Poem
Yonatan Berg
UNITY
We travel the silk road of evening,tobacco and desire flickering
in our hands. We are cordial travelers,
our eyes wide open, traveling in psalms,
in Rumi, in the sayings of the man from the Galilee.
We break bread under the pistachio tree,
under the Banyan tree, under the dark
of the Samaritan fig tree. Songs of offering rise up
in our throats, wandering along the wall of night. We travel
in the openness of warm eternity, celestial voices
announcing a coupling as the quiet horse gallops
heavenward. We travel with the rest of the world,
with its atrocities, its piles of ruins, scars of barbed wire,
traveling with ardor in our loins, with the cry of birth.
We sit crossed-legged within the rocking
of flesh, the quiet of the Brahmin, the bells
of Mass, the tumult of Torah. We travel
through the eagles of death, dilution of earth in rivers,
in eulogies, through marble we travel, through the silk
of evening, our hearts like bonfires in the dark.
© Translation: 2017, Joanna Chen
אחדוּת
אחדוּת
נוֹסְעִים בְּדֶרֶךְ הַמֶּשִׁי שֶׁל הָעֶרֶב,
סְחוֹרוֹת טַבָּק וּתְשׁוּקוֹת מְהַבְהֲבוֹת
בֵּין יָדֵינוּ. נוֹסְעִים חַמִּים,
עֵינֵינוּ פְּתוּחוֹת לִרְאוֹת, נוֹסְעִים בִּתְהִלִּים, אֵצֶל רוּמִי,
בְּדִבְרֵי הָאִישׁ מִן הַגָּלִיל.
בּוֹצְעִים לֶחֶם תַּחַת הָאֵלָה, תַּחַת עֵץ הַבַּנְיָאן,
תַּחַת תְּאֵנַת הַשּׁוֹמְרוֹן הַכֵּהָה. מִנְחוֹת שִׁירָה עוֹלוֹת
בִּגְרוֹנֵנוּ, מְטַיְּלוֹת עַל קִיר הַלַּיְלָה. נוֹסְעִים
בְּנֶצַח פָּתוּחַ וָחָם, בְּנוֹת קוֹל מַכְרִיזוֹת זִוּוּגִים,
הַסּוּס הַשָּׁקֵט מְנַתֵּר לַשָּׁמַיִם. נוֹסְעִים עִם
כְּלַל הָעוֹלָם, עִם הַזְּוָעוֹת, עִם עִיֵּי הֶחֳרָבוֹת,
עִם צַלְּקוֹת הַתַּיִל, נוֹסְעִים בְּלַהַט הַחֲלָצַיִם
וּבְכִי הַלֵּדָה. דֶּרֶךְ שִׂכּוּל הָרַגְלַיִם, דֶּרֶךְ נִדְנוּד
הַבָּשָׂר, דֶּרֶךְ הַשֶּׁקֶט שֶׁל הַבְּרַהְמִינִים, דֶּרֶךְ פַּעֲמוֹנֵי
הַמִּיסָה, דֶּרֶךְ הֲמֻלַּת בֵּית הַמִּדְרָשׁ.
דֶּרֶךְ נִשְׁרֵי הַמָּוֶת, דֶּרֶךְ מְהִילַת הָאֵפֶר בַּנָּהָר,
דֶּרֶךְ הַהֶסְפֵּדִים, דֶּרֶךְ הַשַּׁיִשׁ, נוֹסְעִים בְּדֶרֶךְ
הַמֶּשִׁי שֶׁל הָעֶרֶב וְלִבֵּנוּ מְדוּרָה בָּאֲפֵלָה.
סְחוֹרוֹת טַבָּק וּתְשׁוּקוֹת מְהַבְהֲבוֹת
בֵּין יָדֵינוּ. נוֹסְעִים חַמִּים,
עֵינֵינוּ פְּתוּחוֹת לִרְאוֹת, נוֹסְעִים בִּתְהִלִּים, אֵצֶל רוּמִי,
בְּדִבְרֵי הָאִישׁ מִן הַגָּלִיל.
בּוֹצְעִים לֶחֶם תַּחַת הָאֵלָה, תַּחַת עֵץ הַבַּנְיָאן,
תַּחַת תְּאֵנַת הַשּׁוֹמְרוֹן הַכֵּהָה. מִנְחוֹת שִׁירָה עוֹלוֹת
בִּגְרוֹנֵנוּ, מְטַיְּלוֹת עַל קִיר הַלַּיְלָה. נוֹסְעִים
בְּנֶצַח פָּתוּחַ וָחָם, בְּנוֹת קוֹל מַכְרִיזוֹת זִוּוּגִים,
הַסּוּס הַשָּׁקֵט מְנַתֵּר לַשָּׁמַיִם. נוֹסְעִים עִם
כְּלַל הָעוֹלָם, עִם הַזְּוָעוֹת, עִם עִיֵּי הֶחֳרָבוֹת,
עִם צַלְּקוֹת הַתַּיִל, נוֹסְעִים בְּלַהַט הַחֲלָצַיִם
וּבְכִי הַלֵּדָה. דֶּרֶךְ שִׂכּוּל הָרַגְלַיִם, דֶּרֶךְ נִדְנוּד
הַבָּשָׂר, דֶּרֶךְ הַשֶּׁקֶט שֶׁל הַבְּרַהְמִינִים, דֶּרֶךְ פַּעֲמוֹנֵי
הַמִּיסָה, דֶּרֶךְ הֲמֻלַּת בֵּית הַמִּדְרָשׁ.
דֶּרֶךְ נִשְׁרֵי הַמָּוֶת, דֶּרֶךְ מְהִילַת הָאֵפֶר בַּנָּהָר,
דֶּרֶךְ הַהֶסְפֵּדִים, דֶּרֶךְ הַשַּׁיִשׁ, נוֹסְעִים בְּדֶרֶךְ
הַמֶּשִׁי שֶׁל הָעֶרֶב וְלִבֵּנוּ מְדוּרָה בָּאֲפֵלָה.
© 2012, Yonatan Berg
From: Mifrashim kashim (Hard Sails)
Publisher: Keshev, Tel Aviv
From: Mifrashim kashim (Hard Sails)
Publisher: Keshev, Tel Aviv
Poems
Poems of Yonatan Berg
Close
UNITY
We travel the silk road of evening,tobacco and desire flickering
in our hands. We are cordial travelers,
our eyes wide open, traveling in psalms,
in Rumi, in the sayings of the man from the Galilee.
We break bread under the pistachio tree,
under the Banyan tree, under the dark
of the Samaritan fig tree. Songs of offering rise up
in our throats, wandering along the wall of night. We travel
in the openness of warm eternity, celestial voices
announcing a coupling as the quiet horse gallops
heavenward. We travel with the rest of the world,
with its atrocities, its piles of ruins, scars of barbed wire,
traveling with ardor in our loins, with the cry of birth.
We sit crossed-legged within the rocking
of flesh, the quiet of the Brahmin, the bells
of Mass, the tumult of Torah. We travel
through the eagles of death, dilution of earth in rivers,
in eulogies, through marble we travel, through the silk
of evening, our hearts like bonfires in the dark.
© 2017, Joanna Chen
From: Mifrashim kashim (Hard Sails)
From: Mifrashim kashim (Hard Sails)
UNITY
We travel the silk road of evening,tobacco and desire flickering
in our hands. We are cordial travelers,
our eyes wide open, traveling in psalms,
in Rumi, in the sayings of the man from the Galilee.
We break bread under the pistachio tree,
under the Banyan tree, under the dark
of the Samaritan fig tree. Songs of offering rise up
in our throats, wandering along the wall of night. We travel
in the openness of warm eternity, celestial voices
announcing a coupling as the quiet horse gallops
heavenward. We travel with the rest of the world,
with its atrocities, its piles of ruins, scars of barbed wire,
traveling with ardor in our loins, with the cry of birth.
We sit crossed-legged within the rocking
of flesh, the quiet of the Brahmin, the bells
of Mass, the tumult of Torah. We travel
through the eagles of death, dilution of earth in rivers,
in eulogies, through marble we travel, through the silk
of evening, our hearts like bonfires in the dark.
© 2017, Joanna Chen
Sponsors
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère