Unter di grininke beymelekh
[Under the little green trees]
H.N. Bialik – Leo Kopf
[See lecture: Tree of Life]
Unter di grininke beymelekh |
Under the little green trees |
shpiln zikh Moyshelekh, Shloymelekh, |
Little Moyshe's and Shloyme's play, |
Tsites, kapotkelekh, shtreymelekh, |
Fringed garments, coats and earlocks - |
Yidelekh, frish fun di eyelekh. |
just like newly-hatched Jews. |
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Gufimlekh shtroy, roykh un federlekh, |
Bodies like straw, smoke and feathers, |
Khotsh nem un tsebloz zey oyf gliderlekh, |
They can be blown away, |
Khapn zey oyf gringe vintelekh |
Little breezes catch them |
un es tsetrogn zikh feygelekh. |
And little birds disperse them. |
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Nor eyn zakh farmogn zey - eygelekh, |
One thing they have is little eyes, |
Di eygelekh farmogn tsvey pintelekh, |
The eyes have two little pupils |
Vos glien un finklen un tukn zikh |
which glow and shine |
un epes vi neviish un vunderlekh. |
prophetically and wonderfully. |
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Fartrakhtn zikh tif un farkukn zikh |
Pensively they contemplate |
oyf nekhtige teg un oyf feygelekh, |
the past and look at the birds, |
Oy, mir zol zayn, yidishe kinderlekh, |
O Jewish children, what would I give |
far ayere koshere eygelekh! |
for your pure little eyes! |