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:
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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