mutershprakh fun di shiler. dos iz an akzyome, velkhe neytikt zikh nisht
in iberike rayes" ['It is self-understood that classes should be
conducted in the mother-tongue of the students'.]
In the Foreword to the _Poyln_ volume in which many of his _Moment_
articles were collected, Prilutski writes that an old newspaper article
can sometimes illuminate the present better than a monograph can.
Change is constant and yesterday's press provides a fresh perspective on
events. The subject of productivization in one context or another has
charged Jewish life for several centuries now. The problem of training
the young for employment in a world where work opportunies are rapidly
receding has made it a universal one. In less than a century the major
assumptions of Prilutski's rational argument -- that training and
education assure job security -- have been shaken, On the other hand,
one parochial similarity in contemporary Jewish life to the condition
described by Prilutski is the reluctance of Jewish employers in Israel
to hire Israelis in certain occupations (e.g., building, agriculture,
geriatric nursing) Also, the _partatsh_ is still with us, but not,
generally, in such areas as tailoring, machine tools. carpentry.
Prilutski can talk about industrial pursuits, about hinges and brackets;
he would have a difficult -- but not an impossible -- time writing about
our post-industrial world.
(a) Rivke Basman's latest volume of verse was reviewed in TMR 7.001 and
Prilutski has appeared in TMR both as author (vol. 1, no. 16) and
subject of a moving poem by A. Almi (vol. 3, no. 20).
(b) At the time this piece was written a third of a million Jews lived
in Warsaw. Its Jewish communal apparatus, employing among others the
writer Y.-L. Perets, was highly organized. Thirty years after the
remarkable ORT schools began their historic work in Russia proper, the
Warsaw Jewish community created vocational courses for its youth that
excited the civic pride of Prilutski and others.
Prilutski in Yiddish Letters
Basman in Yiddish Letters
3)--------------------------------------------
Date: 30 February 2003
From: Leonard Prager
Content: Noyekh Prilutski's "Der yidisher balmelokhe un dos yidishe lernyingl"
Noyekh Prilutski's "Der yidisher balmelokhe un dos yidishe lernyingl"
[_Moment_ 21 October / 3 November 1911, nos. 243-244]
[no. 243]
[Prilutski introduces his op-ed piece, which incorporates a letter from
one Kh. Levinshteyn, by stating that Yiddish, Hebrew and Russian
newspapers have reported the replacement of Jewish craftsmen by Gentile
ones.
s'iz shoyn nit eyn mol in undzer yidisher, hebreisher un rusisher prese
geredt gevorn vegn der tragisher dershaynung, az der yidisher balmelokhe
vert aroysgeshtupt durkhn kristlekhn.
derhoypt hot zikh mit der vikhtiker frage interesirt der peterburger
khevre "mefitse haskole" {'Propagators of Enlightenment'].
az di farshidene barotungen, vos zenen di letste yorn forgekumen
mikoyekh dem dozikn inyen, iz a sakh mol rikhtik ongevizn gevorn, az
tsvishn ale sibes, vos zenen goyrem dem untergang fun yidishn
hantverkung klas, farnemt an ongezen ort der _mangl_ bay un dz in
_profesyoneler bildung_.
der yidisher balmelokhe geyt nisht hant in hant mit der algemeyner
antviklung fun hantverkeray. er iz geblibn zeyer hintershtelik. im zenen
nit bakant di nayeste reformen in zayn fakh, di tekhnishe farbeserungen
un di estetishe farfaynerungen. der yidish er balmelokhe farmegt di
nidrikste shtaplen fun handverker klas. er iz der partatsh. er git aroys
di grebste, di gemeynste fabrikatn. di eydele arbet gefint zikh in
nit-yidishe hent. lemoshl, fun shusteray lebn in varshe a sakh undzere
brider. di beste so rtn shukhvarg vern, ober, produtsirt kimat
oysshlislekh durkh kristn. vilt ir koyfn a por hayntmodishe elegantishe
shikh -- muzt ir onkumen tsu a poylishn balmelokhe.
di frage barirt oykh in zayn briv in redaktsye h[er] Kh. Levinsteyn,
velkhn s'iz mir shoyn oysgekumen tsu dermonen in mayn artikl "der
groshn, yidnlibe un patriotizm." er zogt:
[Kh. Levinshteyn's "Letter to the Editor"]
"eyne fun di vikhtikste sibes, far vos der kristlekher arbeter-klas iz
mer spetsyalizirt in zayn fakh, geduldiker bay zayn arbet, un arbet mit
mer lust un mut, vi der yidisher arbeter-klas, -- iz di umordnung in der
ler-tsayt fun di yidishe yinglekh. dos kristlekhe yingl, az m'git im
avek tsu a mayster oyf di ler, vet er nisht avekgeyn, biz er endikt mit
geduld di ler-tsayt. er kon nit avekgeyn, biz er bakumt fun mayster a
shayn ['certificate'], az er hot geendikt zayn termin, un -- oder er
blaybt vayter bay dem zelbikn mayster, oder geyt tsu an andern fun dem
eygenem fakh. er spetsyalizirt zikh in zayn fakh, vert dertsoygn
geduldik un mutik arbetn. dos yidishe yingl vet in zayne por yor fun der
ler ibervarfn zikh tsu tsvantsik melokhes -- a por khodoshim a shuster,
a por khodoshim a mener-shnayder, a damen-shnayder, a kovel, a shloser,
a bronzovnik. un nokh un nokh -- er darf nit keyn shayn fun forike
maysters, es hot bay im keyn vert nisht, -- un es geyen azoy avek di
yunge yorn bloyz in iberkloybn, un am ende [tsum sof] tut zikh a khap
tsu velkher es iz melokhe, ober vos far a tam, vos far a geshmak hot er
in zayn arbet? er arbet mit fardros, on mut, on geduld, on lust. tut a
freg velkhn es iz yidishn mayster vegn zayne lernyinglekh. o! tsores
oyfn pud . shtendik zukht er lernyinglekh, shtendik toyshn zikh bay im
lernyinglekh un shtendik feln bay im lernyinglekh. ale tsaytungen zaynen
ful mit anonsn: men zukht lernyinglekh. me zukht mit likht un me gefint
zey nisht... fil hunderter yidishe yinglekh geye n arum leydik, fil
hunderter firn arum kalikes oreme layt iber di hayzer, fil hunderter
vern gasnhendler mit shvebelekh, tsukerlekh, loteraykes, un fil vern
keshene-ganovim. ot fun di ale kalye-gevorene mentshn volt gekont zayn
zeyer fil sheyne un gezunte balmelokhes. fun di ale, vos in di yunge
yorn varfn zey zikh iber bay tsvantsik profesyes, un nokh dem derfiln
zey ersht zeyere troyerike un elnte lage, un khapn zikh far gasnhandl
oder vern halb-kalye-gemakhte arbeter, -- fun di ale volt gekent zayn
she yne spetsyalizirte mutike arbeter, -- azelkhe arbeter, vos darfn
nisht zayn mit noyt ongevorfn oyf dem yidishn fabrikant -- er vet zey
zukhn mit fargenugn haltn in zayn fabrik."
[Prilutski replies to Levinshteyn]-
mit her Levinshteyns letster fraze ken men durkhoys nisht maskim zayn.
vi "gut" un vi "ruik" der yidisher arbeter zol nisht zayn, vet dokh nit
yeder yidisher fabrikant im gebn arbet. nisht do iz dos ort genoyer oyf
dem inyen zikh optsushteln, nor far itle khn vos iz nor etvos noent tsu
der yidisher gas, iz klor vi der tog az di eyntsike urzakh, far vos
yidishe arbet-geber boykotirn dem yidishn hantverker, iz der
anti-semitizm, -- di shendlekhste fun ale shendlekhe umnormalishe
dershaynungen, velkhe undzer geshikhte veys.
nisht rikhtik iz oykh di farzikherung, az "ale tsaytungen zaynen ful mit
anonsen: me zukht lernyinglekh." -- di tsol fun azelkhe moydoes in der
yidisher prese iz, farkert, zeyer kleyn.
m'kon nisht opleykenen dos umetike bild, velkhes der oytor fun briv
shildert, dertseylndik vi azoy es geyen avek di yunge yorn fun yidishn
lernyingl, vos varft zikh iber tsu tsvantsik melokhes un blaybt,
deriber, nit mer vi a partatsh.
ober tsi kon men di gantse shuld aropvarfn oyfn lernyingl, vi dos tut
der bronzovnik fun di nalevkes?
oyb er iz oyfn rekhtn emes azoy umparteyish, vi er farzikhert, -- far
vos farmakht er di oygn oyf di batsiung fun yidishn mayster tsu zayne
lernyinglekh?
meynt her Levinshteyn az der mayster derfilt erlekh zayne flikhtn
benegeye tsu di oreme kinder velkhe m'troyt im on, er zol zey gebn a
fakh in hant?
ikh vel mir derloybn tsu brengn mikoyekh der frage etlekhe karge, ruike
verter fun dem flugblat, vos di "varshtatn tsu lernen melokhes, fun der
varshever yidisher gemaynde," hobn aroysgelozt.
[Prilutski cites a passage from a leaflet distributed by the "Warsaw
Jewish Community Workshops for Learning a Trade".]
"yeder farshteyt, -- leynen mir dort, -- vi vikhtik es iz, az a yunger
mentsh zol hobn a fakh in hant, bazunders bay hayntiker tsayt, ven der
lebnskamf iz zeyer shver, der handl un di industrie zenen oyf yedn shrit
un trit geshtert. nor gruntlekh derlernen a fakh kon men beshum oyfn
nisht in keyn privatn varshtat. vayl -- ershtns -- nisht yeder mayster
iz a guter lerer; tsveytns, hot der mayster keyn tsayt un keyn kheyshek
nisht dos lernyingl tsu lernen; un dritns, muz dos lernyingl dos mayster
tsoln oft mol gants badaytndike sumes gelt..."
hot den itlekhs orem yidish kind di meglekhkayt di dozike kostn tsu
trogn?
un nokh:
.... ven afile es treft a mol a mayster, velkher batsit zikh erlekh tsum
lernyingl un vil im fun gantsn hartsn oyslernen dem fakh, kon er im, in
bestn fal, nor eyn teyl oyslernen, ober nit dem fakh in gantsn, fun
onheyb bizn sof, vi geherik, vayl, vi bavu st, iz itst in maystn fabrikn
un varshtatn ayngefirt di tsuteylung fun der arbet oyf farsheydene
opteylungen. azoy, lemoshl, arbet mankher shloser nor bashlog tsu
fenster un tirn, a tsveyter makht nor shleser; eyn stolyar makht bloyz
shenk, der tsveyter arbet spetsyel tishn oder shtuln. der, vos ken nor a
teyl fun gantsn hantverk, heyst nokh nit keyn rekhter balmelokhe. aza
spetsyalist kon laykht vern oys fakhman un blaybn on broyt. a
zavyese-makher ['hinge-maker'] farlirt zayn parnose, ven es shteyt of a
parove ['steam-powered'] -zavyese fabrik mit groysn kapitalbatrib. ver
s'ken, ober rikhtik zayn fakh, varft zikh laykht iber fun eyn
spetsyalitet oyf der anderer; haynt hot er gearbet bay bangenshtangen,
morgn arbet er hermetishe tirn tsu oyvns oder kanalizatsye. mankhe
spetsyalitetn vern gornisht gearbet in private yidishe varshtatn --
oyser dem, bay hayntikn tsushtand fun der tekhnisher visnshaft, fun
velkher es iz ophengik fun ale melokhes un fakhn, mu z yeder fakhman
hobn khotsh elementarishe yedies vegn geometrie, tekhnologye, mekhanik,
er muz oykh kenen tseykhenen un d[os] g[laykh].
dos alts kon der mayster dem lernyingl, bay zayn bestn viln, nisht gebn.
--------------
[no. 244]
fun dem alem, vos ikh hob gezogt in dem frierdikn artikl, iz boylet, az
onheybn dem maymed fun yidishn balmelokhe-klas iz meglekh nor durkh
organizatsye fun der profesyonelisher bildung in der yidisher gas.
yeder shrit, vos vert gemakht in der doziker rikhtung, hot umgehayere
badaytung farn ekonomishn lebn fun di yidishe folksmasn.
etlekhe emes gute, emes ongeneme minutn hob ikh, deriber, gehat mit
eynike vokhn tsurik, bazukhndik di "varshtatm tsu lernen melokhes" fun
der yidisher gmine, oyf Gzhibovski gas, vu ahin es hot mikh ayngeladn
eyner fun di natsyonalish-geshtimte dozortses ['overseers' -- the text
has _dozores_], h[er] Yoysef Levite, velkher hot di letste tsayt zikh
heys farinteresirt mit der doziker hekht simpatisher shule.
di dermonte varshtatn tsuteyln zikh oyf 5 opteylungen: di ershte
(shloseray) tsufalt zikh oyf dray spetsyalitetn (shmidarbeter,
artistishe shloser, mekhaniker). -- do vern gemakht: fayerkases,
verktsayg, fizikalishe instrumentn, kopir-mashinen, shtantsn, un nokh
azelkhe zakhn, alts nokh eygene tseykhnungen.
di tsveyte opteylung git aroys elektromonteren. -- do lernt men yidishe
kinder instolirn motoren, dinamo mashinen mit ale tsugeherike
instrumentn, elektrishe signalizatsye, telefonen, numeratorn; boyen
farshidene elektrishe aparatn, zelbstshtendik oysfirn elektrishe plener
un barekhenen proyektn. -- di shiler bateylikn zikh in der kontrole fun
di varshever shtotishe elektrishe instilatsyes unter der laytung fun an
elektro-enzhiner.
in der stolyarske opteylung vert oysgearbet eynfakh mebl un politur
fabrikatn, tirn, fenster, fulshtendike aynrikhtungen far gevelber un
kantorn, -- oykh nokh eygene tsekhnungen.
in der blekheray vern farfartikt: emers, krign, vanes mit oyvns fun
farshidene sistemen, fizikalishe instrumentn, gzimsen [shelves],
krokshtines ['brackets'], kasetkes mit shleser ['safes with locks'],
mashines tsu kave, ventilatorn ['fans'] un az[oy] v[a yter].
endlekh, in der finfter opteylung vert oysgearbet di farshidenste
borshtn.
in bazukher-bukh fun di varshtatn gefinen zikh etlekhe meynungen fun
perzonen, vos zenen oyf dem gebit zeyer oytoritetish. ale loybn zey
shtark di yidishe profesyonelishe shule.
[Prilutskui cites the positive response of several authoritative
visitors to the school, including one from far-away America]
der kurator fun der varshever ler-rayon V. Ligin shraybt: "mit
bazunderer tsufridnkayt hob ikh bazukht di varshtatn fun der varshever
yidisher gemaynde farvaltung. zey hobn gemakht oyf mir a zeyer
ongenemen ayndruk."
"der bazukh fun di varshtatn hot gemakht oyf mir dem bestn ayndruk,
hen vos onbalangt di fakhbildung, azoy oykh di dertsiung," -- drikt zikh
oys d"r Maykhrovitsh, mitglid fun landshulnrat in Lemberg.
der direktor fun muzeum far industrie un landvirtshaft, Y. Leski, iz
antsikt: -- "di varshtatn darfn dinen als muster, vi tsu organizirn un
firn azelkhe institutsyes, um di arayngelegte arbet un energye zoln
brengn zikhern nutsn far der mentshhayt."
enlekh zogt der gezandter fun di fareynikte shtatn in tsofn-amerike,
Robert Krutkes: "ikh bin geven antsikt, bazukhndik di prakhtfule
institutsye. ikh vintsh, zi zol dinen far azelkhe institutsyes als
muster, bazunders far yidishe gemayndes. -- keyn shum eynlekhe
institutsye, velkhe ikh hob bazukht in Rusland, git mir nisht aza
hofenung far di yidishe tsukunft, vi di prakhtfule institutsye fun der
varshever gemaynde,"
[Prilutski accepts the commendations as more than blandishments --
he sees students' work]
etlekhe teg far di yomim-neroim, iz in lokal fun di varshtatn
ayngeordent gevorn an oysshtelung fun zakhn, velkhe di shiler hobn
aleyn gemakht, -- un di dozike oysshtelung hot mikh ibertsaygt, az di
oybn gebrakhte loybenishn zenen legamre nisht ibertribn,
di eksponentn zenen oysgelegt gevorn loyt di opteylungen. Nit vilndik,
farshteyt zikh, makht men a farglaykh tsvishn di zakhn fun di bazundere
fakhn, un tsum koved fun di perzonen vos firn di varshtatn , -- di
inzhenern Halpern, Poznanski, Medres un Tsher nikov, muz ongemerkt
vern az ale opteylungen shteyen oyf eyn heykh.
s'iz kentik, az mit groys libe un ibergebnkayt farhaltn zikh di dermonte
layt tsu zeyer nit gringer flikht.
der algemeyner ayndruk fun der oysshtelung iz geven a solider. s'hot
zikh gevorfn in di oygn, az dos lernen muz in di varshtatn zayn
avekgeshtelt oyf an ernstn bodn, un gefirt vern loyt a rikhtikn sistem.
keyn partatshes konen shoyn fun aza shule nit aroysgeyn. um
oystsuarbetn azelkhe zakhn, velkhe hobn zikh gefunen oyf der
oysshtelung, -- velkhe sheyne krokshtines un gzimsen, azelkhe reyne
shenk un tishlekh, azelkhe pinktlekhe elektrishe aparatn un insta latsyes,
azelkhe eydele fizikalishe instrumentn, -- muz men durkhgeyn a zeyer
sistematishe, zeyer ernste, zeyer gevisnhaftike ler, -- un aza forbraytung
krign, a ponim, di yidishe kinder in di varshtatn fun Gzhibovski gas.
eynike fabrikantn trogn oyf zikh daytlekhe tseykhns fun artistishn
gayst. di yinglekh, vos hobn di zakhn gemakht, zenen shoyn epes mer vi
balmelokhes. zey breyngn shoyn arayn fayngefil in zeyer arbet.
es iz shoyn nisht keyn vunder, vos di shiler mit a tsaygnish fun der
shule, fun velkher ikh red, vern zeyer gern opgenumen in di beste
fabrikn un verkshtiber, afile nisht-yidishe, un fardinen zeyer fayn.
zelbstfarshtendlekh, neytikt zikh nokh di shule in eynike reformen.
koydem kol iz neytik, zi zol mer _faryidisht_ vern, dos lernen darf
forkumen in der mutershprakh fun di shiler. dos iz an akzyome, velkhe
neytikt zikh nisht in iberike rayes.
nor mir veln hofn, az mit der tsayt vet dos oykh kumen.
vesheynis, -- volt di dozike shule gedarft fil farbreytert vern.
aza kehile, vi varshe, meg zikh farginen varshtatn, in velkhe es zoln
bakumen profesyonelishe bildung toyznter yidisher kinder.
nor dos hengt shoyn a sakh op on der batsiung fun der yidisher
bafelkerung tsu der umgehayer nutslekher institutsye.
oyf dem dozorshtibl [lit. 'the warden's house', i.e. the community
leaders, the philanthropists] ligt, vider, a khoyv tsu farinteresirn dos
groyse publikum mit dem anshtalt, vos hot an ersht-klasike vikhtikayt
farn ekonomishe voyl-bashtand fun di yidishe folksmasn in poyln.
azelkhe oysshtelungen, vi di far-yontevdikn darfn ofter ayngeordent
vern.
un nisht tsvey teg badarf an oysshtelung gedoyern, nor a por vokhn.
un nisht azoy shtil badarf zi gemakht vern, -- nor mit mer agitatsye.
moydoes in di tsaytungen. gedrukte katalogen. plakatn oyf di gasn.
dan veln efsher konen geshafn vern di mitlen, vos zenen neytik oyf
breyter avektsushteln di zakh.
vorum, ikh khazer-iber: der ekonomisher untergang fun poylishn yidntum
geyt tsu mit shreklekher shnelkayt, un in kamf mit der doziker
lebns-geferlekher dershaynung farnemen di profesyonelishe shuln fun dem
tip, vi di oyf Gzhibovski gas, eyns fun di ershte pletser.
[from Noyekh Prilutski, _In poyln; kimat a publitsistish togbukh,
1905-1911_, zz' 271-278], Varshe: Farlag yidish, [1921].
[The yiddish text will soon be available at http://shakti.trincoll.edu/~mendele/belleyid.htm]
3)-------------------------------------------
Date: 25 February 2003
From: Zelda Kahan Newman
Subject: Five Poems by Rivke Basman
Five Poems by Rivke Basman
translated by Zelda Kahan Newman
fayer-funken
der taykh vos hot fartrogn undzere khaloymes
iz nit der zelber.
a shtern kumt zikh toyvlen in zayn ponim
gefint a fremdn.
bay vemen monen undzer kinkhayt a tsiblite
mit pozemkes vi tropns blut
in vald, in lite, --
nito a veg vu nit faran keyn kvorim,
nito a nakht vos flamt nit in zikorn,
mit fayer-funken mir farshraybn:
a zeykher nit farmekt zol blaybn
vi s'blaybt in loyfndike shtromen
a shpliter shayn,
a shpor,
a nomen.
Fire-Sparks
The river that swept away our dreams
Is not the same.
A star comes to drink in its face
And finds a stranger.
>From whom can we demand our withered childhood
With berries, as with drops of blood
In the woods, in Lithuania, --
There are no paths without graves,
There's no night which does not flame in memory,
With fire-sparks we inscribe:
An indelible memory must remain
Where there remains in running streams
A splinter of light,
A trace
A name.
(from _Di shtilkayt brent_, p.109)
--------
mayn lererin rive
vi zun in a regn
gefangen in bleter --
zunikt keseyeder
dayn unblik in mir,
mayn lererin rive.
eyntsik un eybik
dayn zeung.
an emesdik-vortsldik-vakhe.
di shtarkste dayn libe --
mayn lererin rive.
arumnemen tu ikh di shkie,
vos hot mir
durkh tunkele shoybn
baloykhtn a vinkl zikorn
vu s'vartn geduldik di yorn,
vu tsayt hot oyf zey nit
keyn shlite.
un dort,
in a shtetl in lite,
bay ershte tsezungene oysyes
batripte mit honik un trern,
geshlungen derbay
kh'hob dayn shmeykhl,
in umet gelernt.
mistome deryogn zikh shoen
di friere greykhn dem shpeter
un trefn zikh
ergets tsuzamen
bay yamen.
un dort
in a bloye dermonung
vet breyshisdik
glien dayn nomen --
mayn lererin rive.
My Teacher Riva
Like sun in a rain
Begun in leaves
Your image
Shines always
In me,
My teacher Riva.
Unique and eternal
Your vision.
A true-rooted-vigil.
The strongest your love --
My teacher Riva.
I gather-in the sunset
Which has lit for me
A corner of memory
Through dark panes
Where the years wait patiently,
Where time has over them
No dominion.
And there,
In a shtetl in Lithuania.
At the first sung alphabet-letters
Dripped with honey and tears,
I swallowed then
Your smile,
Learned in sadness.
Hours probably overlap
The latter reach the former
And they meet
Somewhere together
By seas.
And there
In a blue remembrance
Your name will gleam
Pristine --
My teacher Riva.
(from _Likhtike shteyner_, p. 19)
---------
blien shteyner
ikh hob shteyndelekh geshlept
fun di viste kvorim
un mit zey oyf shtum geredt,
shtumer fun a vorem.
ikh hob heymen oykh gezen
bloys fun shteyner,
vu s'hot mer shoyn nit gelebt
keyner, keyner/
zap ikh zeyer tfile ayn
vi dos feld in frien,
un ikh vart tog-oys tog-ayn
az a shteyn zol blien.
Stones Bloom
I have dragged little stones
From the empty graves
And I've spoken to them mutely
More mutely than a worm.
I have also seen homes
Made only of stones
Where no one now lives,
No one.
And I soak their prayer up
As a field in the dawn,
And I wait day-in day-out,
For a stone to bloom.
(from _Toybn baym brunem, p.56)
------
yunger fun di yorn
faran an alte frayndshaft
yung in blik
vos kumt un redt zikh durkh
fun karshntsvit,
farhit di zaftn
vos a honikbin
hot lang farlorn --
faran an alte frayndshaft
yinger fun di yorn,
zi kumt un fregt zikh oys
oyf yedern bazunder.
a shtilkayt a bahaltene
bafrilingt dem zikorn:
faran an alte frayndshaft
yinger fun di yorn.
Younger Than Time
There exists an old friendship
Young in look
Which comes and speaks
Of cherry blossoms,
Preserves the sap
Which a honeybee
Has long lost --
There exists an old friendship
Younger even than time.
It comes and asks
Of each one separately.
A silence that's concealed
Rejuvenates the mind:
There exists an old friendship
Younger even than time.
(from _Di shtilkayt brent_, 89)
------------
kinder reydn vegn toyt
kinder reydn vegn toyt
oyf a gelekhter,
vi men redt vegn a vaytn land
reydn kinder vegn toyt
mit a blimele in hant.
shtey ikh bay dem heln toyer
fun di yorn
un ikh tulye tsu mayn oyer
yedn shmeykhl,
vos farlorn.
shtey ikh bay dem heln toyer
fun dem vaytn land
un ikh zukh dos bliml
in mayn hant.
Children Speak of Death
Children speak of death
With a laugh
As one speaks of a far-off land
So speak children of death
With a small-flower in hand.
Thus I stand at the bright gate
Of the years
And I clasp to my ear
Every smile
That disappears
Thus I stand at the bright gate
Of the far-off land
And I seek that flower
In my hand.
(from _Toybn baym brunem_, p. 102)
__________________________
End of The Mendele Review 07.002
Subscribers to Mendele (see below) automatically receive The Mendele
Review.
Send "to subscribe" or change-of-status messages to:
listproc@lists.yale.edu
a. For a temporary stop: set mendele mail postpone
b. To resume delivery: set mendele mail ack
c. To subscribe: sub mendele first_name last_name
d. To unsubscribe kholile: unsub mendele
****Getting back issues****
_The Mendele Review_ archives can be reached at:
http://www2.trincoll.edu/~mendele/tmrarc.htm
---------------------------------