After the Selection

אחרי הסלקציה

דיתי רונן

סָבְתָא, אִמָּא וַאֲנִי עוֹמְדוֹת עַל הָרָצִיף
וּמַבִּיטוֹת בְּסַבָּא
יְמִינוֹ בְּיַד יְהוֹשֻׁעַ הַקָּטָן
בִּשְׂמֹאלוֹ הַתִּינוֹק דָּוִד
גַּבּוֹ אֵלֵינוּ 
וְהוּא הוֹלֵךְ.

אֵיזוֹ דֶּרֶךְ אֲרֻכָּה הוּא עוֹשֶׂה
כָּל הַשָּׁנִים הַלָּלוּ
הוֹלֵךְ וְהוֹלֵךְ וְהוֹלֵךְ
וַאֲנַחְנוּ עוֹמְדוֹת וּמַבִּיטוֹת
כָּל הַשָּׁנִים הַלָּלוּ אֲנַחְנוּ מַבִּיטוֹת
גַּבּוֹ אֵלֵינוּ וְהוּא עַד הַיּוֹם
כָּל הַזְּמַן גַּבּוֹ אֵלֵינוּ
יְהוֹשֻׁעַ הַקָּטָן, הַתִּינוֹק דָּוִד
גַּבּוֹ אֵלֵינוּ 
וְהוֹלֵךְ.

After the Selection

Diti Ronen

Grandma, Mother and I
stand on the platform
and look at Grandpa
his right hand in little Yehoshua’s hand
his left hand holding baby David
his back to us
as he goes.

Such a long way he goes
all these years
goes and goes and goes
and we stand and watch
all those years we watch
his back to us to this day
all the time his back to us
little Yehoshua, baby David 
his back to us
as he goes. 

aHarej haselekcija

Diti Ronen

savta, ima veani omdot al harecif
vemabitot besaba
jemino bajad Jehoshua hakatan
bismolo hatinok David
gabo elejnu
vehu holeH
eizu dereH aruka hu ose
kol hashanim halalu
holeH holeH veholeH

veanaHnu omdot vemabitot
kol hashanim halalu anaHnu mabitot
gabo elejnu vehu ad hajom
kol hazman gabo elejnu
Jehoshua hakatan, hatinok David
gabo elejnu
veholeH.

Hebrew transliteration using Serbian writing system.
Instructions for reading the difference between ‘h’ and ‘H’:
‘h’ is soft, almost silent, whereas ‘H’ is a throat letter.