ZAYIN

ZAYIN

The third of the three responds and says:

— 'I possess even more strength than anyone possesses —

I will take and fasten even more the post,

and even more tighten the braid of the knot:

the hangman won't come so quickly —

so I will become the hangman myself:

I will take to braiding another rope,

another knot for throat and for nape.

And until I finish with the knot —

take the spades and dig meanwhile the grave.'

KHES

Round around my forehead, round around my temples

rolls a rainbow in radiant hoops:

in the very heart, in the middle of the rainbow

my two eyes dance a last freylekhs:

and in both ears — collapse of dance

fiddles, fifes, drums burst:

strings of banduras — tightened ropes

tear open like primed cannons:

the white of my eyes wants to outrun the pupil

in the chase of whirling ray-hoops.

TES

Spades dig through snow to clay,

clay is rock-hard and barely lets itself be dug: —

they take, the diggers, axes and — hop and hup,

one and two and there is the grave already done.

Also the third one is already done with the new knot;

he approaches and stands behind me and behind the post,

throws the knot onto my neck and pulls,

bracing against the post his right knee,

and the others — they sit down meanwhile

to rest, because they are tired from chopping with the axes.