In its columns devoted to Pearls of Yiddish Poetry, the Forverts recently featured Mina Bordo-Rivkin as a poet of faith and hope. What follows is a transliteration of her poem by our colleague, Goldie Gold, and then a translation into English by Gus Tyler.

Mayn Tate

Mayn tate trogt tsar in zayne oygn

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Dos gedenk ikh zayt ikh bin a kind geven

Ikh hob in mayn tatn’s oygn

Dem elnt fun dem Yidn gezen.

Shabes nokh mitog ven mayn tatns gute hant

Hot finger nokh finger geton a brokh —

Itst nokh her ikh ot dem klang

Dem gantsn yidish okh.

Iz mayn tate mir nokh nenter gevorn

Ikh bin dokh fun im gor nit avek

Zayn tsar iz oykh mayner gevorn

Mit freyd gey ikh iber zayn veg.

Ikh vel oyf mayn tatn’s veg nit faln

Mayn veg iz fun zayne oygn gehit.

Zayn tsar iz libshaft in mayne glider

Zayne kneytshn — reyfn mayn gemit.

* * *|

My Father

My father carries sorrow in his eyes

I knew about this since I was a kid

’Twas in my father’s eyes

I saw the desolation of a Yid.

On Saturday afternoon my father on his hand

Did on his fingers count his many prayers

I still can hear it like some brazen band

Shouting how the poor Jew fares.

With time I’ve grown much closer to my dad

Perhaps I never did from him depart

My sorrows were the ones my father had

And I have come to love them in my heart.

I will not fail my father’s way of life

His sorrows turn to joy and fun in me

I’ve spent my time in endless well-spent strife

So someday I my very dad will be.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount