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יד

YD

Work 161 of 440

Page 201. 'Di Shtal' Sections YD and TW — aftermath of the pogrom: Section YD: The soldiers leave — boots and hooves tramping out, rested, well-slept. From stable, through streets, to the road. Until the next troops arrive, the stable stands empty, 'open-wide and waits.' What remains: piles of horse dung still steaming, curling upward to the east (mizrekh) windows. Crumbs of groats. 'Soiled Torah parchments. Lower ones. Upper ones.' (The Torah scrolls have been unrolled, defiled, used as bedding.) Section TW: The conquerors' horses stand facing the eastern wall (traditionally the holiest direction in a synagogue), washed and bridled, wearing feedbags, chewing oats. 'The victorious Greeks' (yevonim — using the Hanukah oppressors as a type for all destroyers) sleep on 'spread-out unrolled scrolls' because they're tired. The horses' large round eyes gleam with calm dreams, close drowsily. The grotesque peace of the victors in the devastated holy place.

Yiddish Original

יד

סאָלדאַטישע שטיוול,

פֿערדישע קאָפּיטעס,

טופּן, טופּן, טופּן.

טרעטן אַרויס פֿון דער שטאַל.

אויסגערוטע, אויסגעשלאָפֿענע,

לאָזן זיך אין וועג אַרײַן.

פֿון שטאַל, דורך די גאַסן, צום שליאַך.

ביז וואַנען עס קומען די צווייטע חיילות

פֿון די אַנדערע שליאַכן —

שטייט די שטאַל ליידיק,

אָפֿן־צעעפֿנט און — וואַרט.

קופּעס פֿון פֿערדישן אָפּפֿאַל.

דער דאַמף פֿונעם אָפּפֿאַל — נאָך וואַרעם,

נאָך וואַרעם און קרײַזלט זיך,

קרײַזלט זיך אַרויף צו די שויבן פֿון מזרח.

ברעקלעך פֿון קאַשע.

פֿאַרמעטע יריעות.

אונטערש.

אויבערש.

טו

מיט די קעפּ צו דער מזרח־וואַנט — דעם זיגערס פֿערד,

אויסגעוואַשענע און אויסגעצוימטענע,

אָנגעטאָנענע אַריבערן האַלדז מיט לאַנגע טאָרבעס,

שטייען זיי און קײַען זייער האָבער.

און די זיגרײַכע יוונים שלאָפֿן

אויף דעם אויסשפּרייט פֿון צעוויקלטע מגילות,

ווײַל זיי זײַנען מיד און דאַרפֿן שלאָפֿן.

וויגן זיך אַרויף, אַראָפּ די זעקלעך האָבער,

און די קײַלעכדיקע גרויסע אויגן פֿון די פֿערד

גלאַנצן פֿון באַרואיקטע חלומות:

און די קײַלעכדיקע גרויסע אויגן פֿון די פֿערד

ווערן צוגעמאַכט מיט אײַנגעוויגטע ברעמען.

Transliteration

YD

Soldatishe shtibl,

ferdishe kopites,

tupn, tupn, tupn.

Tretn aroys fun der shtal.

Oysgerute, oysgeshlofene,

lozn zikh in veg arayn.

Fun shtal, durkh di gasn, tsum shlyakh.

Biz vanen es kumen di tsveyte khayloys

fun di andere shlyakhn —

shteyt di shtal leydik,

ofn-tseefnt un — vart.

Kupes fun ferdishn opfal.

Der damf funem opfal — nokh varem,

nokh varem un krayzlt zikh,

krayzlt zikh aroyf tsu di shoybn fun mizrekh.

Breklekh fun kashe.

Farmete yeries.

Untersh.

Oybersh.

TW

Mit di kep tsu der mizrekh-vant — dem zigers ferd,

oysgevashene un oysgetsoimtene,

ongetonene aribern haldz mit lange torbes,

shteyen zey un kayen zeyer hober.

Un di zigraykhe yevonim shlofn

oyf dem oyshpreyt fun tseviklte megiles,

vayl zey zaynen mid un darfn shlofn.

Vign zikh aroyf, arop di zeklekh hober,

un di kayleekhdike groyse oygn fun di ferd

glantsn fun baruyikte khaloymes:

un di kayleekhdike groyse oygn fun di ferd

vern tsugemakht mit ayngevigte bremen.

English Translation

YD

Soldier boots,

horse hooves,

tramp, tramp, tramp.

Step out from the stable.

Rested, well-slept,

they set out on their way.

From stable, through streets, to the road.

Until the second troops come

from the other roads —

stands the stable empty,

open-wide and — waits.

Piles of horse dung.

The steam from the dung — still warm,

still warm and curls,

curls upward to the eastern windowpanes.

Crumbs of groats.

Soiled Torah parchments.

Lower ones.

Upper ones.

TW

With their heads toward the eastern wall — the conqueror's horses,

washed and bridled,

wearing around their necks long feedbags,

stand and chew their oats.

And the victorious Greeks sleep

on the spread-out unrolled scrolls,

because they are tired and need to sleep.

The oat-sacks sway up, down,

and the large round eyes of the horses

gleam with calmed dreams:

and the large round eyes of the horses

close with lulled lashes.

TRANSLATOR’S NOTE

Page 201. 'Di Shtal' Sections YD and TW — aftermath of the pogrom: Section YD: The soldiers leave — boots and hooves tramping out, rested, well-slept. From stable, through streets, to the road. Until the next troops arrive, the stable stands empty, 'open-wide and waits.' What remains: piles of horse dung still steaming, curling upward to the east (mizrekh) windows. Crumbs of groats. 'Soiled Torah parchments. Lower ones. Upper ones.' (The Torah scrolls have been unrolled, defiled, used as bedding.) Section TW: The conquerors' horses stand facing the eastern wall (traditionally the holiest direction in a synagogue), washed and bridled, wearing feedbags, chewing oats. 'The victorious Greeks' (yevonim — using the Hanukah oppressors as a type for all destroyers) sleep on 'spread-out unrolled scrolls' because they're tired. The horses' large round eyes gleam with calm dreams, close drowsily. The grotesque peace of the victors in the devastated holy place.

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