A Jewish Girl Finds New Roots
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About this ebook
The poems include
touchingly romantic and sad expressions of Steffi's youthful idealism and more
recent humorous epistles. "My first Year in Eretz Israel" picks up
the story where her previous book Jewish Girl in the Weimar Republic ends, with
Steffi's arrival in 1934 at what was then Palestine. It is a lively description
of the Jewish agricultural settlers who came to Palestine in the early 1930's.
"The Sekilaridis House" describes Steffi's marriage to a Roman Catholic
Armenian, and their adventures in the multicultural society of Jerusalem in the
British Mandate of Palestine during World War II. "The Teeth of
Polycrates" is a satirical story about good luck that takes place on the
ship traveling from Brazil to the USA. "How I became a Teacher"
describes Steffi's life in Zion, Illinois, and her enthusiastic achievement of
becoming a school teacher. "The Ones that Got Away" describes
Steffi's project of collecting biographies of survivors of the Nazi Holocaust -
showing how they overcame suffering, found satisfying new roots, and became
successful contributors in countries to which they emigrated.
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A Jewish Girl Finds New Roots - Stephanie Braun Orfali
Selected Poems
by Stephanie Orfali
Vorbei
Du sahst mich an mit so leerem Blick
Und hast mich doch einmal lieb gehabt.
Jetzt liegt mein Herz zertreten am Boden und weint
Weil ich Dir fremd geworden bin.
It’s Over
You looked at me with such an empty glance
And yet you loved me once
Now my heart lies trampled on the ground and weeps
Because I became a stranger to you
(1934)
Starry Night
I wish I were akin to you, oh starry night.
You are so clear, so mild, so pure.
You stretch your silver hand to cover
grief, sadness, and despair.
You comfort weary souls as mothers do.
Your golden stars are weaving shiny veils
That unify the universe and show
the unity between us mortals and the galaxies.
(Translation of a poem written during 1934, my first year in Israel)
Das Leben
So liegt’s vor mir, mein Leben.
Was wird es mir wohl geben?
Ein Wuerfelspiel ist’s noch
Und zwingen muss ich’s doch.
Und denk ich an eas Ferne,
O Gott, ich tu’s nicht gerne,
So droht es finster, duester, hart.
So ist es kalt und boeser Art
Nur wenig Freude und viel Harm
Und kaum ein Tag voll Liebe warm.
Es ist ein Leben, wie alle es fuehren
Geschehen, die taeglich ans Herz uns ruehren
Und trotzdem Leben und doch kein Tod,
Was laesst uns leben in diesser Not?
Es ist nicht nur Hoffnung
auf kuenftiges Glueck
Es ist nicht nur Angst vor dem
Nimmerzurueck.
Es ist das Gute
, was uns haelt
Es ist das Edle in dieser Welt
Ich weiss: sind auch die Menschen schlecht,
Sie kennen das Gute und erkennen’s
als recht.
(3 Dez 1929)
Life
So it spreads out before me, my life.
What will it give me?
A game of dice it is still
And I must force it nevertheless.
And thinking of the remoteness
O God, I do not like it
So darkly threatening, obscure, hard
It is so cold and of malevolent kind
Only little joy and much grief
And hardly a day of warm love.
It is a life as all are leading it
Happenings which daily touch our hearts
And still it’s life and not yet death
What lets us live in this sorrow?
It is not only hope for future bliss
It is not only fear of the no-return
It is the goodness
that holds us
It is the worthiness of this world.
Even if mankind is depraved
They know the good and recognize it
as right.
(3 Dez 1929)
Unser Glueck
Lass Sorgen und Jammer
Daheim in der Kammer!
Jauchz’ mit in das Leben!
Es braucht Dir nicht geben
Das Glueck.
Du hast’s ha gewonnen
Du hast ha die Sonnen
Gar fest im Herzen.
Was machst Du Dir Schmerzen?
Ums Glueck.
Es toenet und singet,
Es jauchzet und klinget
Im Zweiklang in Dir:
So komm doch mit mir
Ins Glueck.
Betreten ist zwar jeder Steg
Begangen ist zwar jeder Weg
Doch werden wir alle ueberholen
Wir wandeln ja auf leichten Sohlen.
Auf Glueck 1
Ich gehe mit ins Weite
Ich gehe mit zum Streite
Wir haben vor uns der Arbeit viel
Du hast Dir gesteckt ein hohes Ziel
Voll Glueck.
Wir werden nicht weichen.
Wir werden’s erreichen.
Durch unser Leben
Den andern zu geben
Sei unser Glueck.
Our Happiness
Leave sorrow and lamentations
At home in your chamber
Exult in life
It does not have to give you happiness.
You have won it.
You have the sun
Strongly anchored in your heart
Why give yourself pain?
For happiness
It sounds and sings
It exults and rings
In dual harmony in you
So enter with me
Into Happiness
Strolled along, indeed, is every path
Walked upon, indeed, is every road
Yet we will overtake them all
We stride along on nimble-footed soles
Toward bliss!
I go along to the horizon
I follow to the fight
We have much work to do.
You have set yourself a high aim
Much luck
We will not give in
We will achieve it.
Through our life
To give to others shall be our happiness.
(Summer 1928)
Mutter
Ein Herze schlaegt
fuer Dich, fuer Dich!
Ein seele fuehlt
fuer Dich, fuer Dich!
In Freud und Leid
fuehlt sieh mit Dir.
Warst eins mit ihr
und bist es noch.
Moegst Du es immer bleiben!
Hast Du zu klagen,
sie versteht’s
Sie ist Dein Treustes
jetzt und stets/
Und kommt die Liebe,
reisst Dich fort
Es bleibet Dir
ein fester Hort:
Das Mutterherz.
Mother
A heart beats
for you, for you
In joy and sorrow
it (she) feels with you.
You were as one with her
And are so still
May you always remain so!
Have you complaints
She understands
She is your truest (friend)
now and ever.
And comes love,
Tears you away
It stays with you
a strong keep,
The heart of a mother.
Meiner Mutter zum Geburtstag
Wieder nahn mit besten Wuenschen
alle Deine Lieben sich.
Wieder ist ein Jahr verflossen
und wir feiern Dich.
Alle, alle kommen gerne
um zu sagen wie so sehr
Unsere Mutter sie verehren
Willst Du da noch mehr?
Sieh! Wir alle lieben Dich,
wuenschen Dir das Best
Und uns alle hast bei Dir,
hier, daheim, im Nest.
Hast uns gegeben
das Best auf der Welt:
Ein Elternhaus
das uns allen gefaellt.
Du hast Deinen Kreis
von Liebe voll.
Weiss kaum was ich Dir
noch wuenschen soil.
Ein’ heitern Sinn,
ein frohes Herz,
Recht viel Gesundheit,
niemals Schmerz.
Ein’ jungen Geist
Dein Leben lang,
Dann ist mir um Dein Glueck
nicht bang.
(Ende Mai 1927)
For My Mother on Her Birthday
Again are approaching with all best wishes
all your loved ones.
Again a year has passed
and we are celebrating you.
All, all are happy to come
to say how very much
Our Mother they honor.
Can you wish for more?
Look, we all love you
with you all the best
And you have us all with you
here, at home, in the nest.
You gave us the best in the world
a home that all of us love.
You have your circle
full of love.
I hardly know what I still
should wish for you.
The best of health
never pain.
A cheerful mind
a happy heart
The best of health
never pain
A young spirit
all your life long
Then I won’t worried about your happiness.
(End of May 1927)
Sehnsucht
Du bist so fern
Du bist so weit
Wie draengt es mich
Die ganze Zeit
Zu Dir.
Ich denk’ an Dich
Ich denk’ zurueck
An schoene Stunden
Voller Glueck
mit Dir
Nicht aus ist
Diese schoene Zeit
Nicht sind die
Stunden mehr