Poem
Shimon Adaf
I encountered the world
I encountered the worldfrom a point outside on which lay
an axis
what darkness
of space
not the darkness of space
perhaps as children who were
abandoned to forests
to be reared at a wolf’s
fangs, jaws,
and a touch or a sound restores
after many years,
humanity
(loss that shapes itself in an instant
into a framework of consciousness)
yes
perhaps it was the same moment
(that is, it was
a similar one)
and the world said, come in
the world said, airports, metal
rails and electricity
I said, no
I said –
no.
And the world said, kneel
the world said, sex!
I said, no
no.
And the world said, sleep out my wine
the world said, cities
great and walled.
I said, no
I said – nil.
The world said, superposition, man, the wisdom
of old age,
I will be
the door, I will be actuality.
I said, no
from a point outside
before the axis, I said
no
no
let me be
and the world said, look here now
while speaking, how much
of you I have, how much
of you is
here.
© Translation: 2018, Lisa Katz
I encountered the world
פָּגַשְׁתִּי אֶת הָעוֹלָם
בִּנְקֻדַּת חִיצוֹן אֲשֶׁר מִנּוֹכַח
צִיר
מָה חֹשֶׁךְ
הֶחָלָל
לֹא חֹשֶׁךְ הֶחָלָל
אוּלַי כִּילָדִים
שֶׁהֻפְקֵּרוּ לִיעָרִים
לִגְדוֹל בֵּין טְלָפֵי
זְאֵב, בְּמַלְתֵּעוֹת
וּמַגַּע אוֹ קוֹל הֵשִׁיב
לָהֶם, מִקֵּץ שָׁנִים,
אֱנוֹשִׁיּוּת
(אָבְדַּן הַמִּתְעַצֵּב בְּרֶגַע
לְתַבְנִית שֶׁל הַכָּרָה)
כֵּן
אוּלַי אוֹתוֹ הָרֶגַע
(כְּלוֹמַר כְּמוֹתוֹ
הָיָה)
וְהָעוֹלָם אָמַר, הִכָּנֵס
הָעוֹלָם אָמַר, שְׂדוֹת תְּעוּפָה, מְסִלּוֹת
מַתֶּכֶת וְחַשְׁמַל
אָמַרְתִּי, לֹא
אָמַרְתִּי –
לֹא.
וְהָעוֹלָם אָמַר, כְּרַע בֶּרֶךְ
הָעוֹלָם אָמַר, סֶקְס!
אָמַרְתִּי, לֹא
לֹא.
וְהָעוֹלָם אָמַר, שַׁן אֶת יֵינִי
הָעוֹלָם אָמַר, עָרִים
גְּדוֹלוֹת וּבְצוּרוֹת.
אָמַרְתִּי, לֹא
אָמַרְתִּי – לַא.
הָעוֹלָם אָמַר, סוּפֶּרפּוֹזִיצְיָה, גֶּבֶר, חָכְמַת
הַיְשִׁישׁוּת,
אֶהְיֶה אֲנִי
הַדֶּלֶת, אֶהְיֶה הַהִמָּצְאוּת.
אָמַרְתִּי, לֹא
בִּנְקֻדַּת חִיצוֹן בְּטֶרֶם
צִיר, אָמַרְתִּי
לֹא
לֹא
הַנַּח לִי
וְהָעוֹלָם אָמַר, תִּרְאֶה מָה זֶה
בְּאֶמְצַע הַדִּבּוּר, כַּמָּה
מִמְּךָ כְּבָר יֵשׁ לִי, כַּמָּה
מִמְּךָ כְּבָר
פֹּה.
בִּנְקֻדַּת חִיצוֹן אֲשֶׁר מִנּוֹכַח
צִיר
מָה חֹשֶׁךְ
הֶחָלָל
לֹא חֹשֶׁךְ הֶחָלָל
אוּלַי כִּילָדִים
שֶׁהֻפְקֵּרוּ לִיעָרִים
לִגְדוֹל בֵּין טְלָפֵי
זְאֵב, בְּמַלְתֵּעוֹת
וּמַגַּע אוֹ קוֹל הֵשִׁיב
לָהֶם, מִקֵּץ שָׁנִים,
אֱנוֹשִׁיּוּת
(אָבְדַּן הַמִּתְעַצֵּב בְּרֶגַע
לְתַבְנִית שֶׁל הַכָּרָה)
כֵּן
אוּלַי אוֹתוֹ הָרֶגַע
(כְּלוֹמַר כְּמוֹתוֹ
הָיָה)
וְהָעוֹלָם אָמַר, הִכָּנֵס
הָעוֹלָם אָמַר, שְׂדוֹת תְּעוּפָה, מְסִלּוֹת
מַתֶּכֶת וְחַשְׁמַל
אָמַרְתִּי, לֹא
אָמַרְתִּי –
לֹא.
וְהָעוֹלָם אָמַר, כְּרַע בֶּרֶךְ
הָעוֹלָם אָמַר, סֶקְס!
אָמַרְתִּי, לֹא
לֹא.
וְהָעוֹלָם אָמַר, שַׁן אֶת יֵינִי
הָעוֹלָם אָמַר, עָרִים
גְּדוֹלוֹת וּבְצוּרוֹת.
אָמַרְתִּי, לֹא
אָמַרְתִּי – לַא.
הָעוֹלָם אָמַר, סוּפֶּרפּוֹזִיצְיָה, גֶּבֶר, חָכְמַת
הַיְשִׁישׁוּת,
אֶהְיֶה אֲנִי
הַדֶּלֶת, אֶהְיֶה הַהִמָּצְאוּת.
אָמַרְתִּי, לֹא
בִּנְקֻדַּת חִיצוֹן בְּטֶרֶם
צִיר, אָמַרְתִּי
לֹא
לֹא
הַנַּח לִי
וְהָעוֹלָם אָמַר, תִּרְאֶה מָה זֶה
בְּאֶמְצַע הַדִּבּוּר, כַּמָּה
מִמְּךָ כְּבָר יֵשׁ לִי, כַּמָּה
מִמְּךָ כְּבָר
פֹּה.
© 2014, Shimon Adaf
From: Matanot ha-hatuna/The Wedding Gifts [fiction]
Publisher: Kinneret Zmora Bitan, Tel Aviv
From: Matanot ha-hatuna/The Wedding Gifts [fiction]
Publisher: Kinneret Zmora Bitan, Tel Aviv
Poems
Poems of Shimon Adaf
Close
I encountered the world
I encountered the worldfrom a point outside on which lay
an axis
what darkness
of space
not the darkness of space
perhaps as children who were
abandoned to forests
to be reared at a wolf’s
fangs, jaws,
and a touch or a sound restores
after many years,
humanity
(loss that shapes itself in an instant
into a framework of consciousness)
yes
perhaps it was the same moment
(that is, it was
a similar one)
and the world said, come in
the world said, airports, metal
rails and electricity
I said, no
I said –
no.
And the world said, kneel
the world said, sex!
I said, no
no.
And the world said, sleep out my wine
the world said, cities
great and walled.
I said, no
I said – nil.
The world said, superposition, man, the wisdom
of old age,
I will be
the door, I will be actuality.
I said, no
from a point outside
before the axis, I said
no
no
let me be
and the world said, look here now
while speaking, how much
of you I have, how much
of you is
here.
© 2018, Lisa Katz
From: Matanot ha-hatuna/The Wedding Gifts [fiction]
From: Matanot ha-hatuna/The Wedding Gifts [fiction]
I encountered the world
I encountered the worldfrom a point outside on which lay
an axis
what darkness
of space
not the darkness of space
perhaps as children who were
abandoned to forests
to be reared at a wolf’s
fangs, jaws,
and a touch or a sound restores
after many years,
humanity
(loss that shapes itself in an instant
into a framework of consciousness)
yes
perhaps it was the same moment
(that is, it was
a similar one)
and the world said, come in
the world said, airports, metal
rails and electricity
I said, no
I said –
no.
And the world said, kneel
the world said, sex!
I said, no
no.
And the world said, sleep out my wine
the world said, cities
great and walled.
I said, no
I said – nil.
The world said, superposition, man, the wisdom
of old age,
I will be
the door, I will be actuality.
I said, no
from a point outside
before the axis, I said
no
no
let me be
and the world said, look here now
while speaking, how much
of you I have, how much
of you is
here.
© 2018, Lisa Katz
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