Zumerteg

 [Summer days]

by Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman

See lecture: "The Seasons"

 

Avek, iz avek der zumertog yunger,

 Gone, gone is the young summer day,

Bleter fargelte lign afn rog. Yellowed leaves lie on the corner,
Un di rayoynes, alte khaloymes, And the thoughts, old dreams,
Zey geyen tsurik tsum zumertog. Return again to the summer day.
  
Rozever himl blot iber bergelekh, Pink sky turns blue over the hills,
Beymer tsetsvaygte grin bay der zayt; Green branched trees at the roadside;
Un di rayoynes, zise khaloymes, And the thoughts, sweet dreams,
Goldene funken blishtsen fun vayt. Golden sparks glitter from afar.
  
Vu iz es ven, du bist shteyn geblibn, Where was it that you suddenly stopped
Arumgekukt zikh az shir nisht tsu shpet, And realized – not a moment too soon?
Shir nisht farfaln, shir nisht farloyrn, Nearly passed it, nearly lost it,
Shir nist farfelt di zumerteg. Nearly missed the summer days.
  
Vuhin iz dos loyfn, vos iz dos ayln? Where are they running, what is the rush?
Kop iber kop, ver vemen tsetret … Crowded together, they tread on each other
Geyt men bazunder in shtile fartogn, So you walk alone in quiet dawns,
Vu s'varemt dos likht fun di zumerteg. Warmed by the light of the summer days.
  
Avek, iz avek der zumertog liber, Gone, gone is the lovely summer,
Fargrot in a shkiye vu in a hek. Turned gray in some distant sunset,
Un s'sheptshet di verbe, fun vintn gevigte, And rocked by the wind, the willow whispers
A benkendik lid tsu diz zumerteg. A longing song to the summer days.