Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Erez Biton

MY MOTHER, HER CHILDREN DID NOT LIVE

MY MOTHER, HER CHILDREN DID NOT LIVE
 
My mother,
her children did not live,
my mother.
 
The first
for her he didn’t live, the first,
who was called David,
after her father.
 
The second
he didn’t live for her, the second,
who was called Meir after Rabbi Meir the miracle maker,
and didn’t receive the miracle of life.

The third
lived for her, the third
who was called Yaish
which means life
and that was me,
and I lived for her.

But
what kind of life did I live for you,
my mother.

MY MOTHER, HER CHILDREN DID NOT LIVE

לאמי לא חיו לה הילדים

לְאִמִּי

לֹא חַיוּ לָהּ הַיְּלָדִים

לְאִמִּי.


הָרִאשׁוֹן

לֹא חַי לָהּ הָרִאשׁוֹן,

שֶׁקָּרְאוּ לוֹ דָּוִד

עַל שֵׁם אֲבִיהָ.


הַשֵּׁנִי
לֹא חַי לָהּ הַשֵּׁנִי
,
שֶׁקָּרְאוּ לוֹ מֵאִיר

עַל שֵׁם
 רַבִּי מֵאִיר בַּעַל הַנֵּס,

וְלֹא הָיָה לוֹ נֵס
 לִחְיוֹת.


וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי
חי לה השלישי
שֶׁקָּרְאוּ לִו יָעִישׁ,

שֶׁזֶּה חַיִּים

וזה הייתי אני,
וְחָיִיתִי לָהּ,

אֲבָל

אֵיזֶה חַיִּים חָיִיתִי לָךְ
,
אִמִּי.
Close

MY MOTHER, HER CHILDREN DID NOT LIVE

MY MOTHER, HER CHILDREN DID NOT LIVE
 
My mother,
her children did not live,
my mother.
 
The first
for her he didn’t live, the first,
who was called David,
after her father.
 
The second
he didn’t live for her, the second,
who was called Meir after Rabbi Meir the miracle maker,
and didn’t receive the miracle of life.

The third
lived for her, the third
who was called Yaish
which means life
and that was me,
and I lived for her.

But
what kind of life did I live for you,
my mother.

MY MOTHER, HER CHILDREN DID NOT LIVE

MY MOTHER, HER CHILDREN DID NOT LIVE
 
My mother,
her children did not live,
my mother.
 
The first
for her he didn’t live, the first,
who was called David,
after her father.
 
The second
he didn’t live for her, the second,
who was called Meir after Rabbi Meir the miracle maker,
and didn’t receive the miracle of life.

The third
lived for her, the third
who was called Yaish
which means life
and that was me,
and I lived for her.

But
what kind of life did I live for you,
my mother.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère