Borekh Olitzki (Baruch Olitzky)

1.
June walks around the forest with the sun
as if he held a red fruit in his mouth
and hangs onto every tree with love
and tenderly caresses every plant

Hammocks rock near shaded windows by tree branches
They rock gently with verandas
And is the hunger conquering city after city
bringing death and hunger to dry and tired knees?

As protected forests in Novoyelnie
have here created space for satisfied well fed persons
for Tevya’s several daughters and their clans

2.
Children in white blouses jump and dance
spreading seeds and ants
and smiles in the skies of White Russia
and dream of not only their home
but of the whole world united

They jump barefoot,
so clear
and wander with their fingers
through locks of the poet
and Yiddish words on their lips
But for long years here has been a papa
and the papa has a mama and the mama has a dog
and all agree with teeth and horns
that the Yiddish words of the poet with the red shirt
on his back should be honored

3.
Hello Hello…
Vilnius Baranowicze Nowogródek and Lida
the waves of riddles of citizens and bourgeois
and temple goers in various cities bend over to hear
the winds that drive the winds of freedom
Horizons burn red and release red flames…

1936

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