Poem
Natan Zach
[Two bird poems]
1.I saw a white bird in the black of night
and I knew that soon the light would dim
my eye in the black of night.
I saw a cloud like the palm of a hand
and I knew that the rain I sensed
I could not tell yet to any man.
I saw a leaf that fell, while falling.
Time is short. I’m not complaining.
2.
I saw a bird of exquisite beauty.
The bird saw me.
A bird of such exquisite beauty I’d never see again
until the day I die.
Then I shivered in the sun.
I uttered words of peace.
The words I uttered yesterday
I won’t repeat today.
© Translation: 2018, Lisa Katz
These poems are for readers who are able and may want to compare Zach\'s Hebrew with draft translations.
[Two bird poems]
רָאִיתִי צִפּוֹר לְבָנָה בַּלַּיְלָה הַשָּׁחוֹר
וְיָדַעְתִּי כִּי קָרוֹב לִכְבּוֹת אוֹר
עֵינַי בַּלַּיְלָה הַשָּׁחוֹר.
רָאִיתִי עָב קְטַנָּה כְּכַף יַד אִישׁ
וְיָדַעְתִּי כִּי אֶת הַגֶּשֶׁם שֶׁאֲנִי מַרְגִּישׁ
עוֹד לֹא הִצְלַחְתִּי לְסַפֵּר לְאִישׁ.
רָאִיתִי עָלֶה אֲשֶׁר נָפַל, אֲשֶׁר נוֹפֵל.
הַזְּמַן קָצָר. אֲנִי אֵינִי קוֹבֵל
רָאִיתִי צִפּוֹר רַבַּת יֹפִי.
הַצִּפּוֹר רָאֲתָה אוֹתִי.
צִפּוֹר רַבַּת יֹפִי כָּזֹאת לֹא אֶרְאֶה עוֹד
עַד יוֹם מוֹתִי.
עָבַר אוֹתִי אָז רֶטֶט שֶׁל שֶׁמֶשׁ.
אָמַרְתִּי מִלִּים שֶׁל שָׁלוֹם.
מִלִּים שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי אֶמֶשׁ
לֹא אֹמַר עוֹד הַיּוֹם.
© 1955, Natan Zach
From: 1. First Poems 2.All the Milk and Honey
Publisher: המס"ה1./Hamsa 2. Am Oved, Jerusalem/Tel Aviv
From: 1. First Poems 2.All the Milk and Honey
Publisher: המס"ה1./Hamsa 2. Am Oved, Jerusalem/Tel Aviv
Poems
Poems of Natan Zach
Close
[Two bird poems]
1.I saw a white bird in the black of night
and I knew that soon the light would dim
my eye in the black of night.
I saw a cloud like the palm of a hand
and I knew that the rain I sensed
I could not tell yet to any man.
I saw a leaf that fell, while falling.
Time is short. I’m not complaining.
2.
I saw a bird of exquisite beauty.
The bird saw me.
A bird of such exquisite beauty I’d never see again
until the day I die.
Then I shivered in the sun.
I uttered words of peace.
The words I uttered yesterday
I won’t repeat today.
© 2018, Lisa Katz
From: 1. First Poems 2.All the Milk and Honey
From: 1. First Poems 2.All the Milk and Honey
[Two bird poems]
1.I saw a white bird in the black of night
and I knew that soon the light would dim
my eye in the black of night.
I saw a cloud like the palm of a hand
and I knew that the rain I sensed
I could not tell yet to any man.
I saw a leaf that fell, while falling.
Time is short. I’m not complaining.
2.
I saw a bird of exquisite beauty.
The bird saw me.
A bird of such exquisite beauty I’d never see again
until the day I die.
Then I shivered in the sun.
I uttered words of peace.
The words I uttered yesterday
I won’t repeat today.
© 2018, Lisa Katz
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