DER YIDDISH-VINKL July 8, 2005
Murray Meld is an active Yiddishist who lives in Seattle. On several occasions over the past few years, he and his wife have submitted their works to Der Vinkl. Now we are pleased to add to their contributions with a poem written in English by Meld’s daughter. Murray has translated the poem into Yiddish. He writes: “Our daughter, Andrea Meld, was moved by thoughts of the Shoah and its current counterparts to write ‘Witness.’ I thought that translating it into Yiddish would give its lines added meaning for those closer by age or circumstances to those horrible years.”
Here is Andrea Meld’s original English poem, followed by her father’s Yiddish translation.
Witness
And we shall be a witness for our times
The grey and the white, the black and the brown
Far off clouds obscure the hills where ravens fly
The sound of trumpets, drums, and thunder
And then — stillness, smoke and ashes
And we shall be a witness for our times
They will ask
Why did no one speak out
Why did no one care
Why didn’t anyone do anything
Why was nothing done
And we shall be a witness for our times
Why was it too soon
Why was it too late
Why were we all paralyzed
Like dreamers in their sleep
And we shall be a witness for our times
Why did we listen to them
Why didn’t we listen to others
Why were all our efforts in vain
Why did no one stop
Why did nothing begin
It was not enough
And we shall be a witness for our times
Eydes
Un mir veln zayn an eydes far undzere tsaytn
Di groye un di vayse, di shvartse un di broyne
Vayte volkns fartunklen di berg vu robn flien
Di klangen fun trompeytn, barabanen un duner
Un dan shtilkayt, roykh, un ashn
Un mir veln zayn an eydes far undzere tsaytn
Zey veln fregn
Far vos hot keyner nit oysgerufn
Far vos hot es keynem nit ge’art
Far vos hot keyner nit epes geton
Far vos iz gornisht gevorn derfun?
Un mir veln zayn an eydes far undzere tsaytn
Far vos iz es geven tsu shpet
Far vos iz es geven tsu bald
Far vos zaynen mir geven gants paralizirt
Vi kholemdike in zeyer shlof?
Un mir veln zayn an eydes far undzere tsaytn
Far vos hobn mir tsu zey tsugehert
Far vos hobn mir tsu andere nit gehert
Far vos zaynen undzere ale pruvn gefaln tsu pust
Far vos hot es keyner nit opgeshtelt
Far vos hot zikh gornisht ongehoybn?
Es iz nit geven genug
Un mir veln zayn an eydes far undzere tsaytn
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