44
Another Neighbor Has Died
Work 364 of 440
Page 428. Poem 'Vider geshtorbn a shokhn' (Another Neighbor Has Died): 'Pshute, nakete reyd' (simple, naked speech — Hebrew 'pashut'). Not afraid of own death but of 'shokhn' (neighbor — Hebrew 'shachen') dying. Occupies self with 'gramen' (rhymes), questions pen about origins. Asks if dying is 'a trot tsu a nayern lebn' (a step toward new life). Pen has no answer — 'dervayle — biz vanen — vos — ven' (meanwhile — until when — what — when) — fragmented time awareness. 'Shpitol' (hospital) has 'tunel' connected to 'tohore-shtibl' (purification room — Hebrew 'tahara'). Body wheeled through dark zigzags 'shnel-shnel' (quickly-quickly) — faster than poet can question. Self-conscious about rhyming: 'gram shtibl — faribl — mit ibl' (rhyme room — resent — with evil). Ends at 'baginen' (dawn) — world 'farshneyt' (snow-covered), 'farkrokhn' (crept) into winter. Final image: 'di leydike bet fun mayn shokhn' (the empty bed of my neighbor) — what truly frightens. Sanatorium death constant presence; poet's work continues amid mortality.
44
ווידער געשטאַרבן אַ שכן
פשוטע, נאַקעטע רייד.
די וועלט איז אין ווינטער פּאַרקראָכן :
מיך שרעקט ניט מיין אייגענער טויטי --
איך האָב מורא פּאַר דעם טויט פון מיין שכן.
איך פּאַרנעם זיך מיט אַלץ ואס איך קען
אפילו מיט צוטראַכטן גראַמען:
איך פרעג אָט אַזוי בוו מיין פעז --
צי ווייס זי פון וואַנען מיר שטאַמען+
צי ווייס זי ווזס מיינט אין שפיטצמל
א שכן וואָס גייש אויס. דאַינעבן +
צי איז ניט דאָס שטאַרבן. צומזמל,
א טראָט צו אַ נייערן לעבן? --
עס דקאָט ניט קיין ענטפער מיון פעה. --
פון וואָנען גאָר זאָל זי עס האָבן ? --
דערוויילע --- ביז וואַנען -- וואָס -- וועז -- --
מען טראָנט שוין מיין שכן באַגראָבן.
מען טרצמגט אים אויף יענער זייט שוועל,
און ווי נר אַריבער -- פאַרשוואונדן,
ס'איז דא אין שפיטאֶל אַ טונעל
מיט דעם טהרדק-שטיבל פאַרבונדן.
צום שטיבל, דורך שוואַרצן טונעל.
דורך שמאַלע, דורך טיפע זיגזאַגן,
מען פירט אים אויף רעדלעך שנעל*-שנעל,
נאַך שנעלער ווי איך פרעג מיינע פראַגן.
דערוויילע -- ביז וואַנען - וואָס -- ווען
מיין שכן -- ער איז שוין אין שטיבל :
און איך שרייב נאָך אָלץ מיט מיין פעןי
גראַם שטיבל -- פּאַראיבל -- מיט איבל.
באַגינען. | די וועלט איז פּאַרשנייט.
די וועלט איז אין ווינטער פאַרקראָכן +
מיך שרעקט ניט מיין אייגענער טויט,
נאָר די ליידיקע בעט פון מיין שכןי
Vider geshtorbn a shokhn
Pshute, nakete reyd.
Di velt iz in vinter farkrokhn:
mikh shrekt nit mayn eygener toyt, —
ikh hob moyre far dem toyt fun mayn shokhn.
Ikh farnem zikh mit alts vos ikh ken
afile mit tsutrakhn gramen:
ikh freg ot azoy bay mayn pen —
tsi veys zi fun vanen mir shtamen?
Tsi veys zi vos meynt in shpitol
a shokhn vos geyt oys, danebn?
Tsi iz nit dos shtarbn, tsumol,
a trot tsu a nayern lebn? —
Es trogt nit keyn entfer mayn pen. —
Fun vanen gor zol zi es hobn? —
dervayle — biz vanen — vos — ven — —
men trogt shoyn mayn shokhn bagrobn.
Men trogt im oyf yener zayt shvel,
un vi nor ariber — farshvundn,
s'iz do in shpitol a tunel
mit dem tohore-shtibl farbundn.
Tsum shtibl, durkh shvartsn tunel,
durkh shmale, durkh tife zigzagn,
men firt im oyf redlekh shnel-shnel,
nokh shneler vi ikh freg mayne fragn.
Dervayle — biz vanen — vos — ven
mayn shokhn — er iz shoyn in shtibl;
un ikh shrayb nokh alts mit mayn pen,
gram shtibl — faribl — mit ibl.
Baginen. Di velt iz farshneyt.
Di velt iz in vinter farkrokhn;
mikh shrekt nit mayn eygener toyt,
nor di leydike bet fun mayn shokhn.
Another Neighbor Has Died
Simple, naked speech.
The world has crept into winter:
my own death does not frighten me, —
I am afraid of the death of my neighbor.
I occupy myself with all that I can
even with thinking up rhymes:
I ask, just like this, my pen —
does it know where we come from?
Does it know what it means in hospital
a neighbor who passes away, beside you?
Is not dying, perhaps,
a step toward a new life? —
My pen carries no answer. —
From where should it have one? —
Meanwhile — until when — what — when — —
they already carry my neighbor to be buried.
They carry him across the threshold,
and as soon as he's over — vanished,
there is here in hospital a tunnel
connected to the purification room.
To the room, through the dark tunnel,
through narrow, through deep zigzags,
they wheel him quickly-quickly,
faster than I ask my questions.
Meanwhile — until when — what — when
my neighbor — he is already in the room;
and I still keep writing with my pen,
rhyming room — gloom — with doom.
Dawn. The world is covered with snow.
The world has crept into winter;
my own death does not frighten me,
only the empty bed of my neighbor.
Page 428. Poem 'Vider geshtorbn a shokhn' (Another Neighbor Has Died): 'Pshute, nakete reyd' (simple, naked speech — Hebrew 'pashut'). Not afraid of own death but of 'shokhn' (neighbor — Hebrew 'shachen') dying. Occupies self with 'gramen' (rhymes), questions pen about origins. Asks if dying is 'a trot tsu a nayern lebn' (a step toward new life). Pen has no answer — 'dervayle — biz vanen — vos — ven' (meanwhile — until when — what — when) — fragmented time awareness. 'Shpitol' (hospital) has 'tunel' connected to 'tohore-shtibl' (purification room — Hebrew 'tahara'). Body wheeled through dark zigzags 'shnel-shnel' (quickly-quickly) — faster than poet can question. Self-conscious about rhyming: 'gram shtibl — faribl — mit ibl' (rhyme room — resent — with evil). Ends at 'baginen' (dawn) — world 'farshneyt' (snow-covered), 'farkrokhn' (crept) into winter. Final image: 'di leydike bet fun mayn shokhn' (the empty bed of my neighbor) — what truly frightens. Sanatorium death constant presence; poet's work continues amid mortality.
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