טראָגט זיך אַרויף
Bears itself upward
Work 166 of 440
Pages 206-207. 'Di Shtal' Sections KAF continuation and KAF-ALEF — body, grace, and moonlit enchantment: KAF concludes: 'My poor body — the glow of the face that rises upon you is — grace that is in light. Grace in heroism, grace in beauty, grace in radiance (likhtikeyt).' The body despite its suffering becomes radiant. Section KAF-ALEF (21): 'Half night. Half night. Moonlike silence.' The silence personified — falls face-down to earth, rises again to climb the heavens. The forest walls move closer, 'bend, bow down over the open roads,' guarding the night's rest 'as if the disturber of rest lay somewhere nearby.' Hour after hour, enchanted by their own silence, the forests move backward, 'more snake-like begin to interweave branches with branches.' The night fills with 'the unrest of their enchanted twitching.' The fugitive 'holds his eyes closed, and sees, yet, the rising of unrest. And hears the prayer of abandoned roads.' Even sleeping, he perceives the mystical activity around him. 'Di Shtal' Sections KAF-ALEF conclusion, KAF-BET, and KAF-GIMEL — the four beasts and dream-vision: The fugitive hears lurking footsteps, yet 'the dreaming is sweet' for him. Section KAF-BET (22): He hears 'the weeping of the four beasts' — the lion, leopard, eagle, and deer from Pirkei Avot who represent suppressed Jewish virtues. They lament: 'Deserts wait for the hour when we will come. Deserts expire from longing for our roaring. Let them wait in patient longing — deserts.' The symbolic creatures, silenced by oppression, imagine deserts waiting for their return to power. The refrain contrasts: 'Let us lift the lashes in half-night — the horses by the eastern wall below have already closed their eyes.' The conquerors' horses sleep peacefully while the Jewish symbolic beasts weep and long. 'Let us shake off the sadness of half-night.' Section KAF-GIMEL (23): 'Oh, what does he hear again, the younger brother, with his dream-filled ears? Oh, what does he see with his dream-filled eyes?' — introducing the vision of the next section.
טראָגט זיך אַרויף
און טראָגט זיך אַרום
מײַן אָרעמער גוף
צוריק קערט זיך אום.
גנאָד, וואָס אין פֿרייד,
גנאָד, וואָס אין צער,
גנאָד, וואָס אין טויט.
מײַן אָרעמער גוף —
די שײַן פֿון געזיכט,
וואָס גייט אויף דיר אויף,
איז — גנאָד, וואָס אין ליכט. —
גנאָד, וואָס אין גבֿורה,
גנאָד, וואָס אין שיינקייט,
גנאָד, וואָס אין ליכטיקייט.
כא
האַלבע נאַכט. האַלבע נאַכט.
לבֿנהדיקס שווײַגן.
דאָס שווײַגן פֿאַלט צו צו דער ערד מיטן פּנים אַראָפּ,
און שטעלט זיך אויף ווידער, צוריק צו די הימלען צו שטײַגן.
די ווענט פֿון די וועלדער רוקן זיך צו
און בייגן זיך, נייגן זיך איבער די אָפֿענע וועגן.
היטן מיט ציטער און אייפֿער די נאַכטיקע רו
אַזוי ווי דער שטערער פֿון רו וואָלט אין ערגעץ דאָ נעבן געלעגן.
שעה נאָך אַ שעה.
ביז וואַנען, פֿאַרכישופֿט אַליין פֿונעם אייגענעם שווײַגן
נעמען די וועלדער אַזוי ווי אויף הינטער זיך רוקן,
און שלאַנגיקער נעמען זיך אײַנפֿלעכטן צווײַגן אין צווײַגן.
און פֿול ווערט די נאַכט מיט דער אומרו פֿון זייער פֿאַרכישופֿטן צוקן.
האַלבע נאַכט. האַלבע נאַכט.
לבֿנהדיקס שווײַגן.
דער אַנטלאָפֿענער ברודער האַלט די אויגן פֿאַרמאַכט.
און זעט, דאָך, פֿון אומרו דאָס שטײַגן.
און הערט דאָס געבעט פֿון פֿאַרלאָזענע וועגן
און הערט אויך דעם שפּרונג פֿון באַהאַלטענע לויערער־פֿיס; —
דער אַנטלאָפֿענער ברודער זעט, אָבער, זײַן חלום אַנטקעגן
דעם אַנטלאָפֿענעם ברודער איז, אָבער, דאָס חלומען זיס.
כב
און ער הערט דאָס געוויין פֿון די פֿיר חיות:
מדבריות
וואַרטן אויף דער שעה ווען מיר וועלן קומען.
מדבריות
גייען אויס פֿון בענקשאַפֿט נאָך אונדזער ברומען. —
זאָלן וואַרטן אין געדולדיקער בענקשאַפֿט
מדבריות.
לאָמיר אויפֿהייבן די ברעמען
די ברעמען אין האַלבער נאַכט:
די פֿערד בײַ דער מזרח־וואַנט אונטן
האָבן שוין זייערע אויגן פֿאַרמאַכט.
מדבריות
שפּרייטן זיך אַריבער זייערע ברעגן
מדבריות
גרייטן צו די וועלט פֿאַר אונדזערטוועגן:
זאָלן גרייטן, זאָל שפּרייטן זיך
מדבריות.
לאָמיר אָפּטרײַסלען דעם אומעט,
דעם אומעט פֿון האַלבער נאַכט:
די פֿערד בײַ דער מזרח־וואַנט אונטן
האָבן שוין זייערע אויגן פֿאַרמאַכט.
כג
אוי, וואָס הערט ווידער
דער ברודער, דער יינגערער ברודער,
מיט זײַנע פֿאַרחלומטע אויערן?
אוי, וואָס זעט ווידער
דער ברודער, דער יינגערער ברודער,
מיט זײַנע פֿאַרחלומטע אויגן?
Trogt zikh aroyf
un trogt zikh arum
mayn oremer guf
tsurik kert zikh um.
Gnod, vos in freyd,
gnod, vos in tsar,
gnod, vos in toyt.
Mayn oremer guf —
di shayn fun gezikht,
vos geyt oyf dir oyf,
iz — gnod, vos in likht. —
Gnod, vos in gvure,
gnod, vos in sheynkeyt,
gnod, vos in likhtikeyt.
KAF-ALEF
Halbe nakht. Halbe nakht.
Levonediks shvaygn.
Dos shvaygn falt tsu tsu der erd mitn ponem arop,
un shtelt zikh oyf vider, tsurik tsu di himlen tsu shtaygn.
Di vent fun di velder rukn zikh tsu
un beygn zikh, neygn zikh iber di ofene vegn.
Hitn mit tsiter un ayfer di nakhtike ru
azoy vi der shterer fun ru volt in ergets do nebn gelign.
Sho nokh a sho.
Biz vanen, farkisheft aleyn funem eygеnem shvaygn
nemen di velder azoy vi oyf hinter zikh rukn,
un shlangiker nemen zikh aynflekhtn tsvaygn in tsvaygn.
Un ful vert di nakht mit der umru fun zeyer farkisheftn tsukn.
Halbe nakht. Halbe nakht.
Levonediks shvaygn.
Der antlofener bruder halt di oygn farmakht.
Un zet, dokh, fun umru dos shtaygn.
Un hert dos gebet fun farlozene vegn
Un hert oykh dem shprung fun bahaltene loyerer-fis; —
der antlofener bruder zet, ober, zayn kholem antkegn
dem antlofenem bruder iz, ober, dos khilemen zis.
KAF-BET
Un er hert dos geveyn fun di fir khayes:
Midbriyos
vartn oyf der sho ven mir veln kumen.
Midbriyos
geyen oys fun benkshaft nokh undzer brumen. —
Zoln vartn in geduldiker benkshaft
midbriyos.
Lomir oyfheybn di bremen
di bremen in halber nakht:
Di ferd bay der mizrekh-vant untn
hobn shoyn zeyere oygn farmakht.
Midbriyos
shpreytn zikh ariber zeyere bregn
midbriyos
greytn tsu di velt far undzertveyn:
zoln greytn, zol shpreytn zikh
midbriyos.
Lomir optrayslen dem umet,
dem umet fun halber nakht:
Di ferd bay der mizrekh-vant untn
hobn shoyn zeyere oygn farmakht.
KAF-GIMEL
Oy, vos hert vider
der bruder, der yingerer bruder,
mit zayne farkhlumte oyern?
Oy, vos zet vider
der bruder, der yingerer bruder,
mit zayne farkhlumte oygn?
Bears itself upward
and bears itself around
my poor body
turns back again.
Grace, that is in joy,
grace, that is in sorrow,
grace, that is in death.
My poor body —
the glow of the face
that rises upon you,
is — grace, that is in light. —
Grace, that is in heroism,
grace, that is in beauty,
grace, that is in radiance.
KAF-ALEF
Half night. Half night.
Moonlike silence.
The silence falls down to the earth with face downward,
and rises up again, back to the heavens to climb.
The walls of the forests move closer
and bend, bow down over the open roads.
Guard with trembling and fervor the night's rest
as if the disturber of rest lay somewhere nearby.
Hour after hour.
Until, enchanted themselves by their own silence
the forests begin as if to move backward,
and more snake-like begin to interweave branches with branches.
And full becomes the night with the unrest of their enchanted twitching.
Half night. Half night.
Moonlike silence.
The fugitive brother holds his eyes closed.
And sees, yet, the rising of unrest.
And hears the prayer of abandoned roads
And hears also the leap of hidden lurker-feet; —
the fugitive brother sees, however, his dream toward him
for the fugitive brother it is, however, the dreaming sweet.
KAF-BET
And he hears the weeping of the four beasts:
Deserts
wait for the hour when we will come.
Deserts
expire from longing for our roaring. —
Let them wait in patient longing
deserts.
Let us lift the eyelashes
the lashes in half-night:
The horses by the eastern wall below
have already closed their eyes.
Deserts
spread beyond their shores
deserts
prepare the world for our sake:
let them prepare, let spread
deserts.
Let us shake off the sadness,
the sadness of half-night:
The horses by the eastern wall below
have already closed their eyes.
KAF-GIMEL
Oh, what does he hear again
the brother, the younger brother,
with his dream-filled ears?
Oh, what does he see again
the brother, the younger brother,
with his dream-filled eyes?
Pages 206-207. 'Di Shtal' Sections KAF continuation and KAF-ALEF — body, grace, and moonlit enchantment: KAF concludes: 'My poor body — the glow of the face that rises upon you is — grace that is in light. Grace in heroism, grace in beauty, grace in radiance (likhtikeyt).' The body despite its suffering becomes radiant. Section KAF-ALEF (21): 'Half night. Half night. Moonlike silence.' The silence personified — falls face-down to earth, rises again to climb the heavens. The forest walls move closer, 'bend, bow down over the open roads,' guarding the night's rest 'as if the disturber of rest lay somewhere nearby.' Hour after hour, enchanted by their own silence, the forests move backward, 'more snake-like begin to interweave branches with branches.' The night fills with 'the unrest of their enchanted twitching.' The fugitive 'holds his eyes closed, and sees, yet, the rising of unrest. And hears the prayer of abandoned roads.' Even sleeping, he perceives the mystical activity around him. 'Di Shtal' Sections KAF-ALEF conclusion, KAF-BET, and KAF-GIMEL — the four beasts and dream-vision: The fugitive hears lurking footsteps, yet 'the dreaming is sweet' for him. Section KAF-BET (22): He hears 'the weeping of the four beasts' — the lion, leopard, eagle, and deer from Pirkei Avot who represent suppressed Jewish virtues. They lament: 'Deserts wait for the hour when we will come. Deserts expire from longing for our roaring. Let them wait in patient longing — deserts.' The symbolic creatures, silenced by oppression, imagine deserts waiting for their return to power. The refrain contrasts: 'Let us lift the lashes in half-night — the horses by the eastern wall below have already closed their eyes.' The conquerors' horses sleep peacefully while the Jewish symbolic beasts weep and long. 'Let us shake off the sadness of half-night.' Section KAF-GIMEL (23): 'Oh, what does he hear again, the younger brother, with his dream-filled ears? Oh, what does he see with his dream-filled eyes?' — introducing the vision of the next section.
← / → previous & next poem·1–4 toggle columns·hover a line to align all versions