Poem
Sabina Messeg
SOLDIER
My little boy now paces the earthimmersed in darkness training for the worst.
My tender son, the mild one – little prince sheltered from the vulgar world
in the precious ark forever floating
on a perpetual flood
the child to whom I didn’t read Red Riding Hood
so as not to alarm him with slashed bellies
and blood
is now cutting his way through a thicket
crawling on all four
learning to be
a wolf.
© Translation: 2013, Karen Alkalay-Gut
חייל
חייל
עַכְשָׁו יַלְדִּי הוֹלֵךְ בַּחֹשֶׁךְ אֶת הָאָרֶץ
מִתְאַמֵּן לַגָּרוּעַ מִכָּל
. יַלְדִּי הַטּוֹב, הָרַךְ , נָסִיךְ שָׁמוּר מִן הָעוֹלָם הַזּוֹל
בְּתוֹךְ תֵּבַת-הַתַּכְשִׁיטִים הַמַּפְלִיגָה
עַל פְּנֵי מַבּוּל תְּמִידִי
יַלְדִּי, שֶׁלֹּא סִפַּרְתִּי לוֹ אֶת כִּפָּה אֲדֻמָּה
שֶׁלֹּא לְהַבְהִילוֹ בְּבֶטֶן חֲתוּכָה,
בְּצַּיָּדִים
חוֹתֵךְ דַּרְכּוֹ בַּסְּבַךְ
כָּל עוֹד נַפְשׁוֹ
לוֹמֵד לִהְיוֹת
זְאֵב.
מִתְאַמֵּן לַגָּרוּעַ מִכָּל
. יַלְדִּי הַטּוֹב, הָרַךְ , נָסִיךְ שָׁמוּר מִן הָעוֹלָם הַזּוֹל
בְּתוֹךְ תֵּבַת-הַתַּכְשִׁיטִים הַמַּפְלִיגָה
עַל פְּנֵי מַבּוּל תְּמִידִי
יַלְדִּי, שֶׁלֹּא סִפַּרְתִּי לוֹ אֶת כִּפָּה אֲדֻמָּה
שֶׁלֹּא לְהַבְהִילוֹ בְּבֶטֶן חֲתוּכָה,
בְּצַּיָּדִים
חוֹתֵךְ דַּרְכּוֹ בַּסְּבַךְ
כָּל עוֹד נַפְשׁוֹ
לוֹמֵד לִהְיוֹת
זְאֵב.
© 2014, Sabina Messeg
From: Straight From the Outdoors: Selected Poems/Yashar Min Ha-Shetach: Mivcher Shirim
Publisher: Bialik Institute, Hakibbutz Hameuchad, Jerusalem/Tel Aviv
From: Straight From the Outdoors: Selected Poems/Yashar Min Ha-Shetach: Mivcher Shirim
Publisher: Bialik Institute, Hakibbutz Hameuchad, Jerusalem/Tel Aviv
Poems
Poems of Sabina Messeg
Close
SOLDIER
My little boy now paces the earthimmersed in darkness training for the worst.
My tender son, the mild one – little prince sheltered from the vulgar world
in the precious ark forever floating
on a perpetual flood
the child to whom I didn’t read Red Riding Hood
so as not to alarm him with slashed bellies
and blood
is now cutting his way through a thicket
crawling on all four
learning to be
a wolf.
© 2013, Karen Alkalay-Gut
From: Straight From the Outdoors: Selected Poems/Yashar Min Ha-Shetach: Mivcher Shirim
From: Straight From the Outdoors: Selected Poems/Yashar Min Ha-Shetach: Mivcher Shirim
SOLDIER
My little boy now paces the earthimmersed in darkness training for the worst.
My tender son, the mild one – little prince sheltered from the vulgar world
in the precious ark forever floating
on a perpetual flood
the child to whom I didn’t read Red Riding Hood
so as not to alarm him with slashed bellies
and blood
is now cutting his way through a thicket
crawling on all four
learning to be
a wolf.
© 2013, Karen Alkalay-Gut
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