Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Eli Eliahu

RECOMMENDATION

Don’t become a poet.
It’s hard to live like that –
everything a symbol
of something else.

Don’t become a poet.
It’s not easy constantly to be
in somebody else’s shoes.

Learn something that is useful,
that opens a door for you.

Something with clear rules.
Preferably with numbers.

You can trust numbers.
They are reliable.

Not like words, which say one thing
and mean another.

המלצה

המלצה

אַל תִּהְיֶה מְשׁוֹרֵר.
קָשֶׁה לִחְיוֹת כָּכָה -
כָּל דָּבָר מְסַמֵּל
דָּבָר אַחֵר.

אַל תִּהְיֶה מְשׁוֹרֵר.
אֵין זֶה דָּבָר פָּשׁוּט לִהְיוֹת
תָּמִיד בְּנַעֲלָיו שֶׁל מִישֶׁהוּ אַחֵר.

לְמַד דְּבַר מַה שֶׁיֵּשׁ עִמּוֹ תּוֹעֶלֶת.
שֶׁיִּפְתַּח לְךָ דֶּלֶת.

מַשֶּׁהוּ עִם חֻקִּים בְּרוּרִים.
מוטב עִם מִסְפָּרִים.

עַל מִסְפָּרִים אֶפְשָׁר לִסְמֹךְ.
הֵם אֲמִינִים.

לֹא כְּמוֹ הַמִּלִּים, שֶׁאוֹמְרוֹת דָּבָר
אֶחָד וּמִתְכַּוְּנוֹת לְדָבָר שֵׁנִי.
 
Close

RECOMMENDATION

Don’t become a poet.
It’s hard to live like that –
everything a symbol
of something else.

Don’t become a poet.
It’s not easy constantly to be
in somebody else’s shoes.

Learn something that is useful,
that opens a door for you.

Something with clear rules.
Preferably with numbers.

You can trust numbers.
They are reliable.

Not like words, which say one thing
and mean another.

RECOMMENDATION

Don’t become a poet.
It’s hard to live like that –
everything a symbol
of something else.

Don’t become a poet.
It’s not easy constantly to be
in somebody else’s shoes.

Learn something that is useful,
that opens a door for you.

Something with clear rules.
Preferably with numbers.

You can trust numbers.
They are reliable.

Not like words, which say one thing
and mean another.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère