Joan Braman graces the Yiddish Vinkl with another of her translations of an English classic into Yiddish. This week, she has chosen a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Nature

As a fond mother, when the day is o’er

Leads by the hand her little child to bed,

Half willing, half reluctant to be led,

And leave his broken playthings on the floor,

Still gazing at them through the open door,

Nor wholly reassured and comforted

By promises of others in their stead,

Which, though more splendid, may not please him more;

So, Nature deals with us, and takes away

Our playthings one by one, and by the hand

Leads us to rest so gently, that we go

Scarce knowing if we wish to go or stay,

Being too full of sleep to understand

How far the unknown transcends the what we know.

Natur

Vi tsertlekh di mame, ven s’geyt oys der tog,

Firt bay der hant ir kleynem kind arayn in bet,

Halb vilndik, halb shayen zikh, er zet

Zayne shpilzakhn oyfn dil ibergelozt.

Un kukndik oyf zey durkh der tir farefnter

Er shteyt dort nit baruikt un nokh fardayget.

Un khotsh andere kestlekh me vet im narayen,

Zey veln im mestome nit gefeln mer;

Azoy shaft zikh mit undz di natur, un nemt tsurik

Eyntsikvayz undzere shpilzakhn un bay der hant

Firt undz shtilerheyt tsu der ru, un mir geyen,

Oder blaybn, oder geyen, koym nit visendik;

Der umbavust ibershtaygt dos vos iz bekant,

Ober mir zaynen tsu farshlofn tsu farshteyn.

Are you one of our 2%?

Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.

But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses  —  take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.

Don’t just read the Forward — invest in it. Support our work today!

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO

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

$120 $180 $360 OTHER AMOUNT