Poem
Anna Herman
ANNA KARENINA
ANNA KARENINAShe rises from her sleep and returns to bed.
The train still lurches in her dream.
The train propels the wheezing engine,
rocking and swinging covert love.
Anna stands on the platform across from the tracks.
At night she dreamt but her dream was deceptive.
Like her broken heart the rails tremble
gnawed by mice in the underground.
Anna stands in Moscow, Paris or Tel Aviv,
rats gnawing within and without.
At night when she lay in her bed
the voice of her childhood fear returned:
Tonight, Anna, your end is near, tonight you will be plucked.
Death, like the hollow between my nose and mouth,
passes through my thighs, like a train track,
for death lives in the body as it does among the ashes.
And Anna, you who waited for one thing only
and nothing else consoled you nor would it cease
your longing, the beating of the expectant heart,
must fall into the hollow between mouth
and nose. You who waited for one thing
will be consumed in the mouth of death the silencer.
Years I lay in bed, lay and waited.
I did not wait for death. In the pages of the book Kitty
sickened and recovered, and many years passed,
while on the frozen earth,
I, a red stain on a lost continent,
had an inscrutable fever.
I was a stain fading on a map of the world,
to an eagle’s eyes, tears spread like lotus blossoms,
leaves are drugged by the sun, moonstruck,
and so my tears dripped and my eyes sank inward.
An angel slapped my lips when I was born,
shall I now return to this hidden world,
consumed by the darkness of ash and womb,
to the sweet ash of prolonged sleep?
Years I lay in bed and waited, not for death.
I lay and waited, my head hung down.
If only I had fallen before the chugging train ascended
the tracks, for then silence would have wrapped
the bleeding body from one end to the other
until the soul left the cleft body.
Anna stands on the platform across from the tracks.
At night she dreamt but her dream was deceptive.
Like her broken heart the rails tremble
gnawed by mice in the underground.
© Translation: 2015, Lisa Katz
The angel’s slap is a part of Eastern European Jewish folklore. According to this myth, a fetus in the womb is taught the entirety of Jewish law. Upon birth, an angel’s slap causes loss of this knowledge and forms the furrow between nose and mouth.
The original Hebrew poem is composed of couplets and no rhyme is repeated (unless the couplet is repeated).
ANNA KARENINA
אנה קרנינה
הִיא קָמָה מִשְּׁנָתָהּ וְהִיא חוֹזֶרֶת וְנִשְׁכֶּבֶת.
בַּחֲלוֹמָהּ עֲדַיִן מְקַרְטַעַת הָרַכֶּבֶת.
דּוֹחֶקֶת הָרַכֶּבֶת בַּקַּטָּר הַמִּתְנַשֵּׁם
וּמְעַרְסֶלֶת אֶת הָאַהֲבָה כְּבוּשַׁת-הַשֵּׁם.
מוּל מְסִלַּת רַכֶּבֶת, בָּרָצִיף, עוֹמֶדֶת אָנָה.
בַּלַּיְלָה הִיא חָלְמָה חֲלוֹם, אַךְ חֲלוֹמָהּ הִטְעָנָה.
לִבָּהּ שָׁבוּר, וּכְמוֹ אוֹתוֹ אֶת הַפַּסִּים מַרְטִיט
כִּרְסוּם הָעַכְבָּרִים שֶׁל הָרַכֶּבֶת הַתַּחְתִּית.
עוֹמֶדֶת אָנָה בְּמוֹסְקְבָה, פָּרִיס אוֹ תֵּל-אָבִיב
וְהַחֻלְדּוֹת מְכַרְסְמוֹת בִּפְנִים וּמִסָּבִיב.
הַלַּיְלָה כְּשֶׁהָיְתָה מוּטֶלֶת אָנָה בַּמִּטָּה
חָזַר לִפְקֹד אוֹתָהּ קוֹלוֹ שֶׁל פַּחַד יַלְדוּתָהּ:
- הַלַּיְלָה, אָנָה, בָּא סוֹפֵךְ, הַלַּיְלָה תִּקָּטְפִי.
- הַמָּוֶת כְּמוֹ גֻּמָּה טָבוּעַ בֵּין חָטְמִי לְפִי,
כְּמוֹ מְסִלַּת רַכֶּבֶת הוּא עוֹבֵר בֵּין יְרֵכַי,
כִּי כְּמוֹ בְּקֶרֶב הֶעָפָר בַּגּוּף הַמָּוֶת חַי.
- וְאָנָה, אַתְּ שֶׁלְּדָבָר אֶחָד בִּלְבַד חִכִּית
וְשׁוּם דָּבָר אַחֵר לֹא נִחֲמֵךְ וְלֹא הִשְׁקִיט
אֶת כִּסּוּפַיִךְ, אֶת הַלְמוּת הַלֵּב הַמְצַפֶּה,
נִגְזַר שֶׁאַתְּ תִּפְּלִי אֶל הַגֻּמָּה שֶׁבֵּין הַפֶּה
וּבֵין הַחֹטֶם. אַתְּ שֶׁלְּדָבָר אֶחָד חִכִּית
נִגְזַר שֶׁתֵּאָכְלִי בְּפִי הַמָּוֶת הַמַּשְׁקִיט.
שָׁנִים שָׁכַבְתִּי בַּמִּטָּה, שָׁכַבְתִּי וְחִכִּיתִי.
חִכִּיתִי לֹא לַמָּוֶת. בֵּין דַּפֵּי הַסֵּפֶר קִיטִי
חָלְתָה וְהֶחֱלִימָה, וְשָׁנִים רַבּוֹת חָלְפוּ,
בְּעוֹד אֲנִי עַל פְּנֵי כַּדּוּר-הָאָרֶץ הַקָּפוּא
הָיִיתִי כֶּתֶם אֹדֶם שֶׁל יַבֶּשֶׁת אֲבוּדָה,
הָיָה לִי חֹם גָּבוֹהַּ וְסָמוּי מִן הַמַּדָּע.
הָיִיתִי כֶּתֶם שֶׁדָּהָה עַל פְּנֵי מַפַּת הַגְּלוֹבּוּס
כִּי מֵעֵינַי נָשַׁר הַבֶּכִי כְּמוֹ מִפֶּרַח לוֹטוּס
עָלִים שֶׁשֶּׁמֶשׁ סִמְּמָם, יָרֵחַ בָּם הִכָּה,
וְכָךְ נָטַף בִּכְיִי וְכָךְ גַּלְגַּל עֵינִי שָׁקַע.
מַלְאָךְ שֶׁבְּהֻלַּדְתִּי עַל שִׂפְתוֹתַי סָטַר,
הַאִם עַכְשָׁו אֶחְזֹר אֶל חֵיק אוֹתוֹ עוֹלָם נִסְתָּר,
אוֹתוֹ עוֹלָם בָּלוּעַ בְּחֶשְׁכַת עָפָר וָרֶחֶם,
אֶל מֶתֶק הֶעָפָר שֶׁל הַשֵּׁנָה הַמִּתְאָרֶכֶת?
שָׁנִים שָׁכַבְתִּי בַּמִּטָּה, חִכִּיתִי לֹא לָמוּת.
שָׁכַבְתִּי וְחִכִּיתִי וְרֹאשִׁי הָיָה שָׁמוּט.
לוּ רַק נָפַלְתִּי טֶרֶם הָרַכֶּבֶת מְשַׁקְשֶׁקֶת
הָיְתָה עַל הַפַּסִּים, כִּי אָז הָיָה עוֹטֵף הַשֶּׁקֶט
מִקְּצֵה הַגּוּף הַמְדַמֵּם וְהֶחָצוּי עַד קְצֵה
הַנְּשָׁמָה שֶׁמִּן הַגּוּף הַמְפֻלָּח תֵּצֵא.
מוּל מְסִלַּת רַכֶּבֶת, בָּרָצִיף, עוֹמֶדֶת אָנָה.
בַּלַּיְלָה הִיא חָלְמָה חֲלוֹם, אַךְ חֲלוֹמָהּ הִטְעָנָה.
לִבָּהּ שָׁבוּר, וּכְמוֹ אוֹתוֹ אֶת הַפַּסִּים מַרְטִיט
כִּרְסוּם הָעַכְבָּרִים שֶׁל הָרַכֶּבֶת הַתַּחְתִּית.
הִיא קָמָה מִשְּׁנָתָהּ וְהִיא חוֹזֶרֶת וְנִשְׁכֶּבֶת.
בַּחֲלוֹמָהּ עֲדַיִן מְקַרְטַעַת הָרַכֶּבֶת.
דּוֹחֶקֶת הָרַכֶּבֶת בַּקַּטָּר הַמִּתְנַשֵּׁם
וּמְעַרְסֶלֶת אֶת הָאַהֲבָה כְּבוּשַׁת-הַשֵּׁם.
מוּל מְסִלַּת רַכֶּבֶת, בָּרָצִיף, עוֹמֶדֶת אָנָה.
בַּלַּיְלָה הִיא חָלְמָה חֲלוֹם, אַךְ חֲלוֹמָהּ הִטְעָנָה.
לִבָּהּ שָׁבוּר, וּכְמוֹ אוֹתוֹ אֶת הַפַּסִּים מַרְטִיט
כִּרְסוּם הָעַכְבָּרִים שֶׁל הָרַכֶּבֶת הַתַּחְתִּית.
עוֹמֶדֶת אָנָה בְּמוֹסְקְבָה, פָּרִיס אוֹ תֵּל-אָבִיב
וְהַחֻלְדּוֹת מְכַרְסְמוֹת בִּפְנִים וּמִסָּבִיב.
הַלַּיְלָה כְּשֶׁהָיְתָה מוּטֶלֶת אָנָה בַּמִּטָּה
חָזַר לִפְקֹד אוֹתָהּ קוֹלוֹ שֶׁל פַּחַד יַלְדוּתָהּ:
- הַלַּיְלָה, אָנָה, בָּא סוֹפֵךְ, הַלַּיְלָה תִּקָּטְפִי.
- הַמָּוֶת כְּמוֹ גֻּמָּה טָבוּעַ בֵּין חָטְמִי לְפִי,
כְּמוֹ מְסִלַּת רַכֶּבֶת הוּא עוֹבֵר בֵּין יְרֵכַי,
כִּי כְּמוֹ בְּקֶרֶב הֶעָפָר בַּגּוּף הַמָּוֶת חַי.
- וְאָנָה, אַתְּ שֶׁלְּדָבָר אֶחָד בִּלְבַד חִכִּית
וְשׁוּם דָּבָר אַחֵר לֹא נִחֲמֵךְ וְלֹא הִשְׁקִיט
אֶת כִּסּוּפַיִךְ, אֶת הַלְמוּת הַלֵּב הַמְצַפֶּה,
נִגְזַר שֶׁאַתְּ תִּפְּלִי אֶל הַגֻּמָּה שֶׁבֵּין הַפֶּה
וּבֵין הַחֹטֶם. אַתְּ שֶׁלְּדָבָר אֶחָד חִכִּית
נִגְזַר שֶׁתֵּאָכְלִי בְּפִי הַמָּוֶת הַמַּשְׁקִיט.
שָׁנִים שָׁכַבְתִּי בַּמִּטָּה, שָׁכַבְתִּי וְחִכִּיתִי.
חִכִּיתִי לֹא לַמָּוֶת. בֵּין דַּפֵּי הַסֵּפֶר קִיטִי
חָלְתָה וְהֶחֱלִימָה, וְשָׁנִים רַבּוֹת חָלְפוּ,
בְּעוֹד אֲנִי עַל פְּנֵי כַּדּוּר-הָאָרֶץ הַקָּפוּא
הָיִיתִי כֶּתֶם אֹדֶם שֶׁל יַבֶּשֶׁת אֲבוּדָה,
הָיָה לִי חֹם גָּבוֹהַּ וְסָמוּי מִן הַמַּדָּע.
הָיִיתִי כֶּתֶם שֶׁדָּהָה עַל פְּנֵי מַפַּת הַגְּלוֹבּוּס
כִּי מֵעֵינַי נָשַׁר הַבֶּכִי כְּמוֹ מִפֶּרַח לוֹטוּס
עָלִים שֶׁשֶּׁמֶשׁ סִמְּמָם, יָרֵחַ בָּם הִכָּה,
וְכָךְ נָטַף בִּכְיִי וְכָךְ גַּלְגַּל עֵינִי שָׁקַע.
מַלְאָךְ שֶׁבְּהֻלַּדְתִּי עַל שִׂפְתוֹתַי סָטַר,
הַאִם עַכְשָׁו אֶחְזֹר אֶל חֵיק אוֹתוֹ עוֹלָם נִסְתָּר,
אוֹתוֹ עוֹלָם בָּלוּעַ בְּחֶשְׁכַת עָפָר וָרֶחֶם,
אֶל מֶתֶק הֶעָפָר שֶׁל הַשֵּׁנָה הַמִּתְאָרֶכֶת?
שָׁנִים שָׁכַבְתִּי בַּמִּטָּה, חִכִּיתִי לֹא לָמוּת.
שָׁכַבְתִּי וְחִכִּיתִי וְרֹאשִׁי הָיָה שָׁמוּט.
לוּ רַק נָפַלְתִּי טֶרֶם הָרַכֶּבֶת מְשַׁקְשֶׁקֶת
הָיְתָה עַל הַפַּסִּים, כִּי אָז הָיָה עוֹטֵף הַשֶּׁקֶט
מִקְּצֵה הַגּוּף הַמְדַמֵּם וְהֶחָצוּי עַד קְצֵה
הַנְּשָׁמָה שֶׁמִּן הַגּוּף הַמְפֻלָּח תֵּצֵא.
מוּל מְסִלַּת רַכֶּבֶת, בָּרָצִיף, עוֹמֶדֶת אָנָה.
בַּלַּיְלָה הִיא חָלְמָה חֲלוֹם, אַךְ חֲלוֹמָהּ הִטְעָנָה.
לִבָּהּ שָׁבוּר, וּכְמוֹ אוֹתוֹ אֶת הַפַּסִּים מַרְטִיט
כִּרְסוּם הָעַכְבָּרִים שֶׁל הָרַכֶּבֶת הַתַּחְתִּית.
© 2006, Anna Herman
From: Hasefer shel refuote pashutot (The book of simple remedies)
Publisher: Hakibbutz Hameuchad, Tel Aviv
From: Hasefer shel refuote pashutot (The book of simple remedies)
Publisher: Hakibbutz Hameuchad, Tel Aviv
Poems
Poems of Anna Herman
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ANNA KARENINA
ANNA KARENINAShe rises from her sleep and returns to bed.
The train still lurches in her dream.
The train propels the wheezing engine,
rocking and swinging covert love.
Anna stands on the platform across from the tracks.
At night she dreamt but her dream was deceptive.
Like her broken heart the rails tremble
gnawed by mice in the underground.
Anna stands in Moscow, Paris or Tel Aviv,
rats gnawing within and without.
At night when she lay in her bed
the voice of her childhood fear returned:
Tonight, Anna, your end is near, tonight you will be plucked.
Death, like the hollow between my nose and mouth,
passes through my thighs, like a train track,
for death lives in the body as it does among the ashes.
And Anna, you who waited for one thing only
and nothing else consoled you nor would it cease
your longing, the beating of the expectant heart,
must fall into the hollow between mouth
and nose. You who waited for one thing
will be consumed in the mouth of death the silencer.
Years I lay in bed, lay and waited.
I did not wait for death. In the pages of the book Kitty
sickened and recovered, and many years passed,
while on the frozen earth,
I, a red stain on a lost continent,
had an inscrutable fever.
I was a stain fading on a map of the world,
to an eagle’s eyes, tears spread like lotus blossoms,
leaves are drugged by the sun, moonstruck,
and so my tears dripped and my eyes sank inward.
An angel slapped my lips when I was born,
shall I now return to this hidden world,
consumed by the darkness of ash and womb,
to the sweet ash of prolonged sleep?
Years I lay in bed and waited, not for death.
I lay and waited, my head hung down.
If only I had fallen before the chugging train ascended
the tracks, for then silence would have wrapped
the bleeding body from one end to the other
until the soul left the cleft body.
Anna stands on the platform across from the tracks.
At night she dreamt but her dream was deceptive.
Like her broken heart the rails tremble
gnawed by mice in the underground.
© 2015, Lisa Katz
From: Hasefer shel refuote pashutot (The book of simple remedies)
The angel’s slap is a part of Eastern European Jewish folklore. According to this myth, a fetus in the womb is taught the entirety of Jewish law. Upon birth, an angel’s slap causes loss of this knowledge and forms the furrow between nose and mouth.
From: Hasefer shel refuote pashutot (The book of simple remedies)
ANNA KARENINA
ANNA KARENINAShe rises from her sleep and returns to bed.
The train still lurches in her dream.
The train propels the wheezing engine,
rocking and swinging covert love.
Anna stands on the platform across from the tracks.
At night she dreamt but her dream was deceptive.
Like her broken heart the rails tremble
gnawed by mice in the underground.
Anna stands in Moscow, Paris or Tel Aviv,
rats gnawing within and without.
At night when she lay in her bed
the voice of her childhood fear returned:
Tonight, Anna, your end is near, tonight you will be plucked.
Death, like the hollow between my nose and mouth,
passes through my thighs, like a train track,
for death lives in the body as it does among the ashes.
And Anna, you who waited for one thing only
and nothing else consoled you nor would it cease
your longing, the beating of the expectant heart,
must fall into the hollow between mouth
and nose. You who waited for one thing
will be consumed in the mouth of death the silencer.
Years I lay in bed, lay and waited.
I did not wait for death. In the pages of the book Kitty
sickened and recovered, and many years passed,
while on the frozen earth,
I, a red stain on a lost continent,
had an inscrutable fever.
I was a stain fading on a map of the world,
to an eagle’s eyes, tears spread like lotus blossoms,
leaves are drugged by the sun, moonstruck,
and so my tears dripped and my eyes sank inward.
An angel slapped my lips when I was born,
shall I now return to this hidden world,
consumed by the darkness of ash and womb,
to the sweet ash of prolonged sleep?
Years I lay in bed and waited, not for death.
I lay and waited, my head hung down.
If only I had fallen before the chugging train ascended
the tracks, for then silence would have wrapped
the bleeding body from one end to the other
until the soul left the cleft body.
Anna stands on the platform across from the tracks.
At night she dreamt but her dream was deceptive.
Like her broken heart the rails tremble
gnawed by mice in the underground.
© 2015, Lisa Katz
The angel’s slap is a part of Eastern European Jewish folklore. According to this myth, a fetus in the womb is taught the entirety of Jewish law. Upon birth, an angel’s slap causes loss of this knowledge and forms the furrow between nose and mouth.
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