Candles of Song: Yiddish Poems about Mothers Gitl Schaechter-Viswanath

Mother

One pair of arms
living life
separately,
left and right.

But what a sight!

From these two
is woven tight
one little nest
for child’s delight.
Sudden Rain: Yiddish Poems
Translations by Jeffrey Shandler and Zackary Berger

Mame

Eyn por orems
oysgelebt zikh –
links un rekhts
bazunder.

Nor zet a vunder!

S’hot fun di tsvey
zikh oysgevebt
a nestele
far kinder.

 מאַמע

איין פּאָר אָרעמס
אויסגעלעבט זיך –
לינקס און רעכטס
באַזונדער.

נאָר זעט אַ וווּנדער!
ס’האָט פֿון די צוויי
זיך אויסגעוועבט
אַ נעסטעלע
פֿאַר קינדער.
פּלוצעמדיקער רעגן, 2003

Poems cross-posted with ShevaZucker.com.

Dr. Sheva Zucker is currently the Executive Director of the League for Yiddish and the editor of its magazine Afn Shvel. She has taught and lectured on Yiddish language, literature and culture on five continents.