Whereas a fool walks in darkness.
But I also realized that the same fate awaits them both.
(9) What value, then, can the person of affairs get from what s/he earns? (10) I have observed the business that God gave humanity to be concerned with: (11) God brings everything to pass precisely at its time; God also puts eternity in their mind, but without man ever guessing, from first to last, all the things that God brings to pass. (12) Thus I realized that the only worthwhile thing there is for them is to enjoy themselves and do what is goodeI.e., what the author has already concluded (2.24) is good. in their lifetime; (13) also, that whenever a man does eat and drink and get enjoyment out of all his wealth, it is a gift of God.
שִׁירֵי סוֹף הַדֶּרֶךְ
לאה גולדברג
א
הַדֶּרֶך יָפָה עַד מְאֹד - אָמַר הַנַּעַר.
הַדֶּרֶך קָשָׁה עַד מְאֹד - אָמַר הָעֶלֶם.
הַדֶּרֶך אָרְכָה עַד מְאֹד - אָמַר הַגֶּבֶר.
יָשַׁב הַזָּקֵן לָנוּחַ בְּצַד הַדֶּרֶך.
צוֹבְעָה הַשְּׁקִיעָה שֵׂיבָתוֹ בְּפָז וָאֹדֶם,
הַדֶּשֶׁא מַבְהִיק לְרַגְלָיו בְּטַל-הָעֶרֶב,
צִפּוֹר אַחְרוֹנָה שֶׁל יוֹם מֵעָלָיו מְזַמֶּרֶת:
- הֲתִזְכֹּר מַה יָּפְתָה, מַה קָּשְׁתָה, מָה אָרְכָה הַדֶּרֶך?
ב
אָמַרְתָּ: יוֹם רוֹדֵף יוֹם וְלַיְלָה - לַיְלָה.
הִנֵּה יָמִים בָּאִים - בְּלִבְּךָ אָמַרְתָּ.
וַתִּרְאֶה עֲרָבִים וּבְקָרִים פּוֹקְדִים חַלּוֹנֶיךָ,
וַתֹּאמַר: הֲלֹא אֵין חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ
ג
לַמְּדֵנִי, אֱלֹהַי, בָּרֵך וְהִתְפַּלֵּל
עַל סוֹד עָלֶה קָמֵל, עַל נֹגַהּ פְּרִי בָּשֵׁל,
עַל הַחֵרוּת הַזֹּאת: לִרְאוֹת, לָחוּשׁ, לִנְשֹׁם,
לָדַעַת, לְיַחֵל, לְהִכָּשֵׁל.
לַמֵּד אֶת שִׂפְתוֹתַי בְּרָכָה וְשִׁיר הַלֵּל
בְּהִתְחַדֵּשׁ זְמַנְּךָ עִם בֹּקֶר וְעִם לֵיל,
לְבַל יִהְיֶה יוֹמִי הַיּוֹם כִּתְמוֹל שִׁלְשׁוֹם.
לְבַל יִהְיֶה עָלַי יוֹמִי הֶרְגֵּל.
כתבי לאה גולדברג, שירים, כרך שני, ספרית פועלים
End of the Road Poems
Leah Goldberg
“The road is so very beautiful - said the boy
The road is so very hard - said the youth
The road is so very long - said the man
The old man sat by the road to rest
The sunset dyes his white hair with gold and red
The grass shimmers at his feet with evening dew
The last bird of the day sings above,
Can you remember
how beautiful, how hard, how long the road ?
B.
You said day follows day, and night - night.
The days progress - you said in your heart,
and you saw evenings and mornings in your windows,
and you said, there is nothing new under the sun”
C
“Teach me, my God, to bless and pray
over the withered leaf's secret, the
ready fruits grace,
over this freedom: to see, to feel, to breathe,
to know, to hope, to fail.
Teach my lips blessing and song and praise
when your days are renewed morning and night,
lest my day be today like all the yesterdays,
lest my day be for me an unthinking haze.
צִפּוֹר אֲחוּזַת קֶסֶם
זלדה
כַּאֲשֶׁר הַגּוּף הָרַךְ
מָט לִנְפֹּל
וְהוּא מְגַלֶּה חֶרְדָּתוֹ מִפְּנֵי הַקֵּץ
לַנְּשָׁמָה,
מַצְמִיחַ עֵץ הַשִּׁגְרָה הַנָּמוּךְ
שֶׁאָבָק אֲכָלוֹ
עָלִים יְרֻקִּים פִּתְאֹם.
כִּי מֵרֵיחַ הָאַיִן יַפְרִיחַ
הָדוּר נָאֶה
וּבְצַמַּרְתוֹ צִפּוֹר
אֲחוּזַת קֶסֶם.
Enchanted Bird
Zelda
When the feeble body
is about to fall
and reveals its fear of death
to the soul,
the lowly tree of routine,
devoured by dust,
suddenly sprouts green leaves.
For out of the scent of Nothingness—
the tree blossoms—
glorious, beautiful.
and in its crown—
an enchanted bird.
Translated by Marcia Falk
(1) A time to weep. On the ninth of Av. (2) And a time to laugh. In the time to come, as it is stated, “Then our mouth will be filled with laughter.”from Shir HaMaalot, Psalms 126:2. (3) A time to mourn. In the days of mourning. (4) And a time to dance. With bridegrooms and brides.