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יב

YB

Work 159 of 440

Page 199. 'Di Shtal' Sections YB and YG — the pogrom begins: Section YB opens with deceptive pastoral calm — dew on fields, day breaking, dew drying. Then: soldier boots, horse hooves raising dust 'to the heavens.' Doors are barred on bolt and chain. Axes flash, fire is red. Then the horror: 'Soldier swords, naked swords. Behead. Behead. Behead — fathers of children, children of mothers.' Soldier pikes and horse tails drag severed heads on stones, 'heads to the heavens.' This depicts literal decapitation and dragging of victims — documented pogrom atrocities. Section YG: A howl 'A-h-u-u—' begins. 'Drive out the mice from the holes' — the pogromists hunting hidden Jews. 'Light fires on the courtyards, on the stables' — the burning begins. The synagogue-stable becomes a site of murder.

Yiddish Original

יב

טוי אויף די פֿעלדער,

טאָג שײַנט אַרויס;

טוי אויף די פֿעלדער —

טוי טריקנט אויס.

סאָלדאַטישע שטיוול,

פֿערדישע קאָפּיטעס

שטויבן, שטויבן, שטויבן

זאַמד פֿון די וועגן.

זאַמד פֿון די פֿעלדער,

הייבן, הייבן, הייבן

זאַמד פֿון די וועגן

זאַמד צו די הימלען.

טירן פֿאַרריגלט

אויף ריגל און קייט.

העק זײַנען בליציק,

פֿײַער איז רויט.

סאָלדאַטישע שווערדן,

נאַקעטע שווערדן.

קעפּן. קעפּן. קעפּן

טאַטעס פֿון קינדער,

קינדער פֿון מאַמעס:

סאָלדאַטישע פּיקעס,

פֿערדישע עקן

שלעפּן, שלעפּן, שלעפּן

קעפּ אויף די שטיינער,

קעפּ צו די הימלען.

יג

אַ־ה־ו־ו——

טרײַבט אַרויס די מײַז פֿון די לעכער.

פֿײַערן צינדט,

צינדט, צינדט.

אויף די הויפֿן,

אויף די שטאַלן,

Transliteration

YB

Toy oyf di felder,

tog shaynt aroys;

toy oyf di felder —

toy triknt oys.

Soldatishe shtibl,

ferdishe kopites

shtoybn, shtoybn, shtoybn

zamd fun di vegn.

Zamd fun di felder,

heybn, heybn, heybn

zamd fun di vegn

zamd tsu di himlen.

Tirn farriglt

oyf rigl un keyt.

Hek zaynen blitsik,

fayer iz royt.

Soldatishe shverdn,

nakete shverdn.

Kepn. Kepn. Kepn

tates fun kinder,

kinder fun mames:

soldatishe pikes,

ferdishe ekn

shlepn, shlepn, shlepn

kep oyf di shteyner,

kep tsu di himlen.

YG

A-h-u-u——

Traybt aroys di mayz fun di lekher.

Fayern tsindt,

tsindt, tsindt.

Oyf di hoyfn,

oyf di shtaln,

English Translation

YB

Dew on the fields,

day shines out;

dew on the fields —

dew dries out.

Soldier boots,

horse hooves

dust, dust, dust

sand from the roads.

Sand from the fields,

raise, raise, raise

sand from the roads

sand to the heavens.

Doors barred

on bolt and chain.

Axes are flashing,

fire is red.

Soldier swords,

naked swords.

Behead. Behead. Behead

fathers of children,

children of mothers:

soldier pikes,

horse tails

drag, drag, drag

heads on the stones,

heads to the heavens.

YG

A-h-u-u——

Drive out the mice from the holes.

Light fires,

light, light.

On the courtyards,

on the stables,

TRANSLATOR’S NOTE

Page 199. 'Di Shtal' Sections YB and YG — the pogrom begins: Section YB opens with deceptive pastoral calm — dew on fields, day breaking, dew drying. Then: soldier boots, horse hooves raising dust 'to the heavens.' Doors are barred on bolt and chain. Axes flash, fire is red. Then the horror: 'Soldier swords, naked swords. Behead. Behead. Behead — fathers of children, children of mothers.' Soldier pikes and horse tails drag severed heads on stones, 'heads to the heavens.' This depicts literal decapitation and dragging of victims — documented pogrom atrocities. Section YG: A howl 'A-h-u-u—' begins. 'Drive out the mice from the holes' — the pogromists hunting hidden Jews. 'Light fires on the courtyards, on the stables' — the burning begins. The synagogue-stable becomes a site of murder.

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YB · H. Leivick: Complete Works · Half-Voll Attempts