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Abraham Sutzkever: To Say A Prayer (From Yiddish)

To Say A Prayer
By Abraham Sutzkever
Translated by A.Z. Foreman
Click to hear me recite the original Yiddish

I have the urge to say a prayer. I do not know to whom.   
He who once gave me comfort will not hear it, should it come.  
To whom, then, would I pray? 
I am its choked-up prey.  

 Maybe I should entreat a star up there: "old distant friend,  
Come substitute for my lost speech. For I am at words' end."  
That good star deep in ether 
Won't hear my prayer either.  

 But I have got to say a prayer. Someone very near,  
Somebody in my soul is tortured, and demands a prayer.  
So I jabber on and on 
Senselessly until dawn.

 - Vilna Ghetto, January 1942


 The Original:
????? ??? ??? ?? ???? ?? ???????
?????? ?????????

????? ??? ??? ?? ???? ?? ??????? � ????? ??? ??? ?? ??????,
???, ????? ???? ?? ???? ???????? ??? ???? ?? ??? ??????????, 
????? ??? ??? ?? ?????? � 
????? ?? ??? ??? ??????. 

????? ???? ??? ???? ??? ?? ?????: ��??????? ???? ???????,
?????? ???? ?????? ??????????, ??? ??? ??? ??? ?? ???????????!��
???? ??? ????? ?????
???? ?? ??? ???????. 

???? ?? ??????? ????? ??? ???, ???? ???? ?? ???????
???????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ??? ?? ??????? ????? ??, �
???? ??? ??? ?? ?????
?????????? ??? ????????. 

??????? ?????, ???????? 1942
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