Would that we all could deal with depression as gracefully as Zelda.
י
The White Mountain’s Shadow
The white mountain’s shadow
covered my face and hands
and I imagined my soul was free
as the dead.
A sad shadow covered the house
and the grape leaves
but when
in the strange land
that is my street
a violin played
I went out to a fete for a bride and groom
and saw
they were weaving
such a delicate hope
and saw
they were weaving
true hope,
and so I asked in silence:
Creator of man -
may the shades and demons never storm
their imagination
May their house
stand through the ages.
My prayer sprouted
green leaves.
I sat in the shade of the kikayon*
not knowing anymore
the name of the station
at which my life had arrived.
צל ההר הלבן
צֵל הָהָר הַלָּבָן
כִּסָּה אֶת פָּנַי וְיָדַי
וְדִמִּיתִי שֶׁנַּפְשִׁי חָפְשִׁית
כַּמֵּת.
צֵל עָצוּב כִּסָּה אֶת הַבַּיִת
וְאֶת עֲלֵי הַגֶּפֶן
אַךְ כַּאֲשֶׁר
בְּאֶרֶץ זָרָה
שֶׁהִיא רְחוֹבִי
נִגֵּן כִּנּוֹר
יָצָאתִי אֶל מְשׂוֹשׂ חָתָן וְכַלָּה
וְרָאִיתִי
כִּי הֵם שׁוֹזְרִים
תִּקְוָה עֲדִינָה עַד מְאֹד
וְרָאִיתִי
כִּי הֵמָּה שׁוֹזְרִים
תִּקְוָה אֲמִתִּית,
וְכָךְ בִּקַּשְׁתִּי בַּחֲשַׁאי:
יוֹצֵר הָאָדָם –
שֶׁלֹּא יִסְתָּעֲרוּ שֵׁדִים וּמַזִּיקִים
עַל דִּמְיוֹנָם
שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בִּנְיָנָם
בִּנְיָן עֲדֵי-עַד.
תְּפִלָּתי הִצְמִיחָה
עָלִים יְרֻקִּים.
יָשַׁבְתִּי בְּצֵל הַקִּיקָיוֹן
וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי עוֹד
מַה שֵׁם הַתַּחֲנָה
שֶׁהִגִּיעוּ אֵלֶיהָ חַיַּי.
י
*”Kikayon” is the Hebrew word for the evidently shady plant, often translated as “gourd,” to which the reluctant prophet Jonah becomes unduly attached outside Nineveh (Jonah 4).
Transliteration/תעתיק:
Tzeil ha-hár ha-laván
Kisáh ‘et panái ve-yadái
Ve-dimíti she-nafshí ḥofshít
Ka-méit.
Tzeil ʕatzúv kisáh ‘et ha-báyit
Ve-’ét ʕaléi ha-géfen
‘Akh ka’ashér
Be-’éretz zaráh
She-hí reḥoví
Nigéin kinór
Yatzáti ‘el mesós ḥatán ve-khaláh
Ve-ra’íti
Ki heim shozrím
Tikváh ʕadináh ʕad me’ód
Ve-ra’íti
Ki héimah shozrím
Tikváh ‘amitít,
Ve-khákh bikáshti be-ḥashái:
Yotzéir ha-’adám -
She-ló yistaʕarú sheidím u-mazikím
ʕal dimyonám
She-yihiyéh binyanám
Binyán ʕadéi-ʕad.
Tefilatí hitzmíḥah
ʕalím yerukím.
Yashávti be-tzéil ha-kikayón
Ve-ló yadáʕti ʕod
Mah sheim ha-taḥanáh
She-higíʕu ‘eiléha ḥayái.