Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Ory Bernstein

ABRAHAM BECOMES HUMAN

You didn’t promise me anything.
You didn’t tempt me.
Not when I went out ahead of the army
and not when it passed by.

I sent one son to die,
and the other I tried to sacrifice.
I maintained an innocence
no longer useful.

When all the prophecies come to pass –
and they always do, for evil  –
my eyes will lift toward you
at the camp, like the eyes of a cow.

Behold me in my affliction, look 
as my days are numbered.
I was, after all, just an instance
around which things happened.


אברהם נעשה אנושי

אברהם נעשה אנושי

לֹא הִבְטַחְתְּ לִי דָּבָר שׁוֹנֶה.

לֹא פִּתִּית אוֹתִי בְּדָבָר.

גַּם כְּשֶׁיָּצָאתִי לִפְנֵי הַמַּחֲנֶה,
וְגַם כְּשֶׁהַמַּחֲנֶה עָבַר.

יֶלֶד אֶחָד שָׁלַחְתִּי לָמוּת,

וְאֶחָד נִסִּיתִי לַעֲקֹד.

וְשָׁמַרְתִּי עַל תְּמִימוּת 

שֶׁלֹּא תְּסַיַּע לִי עוֹד.

וּכְשֶׁכָּל הַנְּבוּאוֹת מִתְקַיְּמוֹת –

וְתָמִיד מִתְקַיְּמוֹת לְרַע –  

עֵינַי אֵלֶיךָ מוּרָמוֹת 

בִּתְחִנָּה, כְּעֵינֵי פָּרָה.

רְאֵה אוֹתִי בְּעָנְיִי, רְאֵה

אוֹתִי כְּשֶׁיָּמַי נִסְפְּרוּ.

הָיִיתִי, כִּכְלוֹת הַכֹּל,
רַק מִקְרֶה 
שֶׁסְּבִיבוֹ הַדְּבָרִים קָרוּ.
 
Close

ABRAHAM BECOMES HUMAN

You didn’t promise me anything.
You didn’t tempt me.
Not when I went out ahead of the army
and not when it passed by.

I sent one son to die,
and the other I tried to sacrifice.
I maintained an innocence
no longer useful.

When all the prophecies come to pass –
and they always do, for evil  –
my eyes will lift toward you
at the camp, like the eyes of a cow.

Behold me in my affliction, look 
as my days are numbered.
I was, after all, just an instance
around which things happened.


ABRAHAM BECOMES HUMAN

You didn’t promise me anything.
You didn’t tempt me.
Not when I went out ahead of the army
and not when it passed by.

I sent one son to die,
and the other I tried to sacrifice.
I maintained an innocence
no longer useful.

When all the prophecies come to pass –
and they always do, for evil  –
my eyes will lift toward you
at the camp, like the eyes of a cow.

Behold me in my affliction, look 
as my days are numbered.
I was, after all, just an instance
around which things happened.


Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère