Friday, September 7, 2007

Can't Sleep Now

Can't sleep on this cloudy night, and it's almost dawn. What better to do at a time like this than translate a Hebrew rock ballad from the 70s?

It is by Shalom Hanoch.

//////////////////////////

Can't sleep now.
Outside - the shivering dog
barks at a moon
that stopped at my window.

A horse-drawn cart passes,
advancing towards morning
among pale-walled houses
and windows shut like eyes.

Soon rain will fall
in honour of the farmers.
My fingers are aflame
to touch the string,
to strum a chord.
If I appear in someone's dream tonight
it may be because she
had vanished from my memory.

Can't sleep now.
I listen to the wind - mind blowing
returning to the room,
to consult my clock.

Had she whispered to me
to come and be between her sheets
between her eyes
between her teeth
between her legs,
clouds...

Soon rain will fall
in honour of the farmers.
My fingers are aflame
to touch the string,
to strum a chord.
If I appear in someone's dream tonight
it may be because she
had vanished from my memory.

4 comments:

Ari said...

Hey Yuval, thanks for the blog post. Its nice to know others around the community are active on here. So the house party you had last night sounds cool, wish I coulda know about it. I've just moved here this summer and have been running around a lot. I volunteer in a few places around the area but I also have a lot of free time so if you throw another party or know of any fun things going on you should defintely let me know. Take care and shabbat shalom!

Ari said...

Oh hey, and if there are any poetry readings around the area you I'd love to come. Very cool that you have a community of poets here!

Ari said...

one last thing--an american girl and myself would like to go out and about in florentin tonight. got any good reccomendations of music venues or nice bars we could go to, or anything special thats goin on?
-i liked the translation of your poem very much- im always wishing i could read hebrew well enough to read the poetry and music lyrics.

יובל בן-עמי Yuval Ben-Ami said...

Hi! I responded on your blog.