DER YIDDISH-VINKL April 1, 2005
On his 50th yahrzeit, Yosef Rolnick was featured in the Forverts on the pages of Pearls of Yiddish Poetry. He was known in his time (1879-1955) as one of the Di Junge poets. But in one major respect he was different from most of the others who focused on social, economic and political subjects. Rolnick focused on nature and on his old hometown. His most famous poem was “Zun in Mayrev” (“Sun in the West”).
What follows are two of his poems, transliterated by Goldie Gold and translated by Gus Tyler.
Zun in Mayrev
Zun in mayrev zetst zikh gikh
Vos darf nokh a mentsh vi ikh?
Lider, kleyne lider.
Groyse shtet un naye lender —
Bin a durkhgeyer, a fremder
Noent zaynen lider.
Nisht faranen oyf der erd
Nokh a freyd, vi di, vos vert
Oyfgevekt fun lider.
Nor eyn vuntsh iz mir geblibn;
Volt a gantse nakht geshribn
Nisht-gekligte lider…
Ver veyst morgndikn tog?
Lider — alts vos ikh farmog,
Zoln blaybn lider.
Got, mayn shitsung un mayn vant
Leyz mikh oys fun shniters hant
Leyz mikh oys mit lider.
The Sun in the West
The sun sets quickly in the West
For one like me, that is the best
Poems, little poems.
Giant cities and new nations
I pass them by like railroad stations
What are real to me are poems, poems!
There’s no joy upon this earth
That is equal in its worth
To that evoked by poems!
Just one wish remains with me
To write and write, yes, endlessly
Simple joyful poetry
Who knows what tomorrow brings?
I only know what rhymes and sings
I do mean ringing poetry.
Oh, God, I have but one demand
Please save me from the reaper’s hand
And let it be with poetry.
* * *
In about 1907, Rolnick wrote a poem that was set to music. It enjoyed great popularity and led some to believe that it was a folk song. Its title is…
Leyg Ikh Mir in Bet Arayn
Leyg ikh mir in bet arayn
Lesh mir oys dem fayer
Kh’vart — bald kumen vet tsu mir
Der vos iz mir tayer.
Banen kumen tsvey a tog
Eyner kumt in ovnt,
M’hert a glekle glin-glon,
Ot iz er shoyn noent.
Emets zukht di tir un tapt
Ruft mikh bay dem nomen
Kh’shpring a borvese fun bet
“Er” iz dos gekumen.
Shtunden hot di nakht gor fil
Eyne di tsveyte triber
Eyne iz a frayer nor
Ven es kumt mayn libe.
I Lay Myself Into My Bed
I lay myself into my bed
As I put out the fire
I wait for one to come to me
The one whom I desire.
Trains do come but twice a day
One does come at evening
You hear a bell go kling and klong
It means my love is nearing.
Someone’s at the door and taps
He calls me by my name
Barefoot I do leap from bed
It is my love — the same.
The night is filled with many hours
One more precious than the other
The only time I’m truly free
Is when I’m with my lover.
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