44
II
Work 415 of 440
Page 488. Continuation of 'Spinoze' — Section II: 'Vi kumt aher?' (How did he come here?). 'Filosof der Amsterdamer' (philosopher from Amsterdam) — Spinoza lived and worked in Amsterdam area. Speaker looks — 'keyn tsveyfl mer' (no more doubt). Physical description: 'fule lipn, lange noz' (full lips, long nose). Head 'vi unter gloz' (as under glass). Spinoza had TB ('kranke brust' — sick chest). 'Dray hundert yor' (300 years) since his death = 'vi eyn minut' (like one minute). 'Frishr tropn blut' (fresh drop of blood) — TB symptom. 'Levones shtraln' (moon's rays — Hebrew 'levanah') fall. 'Getlekher' (divine one) — address to Spinoza. Section III: 'Er zogt tsu nakht' (He says to night). Spinoza opens eyes, accepts command to lie down. Questions: 'vi kum ikh aher' (how did I come here). Must live new fever 'kh'dey nokhamol shtarbn mit freyd' (to die once more with joy). Spinoza as fellow TB patient, philosophical companion in suffering.
44
1
וי קומט אַחער?
1 קומט אַדקער אין קראַנקןדקאַמער
דער פִילאָסאַף דער אַמסטערדאַמער1
איך קוק זיך איין --- קיין צווייפל מער.
ס'איז ער. | ס'איז ער.
די פולע ליפן. | די לאַנגע גאָז.
דער גאַנצער קאָפ ווי אונטער גללזמז.
עס אָטעמט שווער זיין קראַנקע ברוסט
אין אָפטן איבעררייס פון הוסט.
דריי הונדערט ימר -- ווי איין מינוט.
אויף ליפ -- אַ פרישער טראָפן בלוט.
דריי הונדערט יאָר לבנהס שטראַלן
אויף קאֶפ און קישן פאלן, פאַלן
געטלעכער, איך ריר דוך אָה 7-
וואַך אויף. | שטיי אויף. | דערקאָן.
וו
ער זאָגט צו נאָכט
(0פינאָזע עפנט די אויגן
און זאָגט צו נאָכט, צו וועלט :
-- אַז דו האָסט געהייסן זיך לייגן,
טו איך, ווי דו הסט באַפעלט.
ווי קום איך אַהער אַריבער
נאָ הונדערטער יאָרן פון טויט? --
כ'דאַרף אויסלעבן א נייעם פיבער,
כדי נאָכאַמאֶל שטאַרבן מיט פרייד.
II
Vi kumt aher?
Vi kumt aher in krankn-kamer
der filosof der Amsterdamer?
ikh kuk zikh ayn — keyn tsveyfl mer.
s'iz er, s'iz er.
Di fule lipn, di lange noz,
der gantser kop vi unter gloz.
es otemt shver zayn kranke brust
in oftn iberrays fun hust.
Dray hundert yor — vi eyn minut.
oyf lip — a frishr tropn blut.
dray hundert yor levones shtraln
oyf kop un kishn faln, faln.
Getlekher, ikh rir dikh on —
vakh oyf, shtey oyf, derkon.
III
Er zogt tsu nakht
Spinoze efnt di oygn
un zogt tsu nakht, tsu velt:
— az du host geheysn zikh leygn,
tu ikh, vi du host bafelt.
Vi kum ikh aher ariber
nokh hunderter yorn fun toyt? —
kh'darf oyslebn a nayem fiber,
kdey nokhamol shtarbn mit freyd.
II
How Did He Come Here?
How did he come here into the sick-room
the philosopher from Amsterdam?
I look closely — no more doubt.
it's him, it's him.
The full lips, the long nose,
the whole head as under glass.
his sick chest breathes heavily
in frequent interruption of cough.
Three hundred years — like one minute.
on lip — a fresh drop of blood.
three hundred years moon's rays
on head and pillow fall, fall.
Divine one, I touch you —
wake up, stand up, recognize.
III
He Says to Night
Spinoza opens his eyes
and says to night, to world:
— if you ordered me to lie down,
I do as you commanded.
How did I come here across
after hundreds of years of death? —
I must live through a new fever,
to die once more with joy.
Page 488. Continuation of 'Spinoze' — Section II: 'Vi kumt aher?' (How did he come here?). 'Filosof der Amsterdamer' (philosopher from Amsterdam) — Spinoza lived and worked in Amsterdam area. Speaker looks — 'keyn tsveyfl mer' (no more doubt). Physical description: 'fule lipn, lange noz' (full lips, long nose). Head 'vi unter gloz' (as under glass). Spinoza had TB ('kranke brust' — sick chest). 'Dray hundert yor' (300 years) since his death = 'vi eyn minut' (like one minute). 'Frishr tropn blut' (fresh drop of blood) — TB symptom. 'Levones shtraln' (moon's rays — Hebrew 'levanah') fall. 'Getlekher' (divine one) — address to Spinoza. Section III: 'Er zogt tsu nakht' (He says to night). Spinoza opens eyes, accepts command to lie down. Questions: 'vi kum ikh aher' (how did I come here). Must live new fever 'kh'dey nokhamol shtarbn mit freyd' (to die once more with joy). Spinoza as fellow TB patient, philosophical companion in suffering.
← / → previous & next poem·1–4 toggle columns·hover a line to align all versions