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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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