דער אַסקעט
The Ascetic
Work 194 of 440
Page 237. 'Lider fun Umkum' poem KHAF, 'Der asket' (The Ascetic). A mystical-erotic poem: the ascetic kneels on a grassy bed, falls toward the night personified as female ('she'). The night in 'moon-white shift' clasps her hands in his knees. 'In delight of pain broken hands sink in moon-white dazzle.' Ecstasy of weeping, ecstasy of prayer — 'into the dazzle with his teeth the ascetic bites.' Trees tear themselves out with snaky braids, stones dance forth with polished heads. Tree and stone, in suffering-cry, the ascetic's teeth 'chop out in spinning' — and split his head and neck in two. 'They carry themselves off in spinning.' The poem ends: 'With kneeling knees on the field-bed, the night — the she — guards the dead ascetic.' Asceticism as erotic self-destruction, the night as lover-guardian.
דער אַסקעט
מיט קניענדיקע קני
אויפֿן גראָזיקן בעט
צו דער נאַכט — דער זי
פֿאַלט צו דער אַסקעט.
די נאָכט — די זי
אין לבֿנהנעם העמד —
אין אַסקעטישע קני
פֿאַרקלאַמערט די הענט.
אין תּענוג פֿון פּײַן
פֿאַרבראָכענע הענט
זינקען אײַן, זינקען אײַן
אין לבֿנהנעם בלענד.
עקסטאַז פֿון געוויין.
עקסטאַז פֿון געבעט: —
אינעם בלענד מיט די ציין
בײַסט זיך אײַן דער אַסקעט.
מיט די שלאַנגיקע צעפּ
רײַסן ביימער זיך אויס,
מיט געשליפֿענע קעפּ
טאַנצן שטיינער אַרויס.
און בוים און שטיין,
אין יסורים־געשריי,
די אַסקעטישע ציין
האַקן אויס אין געדריי.
און צעשפּאַלטן זײַן קאָפּ
און זײַן נאַקן אויף צוויי
און זיי טראָגן זיך אָפּ
אין געדריי, אין געדריי.
מיט קניענדיקע קני
אויפֿן פֿעלדיקן בעט
די נאָכט — די זי
היט דעם טויטן אַסקעט.
Der asket
Mit kniyendike kni
oyfn grozikn bet
tsu der nakht — der zi
falt tsu der asket.
Di nokht — di zi
in levonеnem hemd —
in asketishe kni
farklamert di hent.
In tayneg fun payn
farbrokhene hent
zinken ayn, zinken ayn
in levonеnem blend.
Ekstaz fun geveyn.
Ekstaz fun gebet: —
inem blend mit di tseyn
bаyst zikh ayn der asket.
Mit di shlangike tsep
raysn beymer zikh oys,
mit geshlіfene kep
tantsn shteyner aroys.
Un boym un shteyn,
in yisurim-geshrey,
di asketishe tseyn
hakn oys in gedrey.
Un tseshpaltn zayn kop
un zayn nakn oyf tsvey
un zey trogn zikh op
in gedrey, in gedrey.
Mit kniyendike kni
oyfn feldikn bet
di nokht — di zi
hit dem toytn asket.
The Ascetic
With kneeling knees
on the grassy bed
to the night — to her
falls the ascetic.
The night — the she
in moon-white shift —
in ascetic's knees
clasps her hands.
In delight of pain
broken hands
sink in, sink in
in moon-white dazzle.
Ecstasy of weeping.
Ecstasy of prayer: —
into the dazzle with his teeth
the ascetic bites in.
With snaky braids
trees tear themselves out,
with polished heads
stones dance forth.
And tree and stone,
in suffering-cry,
the ascetic's teeth
chop out in spinning.
And split his head
and his neck in two
and they carry themselves off
in spinning, in spinning.
With kneeling knees
on the field-bed
the night — the she
guards the dead ascetic.
Page 237. 'Lider fun Umkum' poem KHAF, 'Der asket' (The Ascetic). A mystical-erotic poem: the ascetic kneels on a grassy bed, falls toward the night personified as female ('she'). The night in 'moon-white shift' clasps her hands in his knees. 'In delight of pain broken hands sink in moon-white dazzle.' Ecstasy of weeping, ecstasy of prayer — 'into the dazzle with his teeth the ascetic bites.' Trees tear themselves out with snaky braids, stones dance forth with polished heads. Tree and stone, in suffering-cry, the ascetic's teeth 'chop out in spinning' — and split his head and neck in two. 'They carry themselves off in spinning.' The poem ends: 'With kneeling knees on the field-bed, the night — the she — guards the dead ascetic.' Asceticism as erotic self-destruction, the night as lover-guardian.
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