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Kmo Chatzer Gdola

Like a Big Yard

by Shlomo Artzi

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ani bitmimuti raiti az et haolam kemo chatzer gedola,
In my innocence I saw the world then as a large courtyard,
hayu yemey chamsin ufitomit hofiu sham sheney rochvim vaagala,
There were days of khamsin and suddenly two riders appeared there with a cart,
"zo hapolitika shel ben guryon" omra shechena shebenah nafal bakerav bamaachaz,
"This is the politics of Ben Gurion" said a neighbor whose son fell in battle at a position,
mitoch haagala horidu harochvim yalda, musteret tov betoch argaz.
From the cart the riders took down a girl, well hidden inside a box.
chofshi mitelut kevar lo ehye, ani taluy bazeman, taluy bezichronot hahem.
I will never be free of dependency, I am tied to time, tied to those memories.
adam nishar tamid adam male, gam keshehu cholem.
A person always remains a full person, even when he dreams.
yalda mitoch argaz chibeka oti chibuk amok, ad metzula.
A girl from inside a box embraced me in a deep embrace, down to the depths.
ani bitmimuti raiti az et haolam kemo chatzer gedola.
In my innocence I saw the world then as a large courtyard.
zo shehistatera betoch argaz sovla meod min hashoa umin hakor,
She who hid inside a box suffered greatly from the Holocaust and from the cold,
beyom haatzmaut hifrichu zikukin dinur, aval hi lo yotza laor.
On Independence Day they shot fireworks, but she did not come out to the light.
omru shehi ibeda et hahorim, ach lo omru devarim berurim mamash bekol.
They said she had lost her parents, but they didn't say things clearly out loud.
lo, lo omru shehi tigmor et hachayim betoch argaz gadol.
No, they didn't say she would end her life inside a large box.
veyom echad kara mikre beemtza hakikar nachat kirkas im ohel sheniftach,
And one day it happened that a circus landed in the middle of the square with a tent that opened,
ani bitmimuti raiti et haolam bimhupach.
In my innocence I saw the world upside down.
"shuv ben guryon shalach et chayalayv lisdot hakerav", omra shechena chola,
"Again Ben Gurion sent his soldiers to the battlefields", said a sick neighbor,
ani bitmimuti raiti az et haolam kemo chatzer gedola.
In my innocence I saw the world then as a large courtyard.
umeaz tenuat tzava baderech hi siman lemilchama,
And since then a movement of an army on the road is a sign of war,
utnua bacheder hi siman chayim.
And movement in a room is a sign of life.
boi venirkod bachoshech letzorech hagana,
Come let us dance in the dark for protection,
boi venashim taklit zol shel rikudim.
Come let us put on a cheap dance record.
hodot laish asher hotzi oti misham nihyeyti mefukach,
Thanks to the man who took me out from there I became clear-eyed,
yemey chamsin hiku baavanim veyom echad gam hakirkas halach,
Khamsin days struck stones and one day the circus left too,
omru nasa lenapoli, hayu az vikuchim bead veneged uvad,
They said it went to Naples, there were arguments for and against and for,
hakol shetuyot omru, bishney kolot diberu, mi shehayu lelo dea.
All nonsense they said, they spoke in two voices, those who had no opinion.
lama po ani od er,
Why am I still awake here,
kemo zo shebaargaz ani kevar lo yashan shanim,
Like she in the box I have not slept for years,
min hachamsin gufi boer -
From the khamsin my body burns —
gei bi bifnim.
Touch me inside.
haya sham bakirkas bolea esh sheyom echad balehavot ala,
There was a fire-swallower at the circus who one day went up in flames,
ani bitmimuti raiti az et haolam kemo chatzer gedola.
In my innocence I saw the world then as a large courtyard.
kemo chatzer gedola.
Like a large courtyard.
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