Ariga: Poetry: Three translations of the same poem by Elisha Porat

Poetry || Submissions

Three translations of the same poem by Elisha Porat

Diminishment

In each generation I am ever more diminished:
I share my children with my wife,
And in my grandchildren I am a junior partner.
In my great-grandchildren I have an eighth
or less. And then come
my great-great-grandchildren
and my great-great-great grandchildren,
and so on to innumerable generations. I am reduced
and vanish with the lengthening
of the branches in my future family tree:
I descend to its roots,
shaking from the sorrow of diminishment, sinking
into the final depth, the warm
vacuum that shall restore me to life.

Translated from the Hebrew by Cindy Eisner

Diminution

With every generation I am diminished:
My children I share with my wife,
In my grandchildren I am a junior partner.
Of my great grand-children I have an eighth
Or less. And then there are the third
And fourth and fifth generation,
And those who have neither names nor nicknames.
I shrink, approaching zero, and the branches
On my family tree lengthen
Into my future; going back to my roots,
Sinking down to the ultimate depths,
The warm void where my life begins.

Translated from the Hebrew by Eddie Levenston

Diminution

With each generation I steadily diminish:
I share my children with my wife,
And I am a minor partner in my grandchildren.
I own an eighth part in my great-grandchildren
then come great-grandchildren And less.
To the third and fourth and fifth generations,
And those who have no names
And no titles at all. I am reduced
And become nothing with the lengthening
Of the branches of my own future family
Tree: I go down to its roots,
Trembling with the sorrow of diminishment, sinking
To the final abyss, this hot emptiness
That will restore me to life anew.

translated from the Hebrew by Asher Harris

Today's Situation

Back to the top

If this page was useful, please consider making a donation or use Amazon links at Ariga to go to the biggest online store in the world and help keep Ariga going. Click over to the bookstore, check out Ariga's latest recommended book, or visit one of the subject areas that interest Ariga visitors: Yiddish || Middle East Affairs || Military Affairs || Religion || Hippotherapy (Horses and Feldenkrais) || Women's Issues || Pop Culture || Cooking || American Issues ||

Or click over to Amazon's Top 100 Best Sellers

Ariga Recommends:

סדנת "דיו-לוג" -- סדנה חווייתית באווירה אינטימית,מפנקת ומהנה, המציעה מפגש מרתק בין תנועה {לפי שיטת פלדנקרייז} לרכיבה על סוסים.

The People's Voice Petition for Peace for Israel and Palestine