ניו־יאָרק אין שיינקייט
New York in Beauty
Work 310 of 440
Page 367. 'Nyu-York in sheynkayt' (New York in Beauty): a Depression-era poem. New York 'geyt oyf un fargeyt' (rises and sets) in beauty; at evening the family eats. 'Aza vunder-moltsayt' (such a wonder-meal) — salads, bananas, tea with pastries — 'in azoyne harte teg fun slek' (in such hard days of slack — using the English word 'slack' for economic downturn). Family: father, mother, 'zun bekhor' (firstborn son — Hebrew 'bekhor'), 'zun mizinik' (youngest son — Yiddish diminutive) with golden hair. All day wandering New York seeking work, money for tomorrow. 'Arbet nit gefunen, gelt nit geborgt' (work not found, money not borrowed) — returning home in evening shadows. On the steps: 'shtokh in di shlayfn' (stabbing in the temples), 'fiberdike hamerlekh-klep' (feverish little-hammer-blows). The beloved comes 'vi a vunder' (like a wonder), takes his hand, straightens him out.
ניו־יאָרק אין שיינקייט
ניו־יאָרק אין שיינקייט
גייט אויף און פֿאַרגייט, —
איצטער איז אָוונט —
עסן מיר אונדזער אָוונטברויט.
סאַלאַטן, באַנאַנעס,
און טיי מיט געבעקס:
אַזאַ וואונדער־מאָלצײַט
אין אַזוינע האַרטע טעג פֿון סלעק.
טאַטע, מאַמע,
און זון בכור,
און זון מיזיניק
מיט ערשטע מיט גאָלדענע האָר.
אַ טאָג געדרייט זיך
איבער גאַנץ ניו־יאָרק,
געזוכט אַרבעט,
געזוכט געלט אויף מאָרגן.
אַרבעט ניט געפֿונען,
געלט ניט געבאָרגט;
מיט אָוונטישאָטנס
אַהיים געגאַנגען מיד, פֿאַרזאָרגט.
צום הויז צוגעקומען,
זיך געזעצט אויף די טרעפּ:
שטאָך אין די שלייפֿן —
פֿיבערדיקע האַמערלעך־קלעפּ.
האַמערלעך שווינגען
אַרויף און אַראָפּ,
גליען און שמידן
אין אייגענעם פֿלאַם מיר מײַן קאָפּ.
דו, ווי אַ וואונדער,
קומסט צו צו מײַן הויז,
נעמסט פֿאַר אַ האַנט מיך,
נעמסט און גלײַכסט מיך אויס.
Nyu-York in sheynkayt
Nyu-York in sheynkayt
geyt oyf un fargeyt, —
itster iz ovnt —
esn mir undzer ovntbroyt.
Salatn, bananes,
un tey mit gebeks:
aza vunder-moltsayt
in azoyne harte teg fun slek.
Tate, mame,
un zun bekhor,
un zun mizinik
mit ershte mit goldene hor.
A tog gedreyt zikh
iber gants Nyu-York,
gezukht arbet,
gezukht gelt oyf morgn.
Arbet nit gefunen,
gelt nit geborgt;
mit ovntishotns
aheym gegangen mid, farzorgt.
Tsum hoyz tsugekumen,
zikh gezetst oyf di trep:
shtokh in di shlayfn —
fiberdike hamerlekh-klep.
Hamerlekh shvingen
aroyf un arop,
glien un shmidn
in eygenem flam mir mayn kop.
Du, vi a vunder,
kumst tsu tsu mayn hoyz,
nemst far a hant mikh,
nemst un glaychst mikh oys.
New York in Beauty
New York in beauty
rises and sets, —
now it is evening —
we eat our supper.
Salads, bananas,
and tea with pastries:
such a wonder-meal
in such hard days of slack.
Father, mother,
and firstborn son,
and youngest son
with first golden hair.
A day wandered
across all New York,
searched for work,
searched for money for tomorrow.
Work not found,
money not borrowed;
with evening shadows
home went tired, worried.
Came to the house,
sat down on the steps:
stabbing in the temples —
feverish little-hammer-blows.
Little hammers swing
up and down,
glow and forge
in my own flame for me my head.
You, like a wonder,
come up to my house,
take me by the hand,
take and straighten me out.
Page 367. 'Nyu-York in sheynkayt' (New York in Beauty): a Depression-era poem. New York 'geyt oyf un fargeyt' (rises and sets) in beauty; at evening the family eats. 'Aza vunder-moltsayt' (such a wonder-meal) — salads, bananas, tea with pastries — 'in azoyne harte teg fun slek' (in such hard days of slack — using the English word 'slack' for economic downturn). Family: father, mother, 'zun bekhor' (firstborn son — Hebrew 'bekhor'), 'zun mizinik' (youngest son — Yiddish diminutive) with golden hair. All day wandering New York seeking work, money for tomorrow. 'Arbet nit gefunen, gelt nit geborgt' (work not found, money not borrowed) — returning home in evening shadows. On the steps: 'shtokh in di shlayfn' (stabbing in the temples), 'fiberdike hamerlekh-klep' (feverish little-hammer-blows). The beloved comes 'vi a vunder' (like a wonder), takes his hand, straightens him out.
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