Di Goldene Pave - Simchovitch

Poem & translation:  Simcha Simchovitch  -  Music:  Lenka Lichtenberg

[See lecture: The Golden Peacock]

Gekumen iz di goldene pave The golden peacock arrived
Tsuflien fun fremder vayt; From afar, long awaited;
Kh'hob yorn lang gevart oyf ir For years I pined for her
In troyer, in benkshaft tsesheydt. In sadness alienated.
  
Goldene pave, eyntsike, traye, Golden peacock, true one,
Kum, bavayz zikh mir tsurik; Return to me at last;
Shveb un zing in geflater Sing me the song of sorrow,
Dos alte lid fun troyer un glik. Of happiness I lost.
  
Goldene pave, eyntsike, traye, Golden peacock, true one,
Vos hot dos lebn on dir a zin? Without you, what is my day?
S'zaynen di teg on dayne kolirn Without your rainbow colours
Farvebt in groy vi a shpin. The world seems lifeless and grey.
  
Un s'hot di pave fun merkhakim And the peacock heard from afar,
Gehert mayn t'file, mayn gebet, My heartfelt invocation,
Un tsurikgekumen tsu heyln And returned to delight me
Un derfreyen s'harts fun poet. With winged inspiration.
  
Itst flater zi, in bunte kolirn, Now her colours flutter,
Arum mir, in mayn gemit, Like a magician's wand,
Un s'preplen di lipn fun zikh aleyn And my lips whisper serenely
A nayen nign, a lid. A new tune and chant.