דאָס ליד איז געבליבן
From the Cycle: Who Knows From Whence My Poem The linden shelters the twilight / like a leaf among its branches, / its flower enfolding the night in a bud / till dawn Read more…
It’s This Night It’s this night and this book and this poem I read / while being birthed, this night had heard my first scream Read more…
Golden Shoes The sun shone brightly in a festive way: / today is the king of Chelm’s birthday. / He observes from the terrace on high / if the folk with the new gift are drawing nigh. Read more…
About Alter Kacyzne (Alter-Sholem Katsizne) Alter-Sholem Kacyzne (Katsizne) (1885-1941) was born in Vilnius (Vilno) to a working-class family. Yiddish was his mameloshen or mother-tongue, but he taught himself Hebrew, Russian, German, Polish, and French. At age 14, he went to work in his uncle’s photography studio in Dnipro (Ekatrinoslav). He became a professional photographer, and documented Jewish life in Poland,… Read more…
From My Childhood Little things snowy white, / round as tiny stars / and sweet as sweet can be, / like saccharine pearls for tea. Read more…
To a little boy in a Jewish village Don’t cry little boy, wipe off your tears, it will soon be good / We will heal the wounds that drip with blood. Read more…
Autumn Between tree and tree exists the sky, / between sky and sky – stars / (everything taking form must ignite and be extinguished…) / leading up to houses along milky roads. Read more…
Visiting my Mama – For so long have my eyes been seeking, / awaiting some letter of yours, my son – / in the nights my heart was wakeful / and quaking like a leaf in the wind. Read more…
Evening Stroll The sky’s rouge / drew back / beneath their steps / overgrown with the sidewalks, / mingled with the dust of asphalts. Read more…
About Debora Vogel (Dvoyre Fogel) Debora Vogel (1900-1942) was born in Bursztyn (Burshtyn / Burštýn / Бурштин), then part of the Austiran Empire, now in Ukraine. During the First World War her family fled to Vienna (Wien) and then to Lwów (Lemberg / Lviv), where she spent most of her life. She studied philosophy and Polish literature and received a… Read more…