Poem
Sigal Ben Yair
POEMS
I write poems for peoplewith undiscriminating ears*. The light-headed ones
who don’t distinguish
between prayer and what’s pointless.
I write for people stripped
of skin like me, for day dreamers,
for those whose mother-tongue is cleft, for singers
to themselves before light falls, those who cherish
their loneliness,
for travelers and those
who don’t intend to return.
© Translation: 2020, Lisa Katz
*The original Hebrew poem uses a high-register biblical word (with particular connotations) for blocked or deaf ears: "To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it." Jeremiah 6:10: KJV
שירים
שירים
אֲנִי כּוֹתֶבֶת שִירִים לַאֲנָשִׁים
שֶׁאָזְנָם עֲרֵלָה. שֶׁדָּמָם קַל
שֶׁאֵינָם מַבְדִּילִים
בֵּין תָּפֵל לִתְפִלָּה
אֲנִי כּוֹתֶבֶת לַפְּשׁוּטִים
מֵעוֹר כָּמוֹנִי, לַחוֹלְמִים בְּהָקִיץ,
שֶׁשְּׂפַת אִמָּם שְׁסוּעָה, לַשָּׁרִים
בְּלִבָּם לִפְנֵי שֶׁהָאוֹר כָּבָה, לַמְקַדְּשִׁים
אֶת בְּדִידוּתָם
לְאֵלּוּ הַנּוֹסְעִים וְנוֹסְעִים
שֶׁלּא עַל מְנָת לַחֲזֹר חֲזָרָה.
שֶׁאָזְנָם עֲרֵלָה. שֶׁדָּמָם קַל
שֶׁאֵינָם מַבְדִּילִים
בֵּין תָּפֵל לִתְפִלָּה
אֲנִי כּוֹתֶבֶת לַפְּשׁוּטִים
מֵעוֹר כָּמוֹנִי, לַחוֹלְמִים בְּהָקִיץ,
שֶׁשְּׂפַת אִמָּם שְׁסוּעָה, לַשָּׁרִים
בְּלִבָּם לִפְנֵי שֶׁהָאוֹר כָּבָה, לַמְקַדְּשִׁים
אֶת בְּדִידוּתָם
לְאֵלּוּ הַנּוֹסְעִים וְנוֹסְעִים
שֶׁלּא עַל מְנָת לַחֲזֹר חֲזָרָה.
© 2020, Sigal Ben Yair
From: What I do
Publisher: Pardes, Haifa
From: What I do
Publisher: Pardes, Haifa
Poems
Poems of Sigal Ben Yair
Close
POEMS
I write poems for peoplewith undiscriminating ears*. The light-headed ones
who don’t distinguish
between prayer and what’s pointless.
I write for people stripped
of skin like me, for day dreamers,
for those whose mother-tongue is cleft, for singers
to themselves before light falls, those who cherish
their loneliness,
for travelers and those
who don’t intend to return.
© 2020, Lisa Katz
From: What I do
From: What I do
POEMS
I write poems for peoplewith undiscriminating ears*. The light-headed ones
who don’t distinguish
between prayer and what’s pointless.
I write for people stripped
of skin like me, for day dreamers,
for those whose mother-tongue is cleft, for singers
to themselves before light falls, those who cherish
their loneliness,
for travelers and those
who don’t intend to return.
© 2020, Lisa Katz
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