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גאט --

God, —

Work 382 of 440

Page 447. Conclusion of 'Lider fun Abelar tsu Heloiz': 'Got, heyb vider dayn shverd antbloyzn' (God, lift again your bared sword). 'Hoyb, vos vartstu?' (Lift, why do you wait?). 'Mikh folgn, heys ikh' (to follow me, I command) — bold Abelardian assertion of human will. Returns to opening question: 'Got, ver bistu?' (God, who are you?). Final answer: 'ver ikh bin — veys ikh' (who I am — I know). Self-knowledge vs. unknowable divine. Cycle ends with philosopher's defiance and self-assertion. Page has decorative sun/sunrise image marking end of cycle.

Yiddish Original

גאט --

הייב. ווידער

דיין שווערד

אַנטבלויזן.

דתויב,

וואָס וואַרטסטו ?

מיך פאַלגן ,

הייס איך:

פמט --

ווער ביסטו +

ווער איך בין --

ווייס. איך.

+3

Transliteration

Got, —

heyb vider

dayn shverd

antbloyzn.

Hoyb,

vos vartstu?

mikh folgn,

heys ikh;

got, —

ver bistu?

ver ikh bin —

veys ikh.

English Translation

God, —

lift again

your sword

bared.

Lift,

why do you wait?

to follow me,

I command;

God, —

who are you?

who I am —

I know.

TRANSLATOR’S NOTE

Page 447. Conclusion of 'Lider fun Abelar tsu Heloiz': 'Got, heyb vider dayn shverd antbloyzn' (God, lift again your bared sword). 'Hoyb, vos vartstu?' (Lift, why do you wait?). 'Mikh folgn, heys ikh' (to follow me, I command) — bold Abelardian assertion of human will. Returns to opening question: 'Got, ver bistu?' (God, who are you?). Final answer: 'ver ikh bin — veys ikh' (who I am — I know). Self-knowledge vs. unknowable divine. Cycle ends with philosopher's defiance and self-assertion. Page has decorative sun/sunrise image marking end of cycle.

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God, — · H. Leivick: Complete Works · Half-Voll Attempts