לידער פֿון אומקום
Songs of Destruction
Work 176 of 440
Page 219. 'Lider fun Umkum' (Songs of Destruction) — a new section of poems dealing with catastrophe and perishing. Poem ALEF, 'Lebn mayns' (My Life): The poet addresses his life as a separate entity with which he has 'cut a covenant.' A brutal metaphor: even if he must chain life 'around your neck, as a gypsy leads his bear, drive you through streets, through markets' and command 'Dance your world-dance!' — the crowd will gather, mouths laughing red, the chain even redder. The poet will stand with raised head, tightening the rings, proclaiming 'this is how it is done.' His 'holy song' will be sung to life's beat 'forever and ever.' A dark meditation on the poet's relationship to existence — forcing life to perform, to dance, to entertain, despite suffering. The bear and gypsy image evokes street performance, captivity, and the cruelty of spectacle.
לידער פֿון אומקום
א
לעבן מײַנס
איך וועל דיך פֿירן דורך אַלע געפֿאַרן —
לעבן מײַנס:
דורך תּפֿיסה, דורך הקדש, דורך חורבֿה,
דיך פֿירן און דורכפֿירן — לעבן מײַנס.
ווײַל איך האָב פֿאַרשניטן אַ בונד מיט דיר —
לעבן מײַנס,
אַ בונד — אַזוי צו זאָגן:
ווען אפֿילו כ'זאָל דאַרפֿן דיר אָנטאָן אַ קייט אויפֿן האַלדז,
לעבן מײַנס,
און אויף דער קייט, ווי עס פֿירט אַ ציגײַנער זײַן בער,
דיך טרײַבן דורך גאַסן, דורך מערק,
און אויסשרײַען:
טאַנץ דײַן וועלט־טאַנץ, לעבן מײַנס! —
און דו וועסט טאַנצן, לעבן מײַנס,
און צופֿײַפֿלען און צוצימבלען.
און גרויס וועט זײַן דאָס געזעמל אַרום דיר,
און רויט — דאָס לאַכן פֿון מײַלער,
און נאָך רויטער די קייט אויף דײַן האַלדז —
לעבן מײַנס — —
וועל איך,
שטײַפֿער פֿאַרציִענדיק די רינגען אַרום דיר,
שטיין מיט אַ געהייבענעם קאָפּ און אויסרופֿן:
אָט אַזוי ווערט געטאָן,
לעבן מײַנס: —
אָט אַזוי זאָל געזונגען ווערן צום טאַקט דיר
דאָס הייליקע ליד מײַנס וועגן דיר —
ביז אייביק און אייביק —
לעבן מײַנס.
Lider fun Umkum
ALEF
Lebn mayns
Ikh vel dikh firn durkh ale gefarn —
lebn mayns:
durkh tfise, durkh hekdesh, durkh khurve,
dikh firn un durkhfirn — lebn mayns.
Vayl ikh hob farshnitn a bund mit dir —
lebn mayns,
a bund — azoy tsu zogn:
ven afilu kh'zol darfn dir onton a keyt oyfn haldz,
lebn mayns,
un oyf der keyt, vi es firt a tsigayner zayn ber,
dikh traybn durkh gasn, durkh merk,
un oysshrayen:
Tants dayn velt-tants, lebn mayns! —
un du vest tantsn, lebn mayns,
un tsufayflen un tsutsimblen.
Un groys vet zayn dos gezeml arum dir,
un royt — dos lakhn fun mayler,
un nokh roytr di keyt oyf dayn haldz —
lebn mayns — —
vel ikh,
shtayfer fartsiendik di ringen arum dir,
shteyn mit a geheybеnem kop un oysrufn:
ot azoy vert geton,
lebn mayns: —
ot azoy zol gezungen vern tsum takt dir
dos heylike lid mayns vegn dir —
biz eybik un eybik —
lebn mayns.
Songs of Destruction
ALEF
My Life
I will lead you through all dangers —
my life:
through prison, through poorhouse, through ruin,
lead you and bring you through — my life.
Because I have cut a covenant with you —
my life,
a covenant — so to speak:
even if I should have to put a chain around your neck,
my life,
and on that chain, as a gypsy leads his bear,
drive you through streets, through markets,
and cry out:
Dance your world-dance, my life! —
and you will dance, my life,
and whistle and chime.
And great will be the crowd around you,
and red — the laughter from mouths,
and redder still the chain around your neck —
my life — —
I will,
tightening the rings around you,
stand with a raised head and call out:
this is how it is done,
my life: —
thus shall be sung to your beat
my holy song about you —
forever and ever —
my life.
Page 219. 'Lider fun Umkum' (Songs of Destruction) — a new section of poems dealing with catastrophe and perishing. Poem ALEF, 'Lebn mayns' (My Life): The poet addresses his life as a separate entity with which he has 'cut a covenant.' A brutal metaphor: even if he must chain life 'around your neck, as a gypsy leads his bear, drive you through streets, through markets' and command 'Dance your world-dance!' — the crowd will gather, mouths laughing red, the chain even redder. The poet will stand with raised head, tightening the rings, proclaiming 'this is how it is done.' His 'holy song' will be sung to life's beat 'forever and ever.' A dark meditation on the poet's relationship to existence — forcing life to perform, to dance, to entertain, despite suffering. The bear and gypsy image evokes street performance, captivity, and the cruelty of spectacle.
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