De Saloniki a Auschwitz

[Seven days locked up]

by David Haim

See Lecture: "Home"

Siete dias encerrados	Seven days locked up
en vagones de behemás,	in boxcars for animals,
una vez a los tres días	once every three days
mos quitaban a airear.	they would take us out for air.

Madre mía, mi querida,	My dearest mother,
tú tuvites el zejut	you were fortunate
de murirte en tus tierras	in dying in your country
y no pasaets por el oluk.	and not passing through the chimney.

Padre mío, mi querido,	My dearest father,
quién te lo ia a dicir,	who would have told you
que vinieras con tu hermano	that you would come with your brother
al crematorio de Auschwitz.	to the crematorium of Auschwitz!

Padre, madre, hermanos y hermanicas,	Father and mother, brothers and sisters,
saliendo todos rejadjis	may you all be supplicants
a el Patron del mundo	to the Master of the world
que envíe salud a mí,	to grant me health
que me quite de estos campos	and remove me from these camps
para vos echar kadish.	to recite for you the Kaddish!

Source: Levy, Isaac Jack. (2000). And the World Stood Silent: Sephardic Poetry of the Holocaust, pp.96-7.

שירי עם יהודיים