The Circus
By Annabelle Farmelant
Translated by A.Z. Foreman
I have grown tame cat claws.
When the wheel revolves for my next incarnation
I will return
As a lion.
I will re-turn time to circa the Roman circus
And they will set me loose in the ring.
All beasts walk on two feet
And I will dig my claws into the flesh of all
The numbhearts, and the numskulls
And puke my shame in their faces.
A typical shame I swallowed in secret.
The snow has long melted
The snowdrop long died out
But I can never blacken even the name
Of shame
So typical, so pure and bright.
You the numbhearts and numskulls
With hearts once ocean-vast
Shrank back into the muck of stupidity,
Minds brilliant
As adamant gemstones
Switched to bogus rhinestones
That used to be the cornerstone
Of Empire.
Now shout not: "Ave, long live Caesar!"
His stoney pity
Shall never be moved.
Shout not: "Ave, long live Caesar!"
All the Caesars are long dead.
When the next revolution cycles
The wheel will run faster, and the corner
Stone will spin
Together with Empire
You'll be a tail, a chariot
Dragged on and on
While the buffoon in jest arises
To the throne.
The Original:
הַקִּרְקָס
×—× ×” ×¤×¨×ž×™×œ× ×˜
גִּדַּלְתִּי לִי ×¦Ö´×¤Ö¼Ö¸×¨Ö°× Ö·×™Ö´× ×”Ö²×ª×•Ö¼×œÖ´×™Ö¼×•Ö¹×ª.
בַּגִּלְגּוּל הַש×Ö¼Öµ× Ö´×™ ×ֶתְגַּלְגַּל
וְ×ַהָפֵךְ לְלָבִי×.
×ֶתְגַּלְגֵּל ×Ö¼Ö²×—×•Ö¹×¨Ö·× Ö¼Ö´×™×ª לַקִּרְקָס הָרוֹמִי.
וְיַש×ְלִיכוּ לִי לַזִּירָה
כָּל הַחַיּוֹת עַלש×Ö°×ªÖ¼Ö·×™Ö´× ×”×•Ö¹×œÖ°×›×•Ö¹×ª
וְ×Ö¶× Ö°×¢Ö·×¥ ×¦Ö´×¤Ö¼Ö¸×¨Ö°× Ö´×™ בִּבְשַׂר כָּל
×§Ö°×˜Ö·× Ö¼Öµ×™ הַמֹּחַ ×•Ö¼×§Ö°×˜Ö·× Ö¼Öµ×™ הלֵּב
וְ×Ö¸×§Ö´×™× ×‘Ö¼Ö´×¤Ö°× Öµ×™×”Ö¶× ×ֶת ×¢Ö¶×œÖ°×‘Ö¼×•Ö¹× Ö´×™.
הָעֶלְבּוֹן הַסְּתָמִי ש×Ö¶×—Ö¶×¨Ö¶×©× ×‘Ö¸Ö¼×œÖ·×¢Ö°×ªÖ¼Ö´×™
הַש×ֶּלֶג ×–Ö¶ כְּבָר × Ö¸×žÖµ×¡,
וְהַש×ִּלְגִּית גָּוְעָה
×•Ö°×œÖ¹× ×™Ö¸×›Ö¹×œÖ°×ªÖ¼Ö´×™ לְהַש×ְחיר עֶלְבּוֹן
הַסְּתָמִי הַצָּחוֹר.
×§Ö°×˜Ö·× Ö¼Öµ×™ מֹחַ, ×•Ö¼×§Ö°×˜Ö·× Ö¼Öµ×™ לֵב
לְבָבוֹת ×¨Ö°×—Ö¸×‘Ö´×™× ×›Ö¼Ö°×™Ö¸×
×›Ö¼Ö´×•Ö¼Ö·×¦Ö°×ªÖ¼Ö¶× ×‘Ö¼Ö´×™×•Öµ×Ÿ ×ִוַּלְתְּכֶ×
וּמֹחוֹת מַבְרִיקִי×
×›Ö¼Ö°×¡Ö·× Ö°×“Ö¼Ö·×œÖ°×›Ö¼×•Ö¹× Ö´×™×
×”Ö¶×—Ö°×œÖ·×¤Ö°×ªÖ¼Ö¶× ×‘Ö¼Ö°×ֶבֶן מְזֻיֶּפֶת
ש×ֶש×ִּמְּש×ָה ×ֶבֶן רֹ×ש×ָה
בָּ×ִימְפֶּרְיָה.
עַתָּה ×œÖ¹× ×ªÖ¼Ö´×¦Ö°×¢Ö²×§×•Ö¼ â€×™Ö°×—Ö´×™ הַקֵּיסָר“
×›Ö¼Ö´×™ רַחֲמָיו הַמְ×Ö»×‘Ö¼Ö¸× ×™×
×žÖµ×¢×•Ö¹×œÖ¸× ×œÖ¹× × Ö´×›Ö°×ְרוּ
×œÖ¹× ×ªÖ¼Ö´×¦Ö°×¢Ö²×§×•Ö¼ â€×™Ö°×—Ö´×™ הַקֵּיסָר“
×›Ö¼Ö´×™ כָּל ×”Ö·×§Ö¼Öµ×™×¡Ö¸×¨Ö´×™× ×žÖµ×ª×•Ö¼.
וּבַגִּלְגּוּל הַש×Ö¼Öµ× Ö´×™ הַגַּלְגַּל
יִסְתּוֹבֵב מַהֵר, וְ×ֶבֶן
הָרֹ×ש×ָה תִּסְתַּחְרֵר
יַחַד ×¢Ö´× ×”Ö¸×ִימְפֶּרְיֶה
תִּהְיֶה ×œÖ°×–Ö¸× Ö¸×‘, גְּרָרָה
× Ö´×žÖ°×©×ֶכֶת
וְהַמּוּקְיוֹן בִּצְחוֹק יַעֲלֶה
עַל כֵּס הַכָּבוֹד.
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