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adoni hameshorer melo kol hair kevodcha
My dear poet the whole city honors you
ata zocher eych nifgashnu belev haberecha
Do you remember how we met in the pool
sachiti leat sachit maher
I swam slowly you swam fast
chaze matucha kayae lameshorer
Chest thrust forward as befits a poet
atzarnu lafush gilgalnu dibur
We stopped to rest we rolled along a talk
al tame vetahor
About the impure and the pure
mutar aval asur taanug ledaber itecha
Permitted but forbidden a pleasure to talk with you
rav mag shel milim ma kevar amarti
A great wizard of words what did I even say
sheshavarta ta'kalim
That you shattered the rules
zot hoyta dati lo hoyta li berir
That was my opinion I had no choice
beyneynu lefeta tehom nifara ani hitzbati
Between us suddenly a chasm opened I pointed
lashamayim ata tzalalta lamayim
To the sky you dove into the water
veamarta lo ani amarti ken veim amarti yesh
And you said no I said yes and if I said there is
ata tzachakta eyn
You laughed there isn't
ata betach zocher oto boker umlal
You surely remember that miserable morning
sheneynu tzanachnu al oto safsal
We both landed on the same bench
tachanti sigarot kilaft agas
I ground out cigarettes you peeled a pear
kol echad meitanu beelbono mechunas
Each of us wrapped up in his own offense
eych shuv niklanu leotah sicha
How we stumbled into the same conversation again
al motar haadam veim yesh hashgacha
About the advantage of man and if there's providence
ata rav mag shel milim lo hayinu kochot
You a great wizard of words we weren't evenly matched
hapaam ze kimat nigmar bemakot
This time it nearly ended in blows
zot hoyta dati lo hoyta li berera
That was my opinion I had no choice
beeyncha raiti pitom esh zara
In your eyes I suddenly saw a strange fire
ata gichachta lashamayim, ani lo heramti yadayim
You chuckled to the sky, I didn't raise my hands
kesheamarta lo ani tzaakti ken
When you said no I shouted yes
betach sheyesh ata tzachakta eyn
Of course there is you laughed there isn't
halayla hahu beveyt hacholim
That night in the hospital
ata hayita melupaf tzinorot mavhilim
You were wrapped in terrifying tubes
al ketze hakise yashavti balat
On the edge of the chair I sat quietly
nishmat kaved dibarnu meat
You breathed heavily we spoke little
beyneynu eyma, bachadar tzelalim
Between us dread, in the room shadows
hayu li techushot lo hayu li milim
I had feelings I had no words
eyncha teluyot bi gedolot verakot
Your eyes hung on me large and soft
sheneynu beyachad, hitchalnu livkot
Together, we began to cry
sheneynu rainu otah temuna
We both saw the same vision
meal leroshcha mutelet shechina
Above your head the divine presence rested
ufachad nora veayom kesheata niredet pitom
And a terrible awesome fear as you suddenly trembled
vehitchananti lo ata yadata ken
And I pleaded no you knew yes
sa leshalom ata anita amen
Go in peace you answered amen
shachar peretz beveyt hacholim
Dawn broke in the hospital
leatzev kaze lo hayu li kelim
For grief like this I had no tools
yedidi hameshorer zichrono livracha
My friend the poet may his memory be a blessing
nocha beshalom tehe shelema mitotcha
Rest in peace may your bed be whole