Libretto – Yiddish Original

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SHARDS AND WHISPERS (PROLOGUE)

Esa einai el heharim, Me’ayin yavo ezri?
Ezri me’im Adonai, Oseh shamayim va’aretz.

— Psalm 121:1-2 (silent)

MALE WHISPERER

Shtiler, shtiler, shtil, shpil.
Nar mikh op, nar mikh op,
zog mir epes tsu,
varf a groshn bloyz…
Lomikh gleybm, az der malekh 
hot mir im gevorfn.

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 1. Excerpt

FEMALE WHISPERER

Vos boygstu zikh, mayn zel?
Vos brumstu brustik tif?
Un s’tsitern di vent,
di zayln fun mayn zayn,
un hekher, hekher shtaygt 
di shtil fun ere dayner,
un nider vert bagrobt
mit shtoyb fun dayne fis.

— “Violoncello” by Dovid Hofshteyn. Stanza 1

MALE WHISPERER

A violonchel afn hoyf a toytn-lid shpilt oys 
un veynt der vint a beynshtik geveyn
nor ikh lig zikh ruik ba der tir fun shtub 
un her vi s’lakht mayn blut, vi alts in mir.

— “A Cello Plays” by Simkha Shayevitch

FEMALE WHISPERER

Ikh bin azoy mid fun khokhme eygener un fremder,
tu mikh oys biz zikh aleyn 
fun alinke gevender.
(kinder geyen in bloyze hemder
un zaynen alts eyns dos vos zey zaynen:
fargleybt in alts un sheyn).

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 2

PART I “LETTERS TO NOWHERE

Af ale mayne briv shrayb ikh iber di adresn,
yam ariber, land ariber, lebm ariber,
tsum shaybele demer, tsum shoybikn fiber,
tsu a vaytn shtern, tsu dayn vezn.

— “To Someone” by Yisroel Emyot. Excerpt

Di royte tsugn-fentster zaynen troyerik un kalt,
vi oysgeveynte oygn fun almones, —
s’shvartsaplt zikh in zey mayn menchish-troyeriker kop…
Shvartsaplt zikh aleyn der ergetsdiker nakhttsug…

O, voyl iz mir azoy fun tog tsu nakht
dos shtikl ort in tsug tsu firn af a bank!
O, nor eyn vinkl — zalbe-akht 
ba tsugn-fentster…N’shvartsaplen zol zikh shtil in zey der menchish-troyeriker kop!..

—Untitled by Peretz Markish. Excerpt.

Shtilkayt, shtilkayt, shtilkayt 
shvert arop vi a shteyn —
loz mikh nisht iber aleyn…

— “Don’t Leave Me Alone” by Yisroel Emyot. Excerpt

Af ale mayne briv shrayb ikh iber di adresn,
yam ariber, land ariber, lebm ariber,
tsum shaybele demer, tsum shoybikn fiber,
tsu a vaytn shtern, tsu dayn vezn.

— “To Someone” by Yisroel Emyot. Excerpt

SHARDS AND WHISPERS (INTERLUDE 1)

Al yiten lamot raglekha Al yanum shomrekha
Hineh lo yanum v’lo yiyshan Shomer Yisrael

—Psalm 121:3-4 (silent)

MALE WHISPERER

Fun tkhies-hameysimdik varemen regn
pavolinke nemt zikh tseblien, bavegn 
(banand mit der kindhayt in altn zikorn)
di fidlroyz inem shvartserdikn orn.

— “The Fiddle Rose” by Avrom Sutzkever. Stanza 1

FEMALE WHISPERER

Vos boygstu zikh, mayn zel?
Vos brumstu brustik tif?
Vos bodstu zikh in shtoyb,
vos vashstu zikh in ash,
vi foyglen in a hits,
vos hobm furkht far vaser 
un kiln zikh mit erd un frishn zikh in mist?..

— “Violoncello” by Dovid Hofshteyn. Stanza 2

FEMALE WHISPERER

Shpil, o shpil, gefin mikh oys,
di mame ruft mir nokh alts
in droysn aroys.
Se kumt on di nakht
un tsayt shoyn tsumakhn di lodn,
di mame hot shoyn ale lodn farmakht 
un ikh bin geblibm in droysn,
un se ruft mir keyner nisht mer.

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 3

MALE WHISPERER

Treyst mir, o treyst mir
mit a bisele lign:
breyng mir dem nisht do gedakht,
nekhtike teg,
afn himl a yarid.
Ot o nem ikh un shtarb
un der emes iz harb,
azoy shver un harb,
un keyner zogt gornisht tsu.

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 4

PART II “LULLABY”

Ikh vel dikh nisht ufvekn,
saydn a foygl,
vos veyst, du host goldene oygn.
Er vet zikh shteln af dayn bet:
er hot zikh mit a yuni-nakht farvet
(zi iz sheyn un gayvedik on a shir),
az du bist toyznt mol shener fun ir.

Ikh vel dikh nisht ufvekn,
saydn a vint,
vos vet arayn durkh а shpare geshvind.
Тu epes a vint,
vos vil visn, tsi s’iz shener faran 
fun volkns, shtern un hint.

Ikh vel dikh nisht ufvekn,
saydn a boym,
vos vet royshn tsu shtark in dayn troym.
Der boym iz der eltster boym in vald,
a kayme-lon fun toyznt yor alt.
Tu epes a boym,
vos vil visn, tsi s’iz sheners faran
fun zayn roysh, fun zayn bli, fun zayn troym.

Ikh vel dikh nisht ufvekn,
saydn a regn,
vos vet kumen a groyer fun vegn un shtegn
un klapm in shtub mit di finger.
Der regn is nokh a yunger.
Ersht nekhtn iz er a prints geven,
haynt iz er farkisheft: eyn shmeykhl fun dir — 
un er vert tsurik vos geven.

Ikh vel dikh nisht ufvekn,
saydn a malekh,
vos vet kumen tsu flien fun a mehalekh 
af a vaysn levone-shtral 
un knien ba dayn geleger 
un zingen: “Shvester, shvesterl mayn!
Vos ken nokh shener un shener zayn 
fun dir un fun mir”.

. . . . . .

Sha, ikh vel mit a goldenem rigl 
farriglen di tir.

— “Lullaby” by Itzik Manger

SHARDS AND WHISPERS (INTERLUDE 2)

Adonai shomrekha Adonai Tsilkha Alyad yeminekha
Yomam hashemesh lo yakeka V’yareach balaila

—Psalm 121:5-6 (silent)

MALE WHISPERER

Ze, ikh halt bam keyver shoyn,
un rozhinkes mit mandlen
hot a hant fun mayn vigl tsugeroybt 
un kert zey mir nisht um.

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 5

FEMALE WHISPERER

Vos boygstu zikh, mayn zel?
Vos brumstu brustik tif,
vi zod fun frishn blut
af shtumen roytn shteyn,
vi zod, vos vert nit shtil 
fun umshuld zoyber-reynem,
biz gloybik heyses blut
mit tsiter im bagist.

— “Violoncello” by Dovid Hofshteyn. Stanza 3

MALE WHISPERER

Di fidlroyz darf shoyn atsind nit keyn fidler,
nito mer keyn loyber, nito mer keyn zidler.
Zi shpilt on a shpiler mit freyd un emune
lekoved a vidergeboyrener strune.

— “The Fiddle Rose” by Avrom Sutzkever. Stanza 2

FEMALE WHISPERER

Lomikh nisht erger zayn vi di gantse velt,
vemen du haltst in eyn gebm tsu farshteyn
vi elnt zi iz;
veynst far ir,
zukhst arum ir farfaln kind,

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 6

PART III “BURNING”

S’dakht zikh mir, az ikh bin in a brenendikn vald
un s’flien ale flaker-flaterdike beymer…
Vey mir!..

Mayn vigele shoyn oykh
a tsung in roytn gumen fun der heykh… 

Mame, un hentlekh mayne tsugebundn eyns tsum tsveytn.
Mame, mame, makh s’zol mir nit vey ton!..

S’dakht zikh mir, az ale beymer lokern nokh mir
mit bleter, flien dik, vi giftikdike binen,
der vald der gantser flakert — a mizbeyekh,
un af dem geyendikn flaker, eyner, eyner, gey ikh!
Nor frier brent mikh nit un git mikh nit keyn rir…
Un mayne fis shoyn tsugebrotn eyns tsum tsveytn,
mame, mame, makh s’zol mir nit vey ton!..

Du bist ba mir af d’hent,
ikh bin dayn vigele, farblondzhet kind,
nor ale finger frern mir un brenen,
un s’vigt un shlept mikh far di hor der brenendiker vint!..

—Untitled by Peretz Markish

SHARDS AND WHISPERS (INTERLUDE 3)

Adonai yishmorkha mikol ra Yishmor et nafshekha
Adonai yishmor tse’atkha Uvo’ekha me’ata vad olam.

—Psalm 121:7-8 (silent)

FEMALE WHISPERER

Lekoved a strune, lekoved ir tsiter,
lekoved a bin vos ir honik iz biter
nor zis iz ir shtokh, azoy zaftik un kveytik —
lekoved a vidergeboyrenem veytik.

— “The Fiddle Rose” by Avrom Sutzkever

MALE WHISPERER

Nu, boyg zhe zikh, mayn zel,
nu, brum zhe brustik tif,
un ver fun ashn klor,
fun blutn ver shoyn reyn,
un ver fun tsiter mild,
ver loyter shoyn fun veynen,
un zol tsu likht dir zayn
dayn groyser brokh, dayn ris!

— “Violoncello” by Dovid Hofshteyn. Stanza 4

FEMALE WHISPERER

Breklstu far veytik shures hayzer 
in di gasn 
un shtelst zey oys eynzam
in mitn feld,
shtibelekh bam vaser
mit shkie in di fentster,
makhstu demern fun teg
un fule taykhn beynkshaft.

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 7

PART IV “FAREWELL GREETINGS”

S’yogt der tsug, vi dos harts fun a farshtoysenem,
un af di felder blit der vayser shney.
Royte oygn blitsn, glien un farleshn zikh…
Di vegn zenen klor, nor tunkl iz dos harts,
vos blondzhet in rayfer vayskayt um.
Ikh ze un her un murml mid un shtum
dayn bloen nomen in der nakht arayn,
dayn bloen nomen in der vayser nakht arayn.

— “In The Train” by Itzik Manger. Excerpt

Kh’vel haynt ba nakht mistame shtarbm…
Mayn lid mayn letst! Un oys, un alts!
Der talyen varft zikh vi a shparber,
er vil mikh khapm farn haldz.

Umzist! Neyn, ikh bin nit fun yene,
vos betn rakhmim af di kni.
Afile toyt — mayn harts vet brenen 
vi zun af bargshpits in der fri.
Un gornit vil ikh, gornit darf ikh…

Nor ven es iz, khoch nor eyn mol —
a yidish kind zol ba mayn keyver 
mayn lid dermonen afn kol.

Un zol fun der matseyve shaynen
mayn eyntsik un mayn letst gebet:
mayn folk! Ikh bin geven dayn zinger,
an erlekher, a yidisher poet.

— “Gulag Poems” (No. 14) by Moishe Teyf. Excerpt

SHARDS AND WHISPERS (INTERLUDE 4)

Adonai yishmor tse’atkha Uvo’ekha me’ata vad olam.
Esa einai el heharim, Me’ayin yavo ezri?

—Psalm 121:8 – 121:1 (silent)

FEMALE WHISPERER

Vos boygstu zikh, mayn zel?

— “Violoncello” by Dovid Hofshteyn. Line 1

MALE WHISPERER

Tsi mit mir, tsi on mir,
veln teg oysgeyn mit a toyt, a harbm…

FEMALE WHISPERER

Un ikh vel zayn a blum demolt, tsi epes andersh vos…

MALE WHISPERER

a gesheft tsu shtarbm?

—Untitled poem by Yisroel Emyot.  Excerpt

FEMALE WHISPERER

O zog mir epes tsu,
vi beymer fokhn in harbst mit
di bleter 
vi mit tikhlekh bam gezegenen:
— mir kumen tsurik,
khoch zey kumen keyn mol di zelbe 
nisht tsurik.

— “In Melody Absorbed” by Yisroel Emyot. Stanza 8

MALE WHISPERER

Vos boygstu zikh, mayn zel?

— “Violoncello” by Dovid Hofshteyn. Line 1

MALE ANDFEMALE WHISPERERS TOGETHER

Itst ken ikh nor dikh un di vayskayt fun der nakht,
itst ken ikh nor dikh un di vayskayt fun der nakht.

— “In The Train” by Itzik Manger. Excerpt

Part V “MIRACLE” (EPILOGUE)

Fremde zaynen mentshn,
vos forn in tsugn.
Zeyere penemer — 
flekn vayte fun levones —
vekn uf dem troyer
fun ineveynikste merkhokim 
un varshvindn
vi keyn mol nisht geven.
Un nor di relsn, vos shnaydn durkh
di zamdn in di himlen,
veysn,
az yedes ponem iz a nes,
un az der nes
ken nokh a mol geshen.

— “Miracle” by Rajzel Zychlinski