גוט וואָס דו שלאָפֿסט שוין און זעסט ניט
Good that you are sleeping and don't see
Work 197 of 440
Page 240. 'Lider fun Umkum' poem 'A mayse' conclusion and new poem 'Kum tsu' (Come Near). 'A mayse' concludes: 'Good that you are sleeping and don't see my face.' The lamb/child lost deep in the forest. 'Wolf, go away from my son's bed. Wolf, don't look at my son's throat. (Poorer, poorer wolf.)' The father as wolf/protector paradox. New poem 'Kum tsu': Imperative address to God or the divine. 'Come near, touch me with your arm — you — God, I — worm.' (Echo of Psalm 22: 'I am a worm and no man.') 'You — fall kneeling before I put on my holy garments.' A stunning reversal — commanding God to kneel. 'Through the window I see fiery chasing in radiant dust my winged chariot.' (Elijah's chariot of fire, 2 Kings 2:11.) 'Hurry with your word — because here I ascend onto the steps of my chariot.' The speaker becomes Elijah, ascending to heaven.
גוט וואָס דו שלאָפֿסט שוין און זעסט ניט
מײַן פּנים צווישן שטערן און גליווערן.
(אָרעם, אָרעם שעפּסעלע).
ווי טיף דו ביסט פֿאַרבלאָנדזשעט געוואָרן.
ווי טיף אין וואַלד אַרײַן.
(אָרעם, אָרעם יינגעלע).
וואָלף,
גיי אַוועק
פֿונעם בעט פֿון מײַן זון.
וואָלף,
קוק ניט
אויפֿן האַלדז פֿון מײַן זון.
(אָרעמער,
אָרעמער
וואָלף).
קום צו —
קום צו, בייג זיך צו,
ריר מיך אָן מיט דײַן אָרעם,
דו — איך זאָג דיר — דו —
דו — גאָט, איך — וואָרעם.
דו — פֿאַל געקניט,
קני מיט פּאָרכטיקייט — אייד ער
איך טו אָן אויף מײַן לײַב
מײַנע הייליקע קליידער.
אײַל זיך צו. דורך דער שויב
זע איך פֿײַערדיק יאָגן
אין שטראַליקן שטויב
מײַן געפֿליגלטער וואָגן.
אײַל זיך צו מיט דײַן וואָרט,
וואָס דו ווילסט צו מיר זאָגן: —
ווײַל אָט שטײַג איך אַרויף
אויף די טרעפּ פֿון מײַן וואָגן.
Gut vos du shlоfst shoyn un zest nit
mayn ponim tsvishn shtern un glivern.
(Оrem, оrem shepsele).
Vi tif du bist farblоndzshet gevоrn.
Vi tif in vald arayn.
(Оrem, оrem yingele).
Volf,
gey avek
funem bet fun mayn zun.
Volf,
kuk nit
oyfn haldz fun mayn zun.
(Оremer,
оremer
volf).
Kum tsu —
Kum tsu, beyg zikh tsu,
rir mikh on mit dayn оrem,
du — ikh zog dir — du —
du — got, ikh — vоrem.
Du — fal geknit,
kni mit porkhtikeyt — eyder
ikh tu on oyf mayn layb
mayne heylike kleyder.
Ayl zikh tsu. Durkh der shoyb
ze ikh fayerdik yogn
in shtralikn shtoyb
mayn gefliglter vogn.
Ayl zikh tsu mit dayn vоrt,
vos du vilst tsu mir zоgn: —
vayl ot shtayg ikh aroyf
oyf di trep fun mayn vogn.
Good that you are sleeping and don't see
my face between stars and frost.
(Poor, poor little lamb).
How deep you have gotten lost.
How deep into the forest.
(Poor, poor little boy).
Wolf,
go away
from my son's bed.
Wolf,
don't look
at my son's throat.
(Poorer,
poorer
wolf).
Come Near —
Come near, bend down,
touch me with your arm,
you — I tell you — you —
you — God, I — worm.
You — fall kneeling,
kneel with awe — before
I put on my body
my holy garments.
Hurry. Through the window
I see fiery chasing
in radiant dust
my winged chariot.
Hurry with your word,
what you want to say to me: —
because here I ascend
onto the steps of my chariot.
Page 240. 'Lider fun Umkum' poem 'A mayse' conclusion and new poem 'Kum tsu' (Come Near). 'A mayse' concludes: 'Good that you are sleeping and don't see my face.' The lamb/child lost deep in the forest. 'Wolf, go away from my son's bed. Wolf, don't look at my son's throat. (Poorer, poorer wolf.)' The father as wolf/protector paradox. New poem 'Kum tsu': Imperative address to God or the divine. 'Come near, touch me with your arm — you — God, I — worm.' (Echo of Psalm 22: 'I am a worm and no man.') 'You — fall kneeling before I put on my holy garments.' A stunning reversal — commanding God to kneel. 'Through the window I see fiery chasing in radiant dust my winged chariot.' (Elijah's chariot of fire, 2 Kings 2:11.) 'Hurry with your word — because here I ascend onto the steps of my chariot.' The speaker becomes Elijah, ascending to heaven.
← / → previous & next poem·1–4 toggle columns·hover a line to align all versions