Poetry From Hebrew
[translated poetry]
*
This is how, oh so quietly,
with their eyes closed, babies are dropped into the world.
Like grains of rain, in the dark, from the palm of a giant hand
into tubes, into a spiderโs tent, a cold apple.
The world is quiet, in the transparent beehive cells the babies slumber,
estranged to the morning, with eyes still blue from darkness
probing, warm-lipped, stretching, yawning,
with apple arms, with sugar teeth, with milk, with love, with the thin sand.
But who cries in the world,
what do I hear, the bitter sound of weeping,
higher than a dogโs howl, than a seagullโs scream,
cry above the rooftops, cry beneath the roads.
No one will ever fall asleep again.
In the street a choir sings.
Babies, come to the enlarging feast,
and the babies emerge from the drawer,
on crane, on river crate, riding the neck of a cow,
but the cry continues and pierce deeply:
itโs the baby, where is he buried, where did I lay him down,
where did I forget the baby, without water or air?
Come to the table. The food is getting cold.
But how can you swallow with voice stuck in your throat.
Open then, open the rusty boxes, the graves that were never robbed
listen: where is he buried,
where did I lay him down, where did I forget the baby without water or air?
The world is quiet,
no way of knowing why, or for whom, anymore.
For me, for me, the voice comes from the stone.
Itโs the baby, like the spine of a transparent leaf. Bend over and look,
let him drink, let him eat, if thereโs anything leftโ
Night Leaves
Using night leaves
you pad the stump place
I sway my twigs to welcome you
into the growing caution above the wilderness of the gulf.
Here comes the bird that
is bigger than experience,
too plucked to hatch eggs.
Why was the world created of such fragile substance?
Donโt bother her,
I decree myself not to check
if the nestlings are alive or dead.
Rice
If you hadnโt eaten rice on Sunday,
youโd have it on Monday, and if not
then on Monday, or youโd get rice on Tuesday.
It wasnโt in China, it was the way
life presented itself. In the gap
I had to separate character from fate.
Sometimes I triumphed, succeed in riding a bike,
learning to read, to write, other times
I washed water with water, again and again
reached out my hand to you with whatโs in it.
In front of you, I donโt want to condemn
the empty house, we must
guard the remainsโ
here, I ate it up as well.
Now through the wall
will you be able to come in?
By the quorum of lost years
can I offer you some rice?
*
Thereโs a she in every me.
You can see her dark face in my mouth,
Like a cat carrying the shadow of its prey,
I slide my lips over it,
My tongue freezes, I must return the morningโs order,
The set of the first day.
But in this of all moments I tend to disappear,
You could have found a hint of it already in that same missing hand.
Around my absence a voice strikes the fire stones,
As when I was still a child in the nightโs bed
And mother scrambles the dayโs hope with the kitchenware.
The dead arenโt picky on their way to the heat.
Another Landย
The pansyโs lobes tremble in the wind
unlike the trees that stand
within and without themselves. Tonight
the land has deserted me
and in a moment her cry will burst from volcanic jaws somewhere,
from the mountainsโ frozen anger,
and what good would the goddesses be,
who can do nothing but fill the river with tears
if not for the trees, the dunes would fly into the air.
Without the tree of childhood
I too would have distanced myself long ago.
Above the branches the birds whistle a password
straight to the brain.
And I stand below,
the one who canโt shirk
this system, and face the facts.
*ย
Looking back I understand
my husbandโs mother, who covers her feet
with a pillow, afraid to borrow a blanket from me.
I understand Persephone too, fleeing her mother
fathomless, addicted to fire.
One could think thatโll be her death,
when actually it was her motherโs, Demeter
who ate the paradox with appetite
resembles a sack of bread swollen by the rain
while the gal is as slender as a stalk and her lips
taste of pomegranate.
Both pull on the ancient rope of
guilt, after all it is procreation that sentences fate
for the land of false intimacy.
Summerโs just begun and already itโs winter, sameness of closeness and already distantness.
Stone
How deeply the pain can be opened up,
when your feet simply step on the hard boulevardโs ground.
Buildings stand on both sides of the street
containing all those who survived.
This is the reward for loving no more
than they were loved, and no less.
This is healthโwhen love comesโ
offer a bed and a chair.
Is the right love measured by the small coin of suffering,
or does it mean the one that held itself so tightly that it canโt be separated
from the floor, the walls.
In my home the floor and walls are made of floor and walls.
And only in my presence do they show their ability to become an abyss.
Apart from a few plants and half-written pages
all I grow is a stone.
It tells me day and night
be the floor, be the walls, donโt extradite more
than the crowsโ obscure scream at nightfall.
This time love wisely,
from this placeโnot from that placeโ
clench the mouth, clench your head, clench the corals of the nerves
clench the imagination, clench the hope, be healthy, be a stone.
*ย
And this is love, a barking dog,
and you throw her a bone.
Right now she sits up straight as a turret
in front of the locked door.
Dance for the lady, beauty.
And she dances before our eyes
like a furry hand
drawn from above by anotherโs hand.
Dance for the master, lady,
and I dance to the whistle of the empty room
with the multiplying shadow on the wall
*ย
The light fell, ball after ball
and for a moment
needing to breathe
didnโt seem like a coincidence,
a moment in which I couldnโt see
the restraining gap between the table and the door,
the one that cracks between being and being
and that I couldnโt previously pass a knife through them,
and not to see how, with the lightโs knife,
the floor breaks into two icy docks,
and how they are swept away from one another
in the decisive smoothness of a falling starโ
I stood on the edge of chaos,
where furniture shook like
the genesis of the world.
Fishesย
Living is not what you thought, moving forward,
but rather in a circle.
Where are we? Again where we were
after a journey, on the journey to somewhere else.
If you thought that living in a mirror meant seeing,
you were wrong. Here, inside the skyโs reflection,
itโs hard to tell whether their color is rosy or blue,
and what hides behind what.
Think, a patch upon a patch, this is the scheme we have of circumference.
Are the crows on the trees or trees on the crows?
You know, understanding goes beyond the geometry of the plane
Perhaps the water lilies guess we are two-sided creatures,
translucent gloves or golden shoes,
but for us, what is called I
Stuck to itself, always floating in the middle.
To not hear yourself, this is what it means to be voiceless.
But unlike you, we donโt try either.
*
ืืื ืืฉืงื ืืฉืงื
.ืืขืื ืืื ืขืฆืืืืช, ื ืืฉืจืื ืชืื ืืงืืช ืืขืืื
,ืืื ืืจืืจื ืืฉื, ืืืืฉื, ืืืฃ ืื ืขื ืงืืช
.ืืชืื ืืืืืื, ืืชืื ืืืื ืขืืืืฉ, ืชืคืื ืงืจ
,ืฉืงื ืืขืืื, ืืชืื ืืืืจืืช, ืฉืงืืคืื ืืชืื ืืงืืช ืืฉื ืื
ืืืืืจืื ืืืืงืจ, ืืขืื ืืื ืืืืืืืช ืืืืฉื
,ืืืฉืฉืื, ืืืืืื ืฉืคืชืืื, ืืชืืชืืื, ืืคืืงืื
.ืืืจืืขืืช ืชืคืื, ืืฉืื ืื ืกืืืจ, ืืืื, ืืืืื, ืืืื ืืืงืืง
,ืืื ืื ืืืื ืืขืืื
.ืื ืื ื ืฉืืืขืช, ืงืื ืืื ืชืืจืืจื
,ืืืื ืืืืืช ืืื, ืืฆืจืืืช ืฉืืฃ
.ืืื ืืขื ืืืืืช ืืื ืืชืืช ืืืืืฉืื
.ืืืฉ ืืืจ ืื ืืฆืืื ืืืฉืื ืืขืืื
.ืืจืืื ืฉืจื ืืงืืื
,ืชืื ืืงืืช ืืืื ืืกืขืืื ืืืืืืื
,ืืืืฆืืื ืืชืื ืืงืืช ืื ืืืืจื
,ืขื ืขืืืจ, ืขื ืชืืื ืื ืืจ, ืจืืืืื ืขื ืฆืืืืจ ืคืจื
:ืืื ืืืื ืืืฉืื ืืืืืจ
ืื ืืชืื ืืง, ืืืคื ืืื ืงืืืจ, ืืืคื ืื ืืชื
?ืืืคื ืฉืืืชื ืืช ืืชืื ืืง, ืืื ืืื ืื ืืืืจ
.ืืืื ืืฉืืืื. ืืืืื ืืชืงืจืจ
.ืืื ืืื ืืืืืข ืืืงืื ืืืจืื
,ืคืชืื, ืคืชืื ืงืืคืกืืืช ืืืืืืช, ืงืืจืื ืฉืื ื ืฉืืื ืืฃ ืคืขื
,ืืงืฉืืื: ืืืคื ืืื ืงืืืจ
?ืืืคื ืื ืืชื ืืืคื ืฉืืืชื ืืช ืืชืื ืืง ืืื ืืืืจ ืื ืืื
,ืฉืงื ืืขืืื
.ืืื ืืืจ ืืืขืช ืขื ืื, ืขื ืื
.ืขืื ืขืื, ื ืฉืืข ืืงืื ืื ืืืื
,ืื ืืชืื ืืง, ืืื ืฉืืจืช ืขืื ืฉืงืืฃ. ืชืชืืืคืคื ืืืืื
โืชื ื ืื ืืฉืชืืช, ืชื ื ืื ืืืืื, ืื ื ืฉืืจ
ืขืื ืืขืจื
ืืช ืืงืื ืืืจืืชืืช
,ืืชื ืืจืคื ืื ืืขืื ืขืจื
ืื ื ืื ืืขื ืืช ืขื ืคื ืืงืจืืชื
.ืืืืืจืืช ืืฆืืืืช ืืขื ืคืจื ืืชืืื
ืื ื ืืื ืืฆืืคืืจ ืืืืืื ืื ืื ืกืืื
.ืืจืืื ืืืื ืืฉืืช ืขื ืืืฆืื
?ืืื ื ืืจื ืืขืืื ืืืืจ ืฉืืืจ ืื ืื
,ืื ืชืืจืืื ืืืชื
ืื ื ืืืืจืช ืขื ืขืฆืื ืื ืชืืืงื
.ืืืชืื ืืืืืืื ืื ืืืื
ืืืจื
,ืื ืฉืื ืืื ืืืจื ืืืื ืืจืืฉืื
ืงืืื ืืืจื ืืืื ืืฉื ื. ืืื ืฉืื ืืื
.ืืืื ืืฉื ื, ืงืืื ืืืจื ืืืื ืืฉืืืฉื
ืื ืื ืืื ืืกืื, ืื ืืืชื ืืืจื
,ืฉืืืืื ืืฆืืื ืขืฆืื ืืคื ื. ืื ืืชืจ
.ืืืืชื ืฆืจืืื ืืืคืจืื ืืืคื ืืืืจื
,ืืคืขืืื ื ืืฆืืชื. ืืฆืืืชื ืืจืืื ืขื ืืืคื ืืื
ืืืืื ืืงืจืื, ืืืชืื, ืืฉืืจ ืืืื ืื
ืจืืฆืชื ืืื ืืืื, ืืฉืื ืืฉืื
.ืืืฉืืชื ืื ืืช ืืื ืขื ืื ืฉืืชืืื
ืื ื ืื ืจืืฆื ืืื ืืช ืืคื ืื
ืืช ืืืืช ืืจืืง, ืืืืจืืื
โืืฉืืืจ ืขื ืื ืืชืจ
.ืื ื ืจืืืชื ืื ืืืชื
ืขืืฉืื ืืืขื ืืงืืจ
?ืชืืื ืืืื ืก, ืืืื ืชืฉื
ืขื ืคื ืื ืืื ืืฉื ืื ืืืืื
?ืืคืฉืจ ืืืฆืืข ืื ืืืจื
*
.ืืื ืื ื ืืฉ ืืื
,ืชืืื ืืจืืืช ืืช ืคืจืฆืืคื ืืืื ืืคื
,ืืืชืื ืื ืืฉื ืฆืืืืช ืืจืฃ
,ืื ื ืืืืืงื ืขืืื ืืฉืคืชื
,ืืฉืื ื ืงืืคืืช, ืขืื ืืืืืืจ ืืช ืฆืืืืช ืืืืงืจ
.ืืช ืกืืจ ืืืื ืืจืืฉืื
,ืืื ืืืืงื ืืจืืข ืืื ืื ื ื ืืื ืืืขืื
.ืืืืืชื ืืืฆืื ืจืื ืืื ืืืจ ืืืืชื ืื ืืกืจื
,ืกืืื ืืขืืจื ืืื ืงืื ืืืื ื ืืืฉ
ืืื ืื ืืฉืื ื ืขืื ืืืื ืืืืืช ืืืืื
.ืืืืื ืืฉืงืฉืงืช ืืช ืชืงืืืช ืืืื ืืืื ืืืืื
.ืืชืื ืืื ื ืืจืจื ืืื ืืืจืื ืื ืืืื
ืืจืฅ ืืืจืช
,ืชื ืืื ืืืื ืื-ืชืืจ ืจืืขืืื ืืจืื
ืฉืื ืืื ืืขืฆืื ืืขืืืืื
ืืชืื ืืืืืฅ ืืขืฆืื. ืืขืจื
ืืืืื ื ืืฉื ืืืชื
,ืืขืื ืจืืข ืืืืงืข ืืืืื ืื ืฉื ืืืืขื ืืืขืฉ
.ืืืขืกื ืืงืคืื ืฉื ืืืจืื
,ืืื ืืืขืืื ืืืืืช
.ืฉืืื ื ืืืืืืช ืืื ืืืื ืืช ืื ืืจ ืืืื
.ืืืืืื ืืขืฆืื, ืืื ืืืืื ืืช ืขืคืืช ืืืืืจ
ืืืืืื ืขืฅ ืืืืืืช
.ืื ืื ื ืืืืชื ืืจืืืงื ืืืื
ืืขื ืืขื ืคืื ืืืืืืช ืืฆืืคืืจืื ืกืืกืื
.ืืฉืจ ืืืื
,ืืืืื ืื ื
ืฉืื ืืืืื ืืืืฉืื
.ืื ืืืขืจืื ืืื, ืืงืื ืืช ืคื ื ืืขืืืืืช
*
ืืืื ืืืืืจ ืื ื ืืืื ื
ืืช ืืืื ืฉื ืืขืื, ืืืืกื ืจืืืื
.ืืืจืืช, ืืืฉืฉืช ืืฉืืื ืืื ื ืฉืืืื
ืื ื ืืืื ื ืื ืืช ืคืจืกืคืื ื ืื ืืืืช ืืืืื
.ืชืืืื, ืืืืจื ืืืฉ
,ืืืืืชื ืืืฉืื ืฉืื ืืืื ืืืชื
,ืืฉืืขืฆื ืืื ืื ืืืช ืืืื, ืืืืจ
,ืฉืืืื ืืชืืืืื ืืช ืืคืจืืืงืก
ืืืื ืืืชืจ ืืฉืง ืืื ืฉืชืคื ืืืฉื
ืืขืื ืื ืขืจื ืืจื ืืฉืืืืืช ืืืฉืคืชืื
.ืืขื ืจืืืื
ืฉืชืืืื ืืืฉืืืช ืืืื ืืืฉืื
ืืขืชืืง, ืืืจื ืืืืืื ืืืจืฆืช ืืช ืืืจื ืืืจืฅ
.ืื ืืืืช ืฉื ืื ืคืฉ
ืจืง ืงืืฅ ืืืืจ ืืืจืฃ, ืคื ื ืงืืจืื ืืืืจ
.ืจืืืืง
ืืื
,ืืื ืขืืืง ืืืื ืืืคืขืจ ืืืื
.ืืฉืืจืืืืื ืืืจืืืช ืืกื ืืื ืขื ืืืืช ืืฉืืจื ืืงืฉื
ืืฉื ื ืฆืืื ืืจืืื ืื ืื ืื
.ืืืื ืื ืืื ืฉืื ืฉื ืฉืืจื ืืืืื
ืื ืืืืื ืขื ืฉืืืื ืื ืืืชืจ
.ืืฉืืืื ืืืชื, ืื ืคืืืช
โืืืื ืืืจืืืืชโ ืืฉืืืืื ืืื
.ืืืฆืืข ืืืื ืืืืกื
,ืืื ืืืื ื ืืื ื ื ืฉืงืืช ืขื ืคื ืืืืืข ืืงืื ืฉื ืืกืื
ืื ืืืืื ื ืืื ืฉื ืชืืืงื ืขื ืฉืืื ืืืคืจืื
.ืืื ื ืืืื ืืจืฆืคื, ืืืื ืืงืืจืืช
.ืืฆืื ืืืืช ืืจืืฆืคื ืืืงืืจืืช ืขืฉืืืื ืจืฆืคื ืืงืืจืืช
.ืืจืง ืื ืืืืืชื ืื ืืจืืื ืื ืฉืืืืืืชื ืืืคืื ืืชืืื
ืคืจื ืืฆืืืื ืืืืื, ืืืคืื ืืชืืืื ืืืฆืืื
.ืื ื ืืืืืช ืจืง ืืื
ืืื ืืืืจืช ืื ืืืงืจ ืืขืจื
ืืื ืจืืฆืคื, ืืื ืงืืจืืช, ืื ืชืกืืืจื
.ืืืชืจ ืืืขืืจืืื ืืคื ืืช ืขืจื ืืฆืจืืชื ืืกืชืืื
.ืืคืขื ืชืืืื ืืืื ื ืืื ื
โืื ืืืงืื ืืืโ ืื ืื ืืืงืื ืืื
ืงืืคืฆื ืืช ืืคื, ืงืืคืฆื ืืช ืืจืืฉ, ืงืืคืฆื ืืช ืืืืืื ืืขืฆืืื
.ืงืคืฆื ืืช ืืืืืืื, ืงืืคืฆื ืืช ืืชืงืืื, ืืื ืืจืืื, ืืื ืืื
*
,ืืืืช ืืืืื ืืืื ื ืืืืช
.ืืืชื ืืฉืืื ืื ืขืฆื
,ืืจืืข ืื ืืื ืืืฉืืช ืืงืืคื ืืฆืจืื
.ืืื ืืืืช ืื ืขืืื
,ืจืงืื ืืืืื ืืืืจืช ืคืืืคื
ืืืื ืจืืงืืช ืืขืื ืื ื
ืืื ืืฃ ืื ืืคืจืืื ืช
.ืืฉืืื ืืืืื ืืืื ืืืจ
,ืจืงืื ืืืืื ืืืืื, ืืืจืช
,ืืื ื ืจืืงืืช, ืืฉืจืืงืช ืืืืจ ืืจืืง
.ืขื ืืฆืืืืช ืืืชืืืงืช ืขื ืืงืืจ
*
ืืืืจ ื ืคื ืืืืจ ืืืืจ
ืืืื ืจืืข ืืื
ืฉืื ืืคืฉืจ ืืื ืืจืืืช ืืืงืจื
,ืืช ืืฆืืจื ืื ืฉืื
ืจืืข ืฉืื ืืืืืชื ืฉืื ืืจืืืช
,ืืช ืืจืืื ืืืชืืคืง ืืื ืืฉืืืื ืืืืช
ืื ืฉื ืกืืง ืืื ืืืืืช ืืืืืืช
,ืืฉืงืืื ืื ืืืืืชื ืืืขืืืจ ืื ืืื ืกืืื
ืืื ืืจืืืช ืืื ืืกืืื ืืืืจ
,ื ืฉืืจืช ืืจืฆืคื ืืฉื ื ืจืฆืืคื ืงืจื
ืืื ื ืกืืคืื ืื ืืื ืืืืื
โืืืืงืืช ื ืืจืฆืช ืฉื ืืืื ื ืืคื
ืขืืืชื ืขื ืืืืช ืืืืื
ืฉืื ืืืืืืื, ืืืจืืืช ืืขืืื
.ืืื ืจืืืืื
ืืืื
,ืืืืืช ืื ืื ืื ืฉืืฉืืช, ืงืืืื
.ืืื ืืขืืืื
ืืืคื ืื ืื ื? ืฉืื ืืืงืื ืฉืืืื ื
.ืืืจื ืืจื, ืืืจื ืืืงืื ืืืจ
,ืื ืืฉืืช ืฉืืืืืช ืืชืื ืืจืื ืคืืจืืฉื ืืจืืืช
,ืืขืืช. ืคื, ืืชืื ืืฉืชืงืคืืช ืืฉืืืื
,ืงืฉื ืืืขืช ืื ืฆืืขื ืืจืืจื ืื ืชืืื
,ืืื ืืกืชืชืจ ืืืืืจื ืื
.ืชืืฉืื, ืืืื ืขื ืืื ืืืื, ืื ืืืืฉื ืฉืืฉ ืื ื ืขื ื ืคื
?ืืื ืืขืืจืืื ืขื ืืขืฆืื ืื ืืขืฆืื ืขื ืืขืืจืืื
.ืืช ืืืืขืช, ืืืืื, ืื ืืืจื ืืื ืืกืช ืืืืฉืืจ
,ืืืื ืฉืืฉื ืืช ืืืื ืื ืืฉืืช ืืืชื ื ืืฆืืจื ืฉื ื ืฆืืืื
,ืืคืคืืช ืฉืงืืคืืช ืื ื ืขืื ืืื
,ืืื ืืืืื ื, ืื ืฉืงืจืื ืื ื
.ืืืืง ืืขืฆืื, ืชืืื ืฉื ืืืืฆืข
,ืื ืืฉืืืข ืืช ืขืฆืื, ืื ืคืจืืฉื ืฉื ืืืืืช ืืื ืงืื
.ืืื ืฉืื ืืืื ืื ืืื ื ื ืืชืืืฆืื
Translatorโs Note:
Nurit Zarchi is one of Israelโs major authors. She has published more than one hundred books, in almost every genre (much of them childrenโs books), and received every major Israeli award for literature. And yet, though her writing is widely acknowledged, thereโs something subversive in it. Zarchi creates in her writing an imaginary world, which, in some miraculous ways, rings of truth and reflects compelling human conditions. Some of the challenge in translating her work is finding how to communicate this imaginary world in a cohesive and tangible way for English readers. Much tenderness is required in revealing this poetic world with its complicity, cultural references, and the rich and unusual use of language. As a translator, I find that revealing the different layers of Zarchiโs works is gratifying not just because of their beauty, but also thanks to their humor and relevance to fundamental life experiences.
