SHARDS AND WHISPERS (PROLOGUE)

Esa einai el heharim, Me’ayin yavo ezri?
Ezri me’im Adonai, Oseh shamayim va’aretz.

— Psalm 121:1-2 (silent)

MALE WHISPERER

Shtiler, shtiler, shtil, shpil.
Nar mikh op, nar mikh op,
zog mir epes tsu,
varf a groshn bloyz…
Lomikh gleybm, az der malekh 
hot mir im gevorfn.

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 1. Excerpt

FEMALE WHISPERER

Vos boygstu zikh, mayn zel?
Vos brumstu brustik tif?
Un s’tsitern di vent,
di zayln fun mayn zayn,
un hekher, hekher shtaygt 
di shtil fun ere dayner,
un nider vert bagrobt
mit shtoyb fun dayne fis.

— “Violoncello” by Dovid Hofshteyn. Stanza 1

MALE WHISPERER

A violonchel afn hoyf a toytn-lid shpilt oys 
un veynt der vint a beynshtik geveyn
nor ikh lig zikh ruik ba der tir fun shtub 
un her vi s’lakht mayn blut, vi alts in mir.

— “A Cello Plays” by Simkha Shayevitch

FEMALE WHISPERER

Ikh bin azoy mid fun khokhme eygener un fremder,
tu mikh oys biz zikh aleyn 
fun alinke gevender.
(kinder geyen in bloyze hemder
un zaynen alts eyns dos vos zey zaynen:
fargleybt in alts un sheyn).

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 2

PART I “LETTERS TO NOWHERE

Af ale mayne briv shrayb ikh iber di adresn,
yam ariber, land ariber, laybm ariber,
tsum shaybele demer, tsum shoybikn fiber,
tsu a vaytn shtern, tsu dayn vayzn.

— “To Someone” by Yisroel Emyot. Excerpt

Di royte tsugn-fentster zaynen troyerik un kalt,
vi oysgeveynte oygn fun almones, —
s’shvartsaplt zikh in zey mayn menschish-troyeriker kop…
Shvartsaplt zikh aleyn der ergetsdiker nakhttsug…

O, voyl iz mir azoy fun tog tsu nakht
dos shtikl ort in tsug tsu firn af a bank!
O, nor eyn vinkl — zalbe-akht 
ba tsugn-fentster …
N’shvartsaplen zol zikh shtil in zey der menschish-troyeriker kop!..

—Untitled by Peretz Markish. Excerpt.

Shtilkayt, shtilkayt, shtilkayt 
shvert arop vi a shteyn —
loz mikh nisht iber aleyn …

— “Don’t Leave Me Alone” by Yisroel Emyot. Excerpt

Af ale mayne briv shrayb ikh iber di adresn,
yam ariber, land ariber, laybm ariber,
tsum shaybele demer, tsum shoybikn fiber,
tsu a vaytn shtern, tsu dayn vayzn.

— “To Someone” by Yisroel Emyot. Excerpt

SHARDS AND WHISPERS (INTERLUDE 1)

Al yiten lamot raglekha Al yanum shomrekha
Hineh lo yanum v’lo yiyshan Shomer Yisrael

—Psalm 121:3-4 (silent)

MALE WHISPERER

Fun tkhies-hameysimdik varemen regn
pavolinke nemt zikh tseblien, bavegn 
(banand mit der kindhayt in altn zikorn)
di fidlroyz inem shvartserdikn orn.

— “The Fiddle Rose” by Avrom Sutzkever. Stanza 1

FEMALE WHISPERER

Vos boygstu zikh, mayn zel?
Vos brumstu brustik tif?
Vos bodstu zikh in shtoyb,
vos vashstu zikh in ash,
vi foyglen in a hits,
vos hobm furkht far vaser 
un kiln zikh mit erd un frishn zikh in mist?..

— “Violoncello” by Dovid Hofshteyn. Stanza 2

FEMALE WHISPERER

Shpil, o shpil, gefin mikh oys,
di mame ruft mir nokh alts
in droysn aroys.
Se kumt on di nakht
un tsayt shoyn tsumakhn di lodn,
di mame hot shoyn ale lodn farmakht 
un ikh bin geblibm in droysn,
un se ruft mir keyner nisht mer.

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 3

MALE WHISPERER

Treyst mir, o treyst mir
mit a bisele lign:
breyng mir dem nisht do gedakht,
nekhtike tog,
afn himl a yarid.
Ot o nem ikh un shtarb
un der emes iz harb,
azoy shver un harb,
un keyner zogt gornisht tsu.

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 4

PART II “LULLABY”

Ikh vel dikh nisht ufvekn,
saydn a foygl,
vos veyst, du host goldene oygn.
Er vet zikh shteln af dayn bet:
er hot zikh mit a yuni-nakht farvet
(zi iz sheyn un gayvedik on a shir),
az du bist toyznt mol shener fun ir.

Ikh vel dikh nisht ufvekn,
saydn a vint,
vos vet arayn durkh а shpare geshvind.
Тu epes a vint,
vos vil visn, tsi s’iz shener faran 
fun volkns, shtern un hint.

Ikh vel dikh nisht ufvekn,
saydn a boym,
vos vet royshn tsu shtark in dayn troym.
Der boym iz der eltster boym in vald,
a kayme-lon fun toyznt yor alt.
Tu epes a boym,
vos vil visn, tsi s’iz sheners faran
fun zayn roysh, fun zayn bli, fun zayn troym.

Ikh vel dikh nisht ufvekn,
saydn a regn,
vos vet kumen a groyer fun vegn un shtegn
un klapm in shtub mit di finger.
Der regn is nokh a yunger.
Ersht nekhtn iz er a prints geven,
haynt iz er farkisheft: eyn shmeykhl fun dir — 
un er vert tsurik vos geven.

Ikh vel dikh nisht ufvekn,
saydn a malekh,
vos vet kumen tsu flien fun a mehalekh 
afn vaysn levone-shtral 
un knien ba dayn geleger 
un zingen: “Shvester, shvesterl mayn!
Vos ken nokh shener un shener zayn 
fun dir un fun mir”.

. . . . . .

Sha, ikh vel mit a goldenem rigl 
farriglen di tir.

— “Lullaby” by Itzik Manger

SHARDS AND WHISPERS (INTERLUDE 2)

Adonai shomrekha Adonai Tsilkha Alyad yeminekha
Yomam hashemesh lo yakeka V’yareach balaila

—Psalm 121:5-6 (silent)

MALE WHISPERER

Ze, ikh halt bam keyver shoyn,
un rozhinkes mit mandlen
hot a hant fun mayn vigl tsugeroybt 
un kert zey mir nisht um.

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 5

FEMALE WHISPERER

Vos boygstu zikh, mayn zel?
Vos brumstu brustik tif,
vi zod fun frishn blut
af shtumen roytn shteyn,
vi zod, vos vert nit shtil 
fun umshuld zoyber-reynem,
biz gloybik heyses blut
mit tsiter im bagist.

— “Violoncello” by Dovid Hofshteyn. Stanza 3

MALE WHISPERER

Di fidlroyz darf shoyn atsind nit keyn fidler,
nito mer keyn loyber, nito mer keyn zidler.
Zi shpilt on a shpiler mit freyd un emune
lekoved a vidergeboyrener strune.

— “The Fiddle Rose” by Avrom Sutzkever. Stanza 2

FEMALE WHISPERER

Lomikh nisht erger zayn vi di gantse velt,
vemen du haltst in eyn gebm tsu farshteyn
vi elnt zi iz;
veynst far ir,
zukhst arum ir farfaln kind,

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 6

PART III “BURNING”

S’dakht zikh mir, az ikh bin in a brenendikn vald
un s’flien ale flaker-flaterdike beymer…
Vey iz mir!..

Mayn vigele shoyn oykh
a tsung in roytn gumen fun der heykh… 

Mame, un hentlekh mayne tsugebundn eyns tsum tsveytn.
Mame, mame, makh s’zol mir nit vey ton!..

S’dakht zikh mir, az ale beymer lokern nokh mir
mit bleter, flien dik, vi giftikdike binen,
der vald der gantser flakert — a mizbeyekh,
un af dem geyendikn flaker, eyner, eyner, gey ikh!
Nor frier brent mikh nit un git mikh nit keyn rir …
Un mayne fis shoyn tsugebrotn eyns tsum tsveytn,
mame, mame, makh s’zol mir nit vey ton!..

Du bist ba mir af d’hent,
ikh bin dayn vigele, farblondzhet kind,
nor ale finger frern mir un brenen,
un s’vigt un shlept mikh far di hor der brenendiker vint!..

—Untitled by Peretz Markish

SHARDS AND WHISPERS (INTERLUDE 3)

Adonai yishmorkha mikol ra Yishmor et nafshekha
Adonai yishmor tse’atkha Uvo’ekha me’ata vad olam.

—Psalm 121:7-8 (silent)

FEMALE WHISPERER

Lekoved a strune, lekoved ir tsiter,
lekoved a bin vos ir honik iz biter
nor zis iz ir shtokh, azoy zaftik un kveytik —
lekoved a vidergeboyrenem veytik.

— “The Fiddle Rose” by Avrom Sutzkever

MALE WHISPERER

Nu, boyg zhe zikh, mayn zel,
nu, brum zhe brustik tif,
un ver fun ashn klor,
fun blutn ver shoyn reyn,
un ver fun tsiter mild,
ver loyter shoyn fun veynen,
un zol tsu likht dir zayn
dayn groyser brokh, dayn ris!

— “Violoncello” by Dovid Hofshteyn. Stanza 4

FEMALE WHISPERER

Breklstu far veytik shures hayzer 
in di gasn 
un shtelst zey oys eynzam
in mitn feld,
shtibelekh bam vaser
mit shkie in di fentster,
makhstu demern fun teg
un fule taykhn beynkshaft.

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 7

PART IV “FAREWELL GREETINGS”

S’yogt der tsug, vi dos harts fun a farshtoysenem,
un af di felder blit der vayser shney.
Royte oygn blitsn, glien un farleshn zikh…
Di vegn zenen klor, nor tunkl iz dos harts,
vos blondzhet in rayfer vayskayt um.
Ikh ze un her un murml mid un shtum
dayn bloen nomen in der nakht arayn,
dayn bloen nomen in der vayser nakht arayn.

— “In The Train” by Itzik Manger. Excerpt

Kh’vel haynt ba nakht mistame shtarbm…
Mayn lid mayn letst! Un oys, un alts!
Der talyen varft zikh vi a shparber,
er vil mikh khapm farn haldz.

Umzist! Neyn, ikh bin nit fun yene,
vos betn rakhmim af di kni.
Afile toyt — mayn harts vet brenen 
vi zun af bargshpits in der fri.
Un gornit vil ikh, gornit darf ikh…

Nor ven es iz, koakh nor eyn mol —
a yidish kind zol ba mayn keyver 
mayn lid dermonen afn kol.

Un zol fun der matseyve shaynen
mayn eyntsik un mayn letst gebet:
mayn folk! Ikh bin geven dayn zinger,
an erlekher, a yidisher poet.

— “Gulag Poems” (No. 14) by Moishe Teyf. Excerpt

SHARDS AND WHISPERS (INTERLUDE 4)

Adonai yishmor tse’atkha Uvo’ekha me’ata vad olam.
Esa einai el heharim, Me’ayin yavo ezri?

—Psalm 121:8 – 121:1 (silent)

FEMALE WHISPERER

Vos boygstu zikh, mayn zel?

— “Violoncello” by Dovid Hofshteyn. Line 1

MALE WHISPERER

Tsi mit mir, tsi on mir,
veln teg oysgeyn mit a toyt, a harbm…

FEMALE WHISPERER

Un ikh vel zayn a blum demolt, tsi epes andersh vos…

MALE WHISPERER

a gesheft tsu shtarbm?

—Untitled poem by Yisroel Emyot.  Excerpt

FEMALE WHISPERER

O zog mir epes tsu,
vi beymer fokhn in harbst mit
di bleter 
vi mit tikhlekh bam gezegenen:
— mir kumen tsurik,
khoch zey kumen keyn mol di zelbe 
nisht tsurik.

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 8

MALE WHISPERER

Vos boygstu zikh, mayn zel?

— “Violoncello” by Dovid Hofshteyn. Line 1

MALE AND FEMALE WHISPERERS TOGETHER

Itst ken ikh nor dikh un di vayskayt fun der nakht,
itst ken ikh nor dikh un di vayskayt fun der nakht.

— “In The Train” by Itzik Manger. Excerpt

Part V “MIRACLE” (EPILOGUE)

Fremde zaynen mentshn,
vos forn in tsugn.
Zeyere penemer — 
flekn vayte fun levones —
vekn uf dem troyer
fun ineveynikste merkhokim 
un varshvindn
vi keyn mol nisht geven.
Un nor di relsn, vos shnaydn durkh
di zamdn in di himlen,
veysn,
az yedes ponem iz a nes,
un az der nes
ken nokh a mol geshen.

— “Miracle” by Rajzel Zychlinski

SHARDS AND WHISPERS (PROLOGUE)

I lift up my eyes to the hills– where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth

— Psalm 121:1-2 (silent)

MALE WHISPERER

Play quietly, more quietly, still more quietly … 
delude me, deceive me 
Promise me something,
throw even just a coin …
Let me still believe an angel 
Threw it from above.

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 1. Excerpt (Translation by Leah Zazulyer)

FEMALE WHISPERER

Why do you vibrate, my soul,
rumbling deeply in my chest?
The walls of my core are
trembling.
Higher, still higher soars
your quiet honor.
Then, falling, it buries itself
under the dust of your feet.

— “Violoncello” by Dovid Hofshteyn. Stanza 1 (Translation by Lera Auerbach)

MALE WHISPERER

A cello plays a death song in the yard
And the wind cries a night lament.
I lie quiet near the door
And hear my blood laugh like a joker in me.

— “A Cello Plays” by Simkha Shayevitch (Translation by Sarah Traister Moskovitz)

FEMALE WHISPERER

I am so weary of wisdom, mine and others—
undress me to my naked self, my very being, 
denude me of all my clothing until I am 
a newborn with only its undershirt 
and its beautiful blind faith in everything. 

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 2 (Translation by Leah Zazulyer)

PART I “LETTERS TO NOWHERE

I rewrite your address on each letter
I send you over the oceans, over the lands,
My whole life over – letters from me to that
small bit of twilight, that absent fervor.

— “To Someone” by Yisroel Emyot. Excerpt (Translation by Leah Zazulyer)

The reddish windows of trains – sad and cold –
like the cried-out eyes of widows.
In their pupils – the downcast glow of my head …
Somewhere flickers the night-train.

I am so grateful – through days and nights –
to keep this small corner on the train-bench!
Only this corner saves my life.
The windows of the train …
In their pupils is flickering my despondent head.

—Untitled by Peretz Markish. Excerpt (Translation by Lera Auerbach)

Silence, silence, silence
comes down heavy as a stone –
Don’t leave me alone …

— “Don’t Leave Me Alone” by Yisroel Emyot. Excerpt (Translation by Leah Zazulyer)

I rewrite your address on each letter
I send you over the oceans, over the lands,
My whole life over – letters from me to that
small bit of twilight, that absent fervor.

— “To Someone” by Yisroel Emyot. Excerpt (Translation by Leah Zazulyer)

SHARDS AND WHISPERS (INTERLUDE 1)

He will not let your foot slip– he who watches over you will not slumber;
Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

— Psalm 121:3-4 (silent)

MALE WHISPERER

From resurrecting warm rain
She begins slowly to blossom, to grow – 
(together with the childhood of my aged memory)
The fiddle rose in her earth-black coffin.

— “The Fiddle Rose” by Avrom Sutzkever. Stanza 1 (Translation by Ruth Whitman)

FEMALE WHISPERER

Why do you vibrate, my soul,
rumbling deeply in my chest?
Why do you bathe in the dust,
and wash yourself in the ashes?
So are birds in the smoldering heat,
thirsty for water – can cool
themselves in the earth,
and get refreshed in the sand.

— “Violoncello” by Dovid Hofshteyn. Stanza 2 (Translation by Lera Auerbach)

FEMALE WHISPERER

Play oh play on, discover me
like mother did who still urges me 
to go outdoors but then 
when night comes closes the shutters 
calls me no more
and I must stay forever the outsider. 

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 3 (Translation by by Leah Zazulyer)

MALE WHISPERER

Comfort me, console me 
with a little lie, 
the yesterday’s day, 
that brings me heaven-preserve-us 
much ado about nothing 
Until I just up and die
for truth is so harsh, so difficult—
And no one promises anything.

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 4 (Translation by Leah Zazulyer)

PART II “LULLABY”

I will not wake you up.
Perhaps, only a bird,
who knows your golden eyes,
will stand on your bed-post.
The bird had made a bet with June’s Night
(which is beautiful and maddeningly arrogant)
that you are still a thousand times more beautiful.

I will not wake you up.
Perhaps, only the wind
may quickly penetrate the cracks.
What will you do with the wind –
it wants to know if there is anything more beautiful
than clouds, stars, and dogs.

I will not wake you up.
Perhaps, only a tree
will rustle noisily in your dreams.
The tree – most ancient in the forest –
may be a thousand years old.
What will you do with the tree –
it wants to know if there is anything more beautiful
than its noises, its blossoms, its dreams.

I will not wake you up.
Perhaps only the rain,
will come, all gray from its travels.
It will tap on the house with its fingers.
The rain is still young.
Only yesterday it was a prince,
today it is enchanted. Just one of your smiles —
and it will become himself again.

I will not wake you up,
Perhaps only an angel
flying from far away
on a white moonbeam
will kneel at your bedside
and sing: “Sister, my little sister,
what could be more beautiful
than you and I.”

. . . . . .

Hush, with a golden bolt   
I’ll lock the door.

— “Lullaby” by Itzik Manger (Translation by Lera Auerbach)

SHARDS AND WHISPERS (INTERLUDE 2)

The LORD watches over you– the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

—Psalm 121:5-6 (silent)

MALE WHISPERER

… Look, I stand now nearly at my grave 
and the almonds and raisins that the lullaby 
promised to me a hand has stolen from my cradle
never to be returned.

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 5 (Translation by Leah Zazulyer)

FEMALE WHISPERER

Why do you vibrate, my soul,
from the depth of my chest,
boiling like fresh blood
spilled on the mute stones?
The boiling will not subside
from its pure innocence,
nor from its hot devotion –
it is trembling, spilling over.

— “Violoncello” by Dovid Hofshteyn. Stanza 3 (Translation by Lera Auerbach)

MALE WHISPERER

The fiddle rose doesn’t need to fiddler,
there’s no one left to praise or curse her.
She plays without a player, with joy and faith
in honor of a reborn string.

— “The Fiddle Rose” by Avrom Sutzkever. Stanza 2 (Translation by Ruth Whitman)

FEMALE WHISPERER

… Oh God let me not fare any worse than the whole world 
while you keep lamenting
how forlorn it all is 
and for which you cry
as if seeking a lost child. 

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 6 (Translation by Leah Zazulyer)

PART III “BURNING”

I feel I’m in a burning forest,
The trees are flying in acrid smoke.
Woe is me!..

My cradle – the tongue of fire
in the abysmal height …

Mama, my hands are tied – one to the other.
Mama, mama, make it so that I feel no pain.

I feel the trees are watching me,
their leaves are swarming – poisonous wasps.
The forest ablaze for my execution.
I walk alone, all alone, through the moving flames!
I burn not – I care not.
Only my legs are now tied – one to the other.
Mama, mama, make it so that I feel no pain.

I am holding you in my arms,
I am your cradle now, lost child. 
But all my fingers are frozen now,
and the blazing wind is shaking,
dragging me by the hair, scorching.

—Untitled by Peretz Markish (Translation by Lera Auerbach)

SHARDS AND WHISPERS (INTERLUDE 3)

The LORD will keep you from all harm– he will watch over your life;              
The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

—Psalm 121:7-8 (silent)

FEMALE WHISPERER

In honor of a string, in honor of its vibration,
In honor of a bee whose honey is bitter
but whose sting is sweet, so juicy and flowerlike –
in honor of a reborn pain.

— “The Fiddle Rose” by Avrom Sutzkever (Translation by Ruth Whitman)

MALE WHISPERER

Oh, bend to me, my soul,
sing heartfully within my depth,
cleansed by ashes
purified by blood,
your strings tremble gentler,
enlightened by the sobbing …
Let the grief and sorrows
illuminate the way!

— “Violoncello” by Dovid Hofshteyn. Stanza 4 (Translation by Lera Auerbach)

FEMALE WHISPERER

God, because of your pain you break
apart rows of houses huddled in streets 
and instead placed them in solitude 
In the mist of the fields—
small houses beside water
with sunset in the windows;
transform day into twilight
and fill rivers with longing.

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 7 (Translation by Leah Zazulyer)

PART IV “FAREWELL GREETINGS”

The train is hounded, like an exile’s heart.
In the fields, a harvest of white snow.
Red eyes glisten, glow, and are extinguished …
All roads are bright; only the heart is dark
As it goes stumbling through the ripened white.
Tired and hushed, I say and hear the blue
Of your name. I say it to the night—
Your blue name to the whiteness of the night.

— “In The Train” by Itzik Manger. Excerpt (Translation by Leonard Wolf)

Will I die tonight?
That’s it – the end? The final verse?
My executioner – a hawk – wants
to crush my throat in its claws.

Kneel, beg for mercy?
Nonsense! Let me perish,
but my heart will flare still
like the sun above the mountain.

I am not spoiled by dreams …
but if at least once,
over my grave, a child will recite
my poem in Yiddish …

Let then at the tombstone
my farewell greetings resound for the living:
I sang the best I could for you, my people!
I was a true Yiddish poet!

— “Gulag Poems” (No. 14) by Moishe Teyf. Excerpt (Translation by Lera Auerbach)

SHARDS AND WHISPERS (INTERLUDE 4)

The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
I lift up my eyes to the hills– where does my help come from?

—Psalm 121:8 – 121:1 (silent)

FEMALE WHISPERER

Why do you vibrate, my soul?

— “Violoncello” by Dovid Hofshteyn. Line 1 (Translation by Lera Auerbach)

MALE WHISPERER

With or without me
days will pass to their harsh death…

FEMALE WHISPERER

I will be a flower then, or perhaps something else …

MALE WHISPERER

It’s no big deal to die.

—Untitled poem by Yisroel Emyot.  Excerpt (Translation by Leah Zazulyer)

FEMALE WHISPERER

Oh, promise me at least something—
that the tree leaves fluttering away in
autumn, like handkerchiefs at leave-taking, 
those leaves 
will return. 
though they never come back the same.

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 8 (Translation by Leah Zazulyer)

MALE WHISPERER

Why do you vibrate, my soul?

— “Violoncello” by Dovid Hofshteyn. Line 1 (Translation by Lera Auerbach)

Now, you are all I know, and the white night.
Now, you are all I know, and the white night.

— “In The Train” by Itzik Manger. Excerpt (Translation by Leonard Wolf)

Part V “MIRACLE” (EPILOGUE)

Strange are the people
who travel on trains.
Their faces —
all dappled with moons —
awaken the sorrow
of the inmost faraway places
and vanish
as if they were never there.
And only the rails,
that cut through the sands of the heavens
know,
That each face is a miracle,
and that this miracle
can happen once again.

— “Miracle” by Rajzel Zychlinski (Translation by Abby Weaver)