Читать книгу No Child Left Alone - Abby W. Schachter - Страница 10

There Is a Tree That Stands

(Oyfn Veg Shteyt a Boym)

ITSIK MANGER

There is a tree that stands

And bows beside the road.

All its birds have fled away,

Leaving not a bird.

The tree, abandoned to the storm,

Stands there all alone:

Three birds east, and three birds west—

The others south have flown.

To my mother then, I say,

“If you won’t meddle, please,

I’ll turn myself into a bird

Right before your eyes.

All winter, I’ll sit on the tree

And sing him lullabies,

I’ll rock him and console him

With lovely melodies.”

Tearfully, my mother says,

“Don’t take any chances.

God forbid, up in the tree

You’ll freeze among the branches.”

“Mother, what a shame to spoil

Your eyes with tears,” I said,

Then, on the instant, I transformed

Myself into a bird.

My mother cried, “Oh, Itsik, love . . .

In the name of God,

Take a little scarf with you

To keep from catching cold.

And dear, put your galoshes on,

The winter’s cold and aching.

Be sure to wear your fleece-lined cap;

Woe’s me, my heart is breaking.

And, pretty fool, be sure to take

Your woolen underwear

And put it on, unless you mean

To lie a corpse somewhere.”

I try to fly, but I can’t move . . .

Too many, many things

My mother’s piled on her weak bird

And loaded down my wings.

I look into my mother’s eyes

And, sadly, there I see

The love that won’t let me become

The bird I want to be.