— ווער ביסטו, אָ פֿרעמדער, וואָס קומט מיר אַנטקעגן
— Who are you, oh stranger, who comes toward me
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Page 283. 'Vi-pur-vil' conclusion. A figure approaches: Shlomo Molkho (c. 1500-1532), the Portuguese converso who proclaimed himself messiah and was burned at the stake in Mantua. Leivick references A. Leyeles's poem about Molkho from the Inzikh movement. The quoted lines celebrate martyrdom: giving life 'mit simkhe' (with joy) 'oyf bren un oyf reynikung' (for burning and purification). The heart is 'farshemt un farshtilt' (shamed and silenced) before such sacrifice. The litany of martyrs: Molkho (religious visionary), Lekert (revolutionary), Brenner (Y.H. Brenner, Hebrew writer murdered in Jaffa 1921) — 'tsi ergets a neger' (whether somewhere a Negro) — lynching victims joined to the chain of martyrdom. The storm wind becomes the whippoorwill's cry, fragmenting into the final syllables: vi—pur—vil.
— ווער ביסטו, אָ פֿרעמדער, וואָס קומט מיר אַנטקעגן
מיט טריט מיט געמאָסטענע, רואיקע, שטאָלצע,
און אָטעמט אויף מיר מיטן אָטעם פֿון קרבן? —
איך ווייס, איך ווייס. — איך דערקען דיך.
כ׳האָב הײַנט ערשט געלייענט ס׳געזאַנג וועגן דיר, שלמה מולכו.
געזאַנג פֿון לעיעלעס. — — פֿײַער און שײַטער.
„און ווער עס פֿאַרמאָגט בלויז לעבן, זאָל אָפּגעבן ס׳לעבן מיט שׂמחה —
אויף פֿײַער פֿון שײַטער, אויף ברען און אויף רייניקונג
— Ver bistu, o fremder, vos kumt mir antkegn
mit trit mit gemostene, ruike, shtoltse,
un otemt oyf mir mitn otem fun korbn? —
Ikh veys, ikh veys. — Ikh derken dikh.
Kh'hob haynt ersht geleyent s'gezang vegn dir, Shlomo Molkho.
Gezang fun Leyeles. — — Fayer un shayter.
„Un ver es farmogt bloyz lebn, zol opgebn s'lebn mit simkhe —
oyf fayer fun shayter, oyf bren un oyf reynikung
— Who are you, oh stranger, who comes toward me
with steps measured, calm, proud,
and breathes upon me with the breath of sacrifice? —
I know, I know. — I recognize you.
I just today read the song about you, Solomon Molkho.
Song by Leyeles. — — Fire and pyre.
"And whoever possesses only life, should give up life with joy —
on fire of the pyre, on burning and on purification" —
Shamed and silenced becomes the heart when one thinks of all
who have carried with joy their lives to the gallows, to purification.
Whether Molkho — whether Lekert — whether Brenner. — —
Whether somewhere a Negro — — —
I hear no more steps. Others will come soon.
The neck of the hanged one stretches,
the body of the burned one throws itself about. —
Branches break.
Leaves carry themselves in storm-wind,
storm-wind — evening-cry;
storm-wind — bird-cry —
whip—
poor—
will.
Page 283. 'Vi-pur-vil' conclusion. A figure approaches: Shlomo Molkho (c. 1500-1532), the Portuguese converso who proclaimed himself messiah and was burned at the stake in Mantua. Leivick references A. Leyeles's poem about Molkho from the Inzikh movement. The quoted lines celebrate martyrdom: giving life 'mit simkhe' (with joy) 'oyf bren un oyf reynikung' (for burning and purification). The heart is 'farshemt un farshtilt' (shamed and silenced) before such sacrifice. The litany of martyrs: Molkho (religious visionary), Lekert (revolutionary), Brenner (Y.H. Brenner, Hebrew writer murdered in Jaffa 1921) — 'tsi ergets a neger' (whether somewhere a Negro) — lynching victims joined to the chain of martyrdom. The storm wind becomes the whippoorwill's cry, fragmenting into the final syllables: vi—pur—vil.
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