גיס זיך, ווײַסער ווײַן,
Pour yourself, white wine,
Work 253 of 440
Page 308. 'Ihumen' continuation: 'vayser vayn' (white wine) from 'tsofundike himlen' (northern skies) pours into the speaker's heart through the 'niderikn yontevdikn shtibl' (low holiday-like cottage) on 'Minsker shlyakh' (Minsk road). He swallows down 'vergndike, beyze verter' (strangling, angry words) — the bitterness of exile. 'Shney' (snow) is his 'heytster trunk' (hottest drink) — the paradox of cold as passionate. 'Nakht fun Ihumen' is his 'basherte' (destined one) — the shtetl night as bride. His elbows dance, knees knock in the 'gegarte nakht' (fermented night). Hands 'fargangene' (from the past) sound in the melody of 'ganekens un shtign' (porches and stairs). Section II: arrival under the 'royte fon' (red flag) — Soviet imagery. On 'altn mark' (old market) a gate is built, flying 'royte fonen tsvey' (two red flags), 'khupedik oyf shtangen' (canopy-like on poles) — the wedding canopy imagery applied to Soviet symbols, 'sternndiker shney' (starry snow) overhead.
גיס זיך, ווײַסער ווײַן,
פֿון צפֿונדיקע הימלען
אין האַרץ צו מיר אַרײַן —
דורך טיר און שייבל,
דורך וואַנט און דאַך
פֿון נידעריקן יום־טובֿדיקן שטיבל,
וואָס אין עק אויף מינסקער שליאַך.
שלינג אַראָפּ מיט לײַכטן שלונג
אַלע ווערגנדיקע, בייזע ווערטער.
הײַנט איז שניי מײַן הייסטער טרונק,
נאַכט פֿון איהומען — מײַן באַשערטע.
מײַנע עלנבויגנס טאַנצן איבער אַלע ווענט,
מײַנע קני קלאַפּן צו, קלאַפּן צו.
נאַכט, געגאָרטע נאַכט!
איך האָב זיך אַ דאַרשטיקן געבראַכט
מיט צוויי אויסגעשטרעקטע תּאוהדיקע הענט —
הענט זיך רירן צו, קלאַפּן צו —
הענט פֿאַרגאַנגענע אין ניגון
וואָס עס זינגען גאַנעקעס און שטיגן.
II
אָט מיר קומען.
אָט מיר זײַנען אָנגעקומען.
וויקלט־אויף די רויטע פֿאָן
איבער קעפּ פֿון אַלעמען.
אויפֿן אַלטן מאַרק —
אויסגעבויט אַ טויער:
אויפֿן טויערס קאַרק
רויטע פֿאָנען ווייען.
רויטע פֿאָנען צוויי,
חופּהדיק אויף שטאַנגען,
שטערנדיקער שניי
איבער זיי צעהאַנגען.
Gis zikh, vayser vayn,
fun tsofundike himlen
in harts tsu mir arayn —
durkh tir un shaybl,
durkh vant un dakh
fun niderikn yontevdikn shtibl,
vos in ek oyf Minsker shlyakh.
Shling arop mit laykhtn shlung
ale vergndike, beyze verter.
Haynt iz shney mayn heytster trunk,
nakht fun Ihumen — mayn basherte.
Mayne elnboygns tantsn iber ale vent,
mayne kni klapn tsu, klapn tsu.
Nakht, gegarte nakht!
Ikh hob zikh a darshtikn gebrakht
mit tsvey oysgeshtrekteatavedike hent —
hent zikh rirn tsu, klapn tsu —
hent fargangene in nigun
vos es zingen ganekens un shtign.
II
Ot mir kumen.
Ot mir zaynen ongekumen.
Viklt-oyf di royte fon
iber kep fun alemen.
Oyfn altn mark —
oysgeboyrt a toyer:
oyfn toyers kark
royte fonen veyen.
Royte fonen tsvey,
khupedik oyf shtangen,
sternndiker shney
iber zey tsehangen.
Pour yourself, white wine,
from northern skies
into my heart —
through door and windowpane,
through wall and roof
of the low holiday-like cottage,
that's at the end on the Minsk road.
Swallow down with easy swallow
all the strangling, angry words.
Today snow is my hottest drink,
night of Ihumen — my destined one.
My elbows dance over all the walls,
my knees knock, knock.
Night, fermented night!
I have brought myself a thirst
with two outstretched desirous hands —
hands touch, knock —
hands from the past in a melody
that porches and stairs sing.
II
Here we come.
Here we have arrived.
Unfurl the red flag
over everyone's heads.
On the old market —
built a gate:
on the gate's neck
red flags wave.
Two red flags,
canopy-like on poles,
starry snow
hung over them.
Page 308. 'Ihumen' continuation: 'vayser vayn' (white wine) from 'tsofundike himlen' (northern skies) pours into the speaker's heart through the 'niderikn yontevdikn shtibl' (low holiday-like cottage) on 'Minsker shlyakh' (Minsk road). He swallows down 'vergndike, beyze verter' (strangling, angry words) — the bitterness of exile. 'Shney' (snow) is his 'heytster trunk' (hottest drink) — the paradox of cold as passionate. 'Nakht fun Ihumen' is his 'basherte' (destined one) — the shtetl night as bride. His elbows dance, knees knock in the 'gegarte nakht' (fermented night). Hands 'fargangene' (from the past) sound in the melody of 'ganekens un shtign' (porches and stairs). Section II: arrival under the 'royte fon' (red flag) — Soviet imagery. On 'altn mark' (old market) a gate is built, flying 'royte fonen tsvey' (two red flags), 'khupedik oyf shtangen' (canopy-like on poles) — the wedding canopy imagery applied to Soviet symbols, 'sternndiker shney' (starry snow) overhead.
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