Poem
Erez Biton
MY MOTHER, HER CHILDREN DID NOT LIVE
MY MOTHER, HER CHILDREN DID NOT LIVEMy mother,
her children did not live,
my mother.
The first
for her he didn’t live, the first,
who was called David,
after her father.
The second
he didn’t live for her, the second,
who was called Meir after Rabbi Meir the miracle maker,
and didn’t receive the miracle of life.
The third
lived for her, the third
who was called Yaish
which means life
and that was me,
and I lived for her.
But
what kind of life did I live for you,
my mother.
© Translation: 2015, Lisa Katz
MY MOTHER, HER CHILDREN DID NOT LIVE
לאמי לא חיו לה הילדים
לְאִמִּי
לֹא חַיוּ לָהּ הַיְּלָדִים
לְאִמִּי.
הָרִאשׁוֹן
לֹא חַי לָהּ הָרִאשׁוֹן,
שֶׁקָּרְאוּ לוֹ דָּוִד
עַל שֵׁם אֲבִיהָ.
הַשֵּׁנִי
לֹא חַי לָהּ הַשֵּׁנִי ,
שֶׁקָּרְאוּ לוֹ מֵאִיר
עַל שֵׁם רַבִּי מֵאִיר בַּעַל הַנֵּס,
וְלֹא הָיָה לוֹ נֵס לִחְיוֹת.
וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי
חי לה השלישי
שֶׁקָּרְאוּ לִו יָעִישׁ,
שֶׁזֶּה חַיִּים
וזה הייתי אני,
וְחָיִיתִי לָהּ,
אֲבָל
אֵיזֶה חַיִּים חָיִיתִי לָךְ ,
אִמִּי.
לְאִמִּי
לֹא חַיוּ לָהּ הַיְּלָדִים
לְאִמִּי.
הָרִאשׁוֹן
לֹא חַי לָהּ הָרִאשׁוֹן,
שֶׁקָּרְאוּ לוֹ דָּוִד
עַל שֵׁם אֲבִיהָ.
הַשֵּׁנִי
לֹא חַי לָהּ הַשֵּׁנִי ,
שֶׁקָּרְאוּ לוֹ מֵאִיר
עַל שֵׁם רַבִּי מֵאִיר בַּעַל הַנֵּס,
וְלֹא הָיָה לוֹ נֵס לִחְיוֹת.
וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי
חי לה השלישי
שֶׁקָּרְאוּ לִו יָעִישׁ,
שֶׁזֶּה חַיִּים
וזה הייתי אני,
וְחָיִיתִי לָהּ,
אֲבָל
אֵיזֶה חַיִּים חָיִיתִי לָךְ ,
אִמִּי.
© 2009, Erez Biton
From: Timbisert: A Moroccan bird
Publisher: Hakibbutz Hameuchad, Tel Aviv
From: Timbisert: A Moroccan bird
Publisher: Hakibbutz Hameuchad, Tel Aviv
Poems
Poems of Erez Biton
Close
MY MOTHER, HER CHILDREN DID NOT LIVE
MY MOTHER, HER CHILDREN DID NOT LIVEMy mother,
her children did not live,
my mother.
The first
for her he didn’t live, the first,
who was called David,
after her father.
The second
he didn’t live for her, the second,
who was called Meir after Rabbi Meir the miracle maker,
and didn’t receive the miracle of life.
The third
lived for her, the third
who was called Yaish
which means life
and that was me,
and I lived for her.
But
what kind of life did I live for you,
my mother.
© 2015, Lisa Katz
From: Timbisert: A Moroccan bird
From: Timbisert: A Moroccan bird
MY MOTHER, HER CHILDREN DID NOT LIVE
MY MOTHER, HER CHILDREN DID NOT LIVEMy mother,
her children did not live,
my mother.
The first
for her he didn’t live, the first,
who was called David,
after her father.
The second
he didn’t live for her, the second,
who was called Meir after Rabbi Meir the miracle maker,
and didn’t receive the miracle of life.
The third
lived for her, the third
who was called Yaish
which means life
and that was me,
and I lived for her.
But
what kind of life did I live for you,
my mother.
© 2015, Lisa Katz
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