Poem
Agi Mishol
WOMAN MARTYR
You are only twentyand your first pregnancy is a bomb.
Under your broad skirt you are pregnant with dynamite
and metal shavings. This is how you walk in the market,
ticking among the people, you, Andaleeb Takatkah.
Someone tinkered with your head
and launched you toward the city;
even though you come from Bethlehem,
the Home of Bread, you chose a bakery.
And there you pulled the trigger out of yourself,
and together with the Sabbath loaves,
sesame and poppy seed,
you flung yourself into the sky.
Together with Rebecca Fink you flew up
with Yelena Konre’ev from the Caucasus
and Nissim Cohen from Afghanistan
and Suhila Houshy from Iran
and two Chinese you swept along
to death.
Since then, other matters
have obscured your story,
about which I speak all the time
without having anything to say.
© Translation: 2006, Lisa Katz
From: Look There
Publisher: Graywolf, St Paul, Minnesota, 2006
From: Look There
Publisher: Graywolf, St Paul, Minnesota, 2006
שאהידה
שאהידה
אַתְּ רַק בַּת עֶשְרִים
וְהַהֶרָיוֹן הָרִאשוֹן שֶלָךְ הוּא פְּצָצָה.
מִתַּחַת לַשִמְלָה הָרְחָבָה אַתְ הָרָה חמֶר נֶפֶץ
שְבָבִים שֶל מַתֶּכֶת, וְכַך אַת עוֹבֶרֶת בַּשוּק
מְתַקְתֶּקֶת בֵּין הַאָנָשִים עַנְדָלִיב תַּקָאטקָה.
מִישֶהוּ שִנָּה לָךְ בָּראש אֶת הַהַבְרָגָה
וְשִגֵּר אוֹתָך לַעִיר
ואַתְּ שֶבָּאת מִבֵּית לֶחֶם, בָּחַרתְּ לָךְ דָּוְקָא
מַאֲפִיָּה. שָם שָלַפתְּ מִתּוֹכֵך אֶת הַנִיצְרָה
וּבְיָחָד עִם חַלּוֹת הַשַבָּת
הַפֶּרֶג וְהַשוּמְשוּמִים
הֵעַפְתְּ אֶת עַצְמֵךְ לַשָמַיִם.
בְּיָחָד עִם רִבְקָה פִינְק עָפְתְּ
וְיֶלֶנָה קוֹנָרְיֵב מִקַּוְקָז
נסים כהן מאפגניסטן
וְסוּהִילָה חוּשִי מֵאִירָאן
וְגַם שְנַיִם סִינִים גָרַפתְּ אִתָּךְ
אֶל מוֹתֵך.
מֵאָז כִּסּוּ עִנְיָנִים אַחֵרִים
אֶת הַסִּפּוּר שֶלָך
שעָלָיו אֲנִי מְדַבֶּרֶת ומְדַבֶּרֶת
מִבְּלִי שֶיִהיֶה לִי מַשֶּהוּ לְהַגִיד.
מִתַּחַת לַשִמְלָה הָרְחָבָה אַתְ הָרָה חמֶר נֶפֶץ
שְבָבִים שֶל מַתֶּכֶת, וְכַך אַת עוֹבֶרֶת בַּשוּק
מְתַקְתֶּקֶת בֵּין הַאָנָשִים עַנְדָלִיב תַּקָאטקָה.
מִישֶהוּ שִנָּה לָךְ בָּראש אֶת הַהַבְרָגָה
וְשִגֵּר אוֹתָך לַעִיר
ואַתְּ שֶבָּאת מִבֵּית לֶחֶם, בָּחַרתְּ לָךְ דָּוְקָא
מַאֲפִיָּה. שָם שָלַפתְּ מִתּוֹכֵך אֶת הַנִיצְרָה
וּבְיָחָד עִם חַלּוֹת הַשַבָּת
הַפֶּרֶג וְהַשוּמְשוּמִים
הֵעַפְתְּ אֶת עַצְמֵךְ לַשָמַיִם.
בְּיָחָד עִם רִבְקָה פִינְק עָפְתְּ
וְיֶלֶנָה קוֹנָרְיֵב מִקַּוְקָז
נסים כהן מאפגניסטן
וְסוּהִילָה חוּשִי מֵאִירָאן
וְגַם שְנַיִם סִינִים גָרַפתְּ אִתָּךְ
אֶל מוֹתֵך.
מֵאָז כִּסּוּ עִנְיָנִים אַחֵרִים
אֶת הַסִּפּוּר שֶלָך
שעָלָיו אֲנִי מְדַבֶּרֶת ומְדַבֶּרֶת
מִבְּלִי שֶיִהיֶה לִי מַשֶּהוּ לְהַגִיד.
© 2003, Agi Mishol
From: Meevkhar veh-hadashim (New and selected poems)
Publisher: Mossad Bialik and Hakibbutz Hameuchad, Jerusalem & Tel Aviv
From: Meevkhar veh-hadashim (New and selected poems)
Publisher: Mossad Bialik and Hakibbutz Hameuchad, Jerusalem & Tel Aviv
Poems
Poems of Agi Mishol
Close
WOMAN MARTYR
You are only twentyand your first pregnancy is a bomb.
Under your broad skirt you are pregnant with dynamite
and metal shavings. This is how you walk in the market,
ticking among the people, you, Andaleeb Takatkah.
Someone tinkered with your head
and launched you toward the city;
even though you come from Bethlehem,
the Home of Bread, you chose a bakery.
And there you pulled the trigger out of yourself,
and together with the Sabbath loaves,
sesame and poppy seed,
you flung yourself into the sky.
Together with Rebecca Fink you flew up
with Yelena Konre’ev from the Caucasus
and Nissim Cohen from Afghanistan
and Suhila Houshy from Iran
and two Chinese you swept along
to death.
Since then, other matters
have obscured your story,
about which I speak all the time
without having anything to say.
© 2006, Lisa Katz
From: Look There
Publisher: 2006, Graywolf, St Paul, Minnesota
From: Look There
Publisher: 2006, Graywolf, St Paul, Minnesota
WOMAN MARTYR
You are only twentyand your first pregnancy is a bomb.
Under your broad skirt you are pregnant with dynamite
and metal shavings. This is how you walk in the market,
ticking among the people, you, Andaleeb Takatkah.
Someone tinkered with your head
and launched you toward the city;
even though you come from Bethlehem,
the Home of Bread, you chose a bakery.
And there you pulled the trigger out of yourself,
and together with the Sabbath loaves,
sesame and poppy seed,
you flung yourself into the sky.
Together with Rebecca Fink you flew up
with Yelena Konre’ev from the Caucasus
and Nissim Cohen from Afghanistan
and Suhila Houshy from Iran
and two Chinese you swept along
to death.
Since then, other matters
have obscured your story,
about which I speak all the time
without having anything to say.
© 2006, Lisa Katz
From: Look There
Publisher: 2006, Graywolf, St Paul, Minnesota
From: Look There
Publisher: 2006, Graywolf, St Paul, Minnesota
Sponsors
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère