Translation of Albert Levy’s poem about Yom Kippur and the practices surrounding it. Translation by Ashley Bobman.
Kippur es dia de perdonansa,
el dia ke estamos en la balansa,
entre la vida i la muerte,
rogando por muestra suerte!
Dia de Kippur, kualonke djudio,
se va ala keila, por rogar al dio
aki perdone kada delito i pekado,
i sera la vida setensiado.
En Kippur el ensavanado i ipokreta,
el ke biza mezuzah i rova la pita;
estan kon los levros en la mano,
komo santos i kon korason sano…
Todos akeyos ke mientres el anio entero
kometieron delitos i mil i un yero;
todos akeyos dela mas basha fama,
se dan punyos en la boka del alma.
Todos akeyos ke enganiaron al serkano.
ke rovaron hak del prove i del ermano:
todos akeyos sharlatanes i ganaves,
en Kippur meldan los viduim.
Personas negras kon el dio i la djente.
manchadas kon markas en sus frente:
visten el tallit de avasho ariva,
azen taanit kon ipokrazia biva!
Tomemos por egzempio en la kolonia,
ombres eskorchadures de famia;
ombres de karakter malesiozo,
en Kippur, rogan al dio poderozo.
Destruadores i metidores de entrompieso
personas enemigas del progreso,
dezazidores de muestras enstetusiones,
en Kippur alempeyan sus korasones….
Ombres ke korieron para azer danio,
mientres todos los dias del anio;
en Kippur mostran enosinsia,
a kada ermano mostran kerensia….
Siertos hahamim de nuestra sivdad,
djuzgadores, falsos i sin dinyedad,
en Kippur kon sus barvas demazia,
kitan de hova ala djuderia!
Ansi donke, dia de Kippur el santo,
kada una esta avatido i kon krevanto,
el dia entero pasamos en la keila,
asta la ora de al nora aliela.
Salimos dela keila, mos damos la mano,
mos suetamos ermano kon ermano;
todos alegres, todos yenos de gozo,
por el pardon del todo poderozo.
Vijitamos parientes i sevrinos,
amigos, konosidos i vezenos;
nos suetamos una anyada prosperoza,
anyada alegre i ganansioza.
Despues de esto, empesamos el anio.
kon mil i una falsie i enganio;
toda la orasion i rogativa,
no fue ke por enganiar al de ariva!…
Los punyos no mos desharon senial,
de muevo empesamos a azer mal;
i despues de eskalamasion i grito,
komotimos mil i un delito.
Kipur va i kipur viene,
el mizmo karakter siempre tiene;
los ombres de ayer eran fieros,
los de oy no son del todo sensiros.
Los ombres de oy mankan de fe,
no konosen djustisia ni le;
enyoran la moral la mas elevada,
por yevar vida dinia i respektada.
El mejor karakter umano,
es de ayudar al serkano;
azer el bien, bushkar la pas,
esto es en rezemedo, i nada mas.
Kippur is the day of forgiveness,
the day that we are in balance
between live and death,
praying for our fate!
The day of Kippur, any Jew
goes to synagogue to pray to God,
here He pardons every crime and sin
and life will be sentenced/sealed.
On Kippur the sly one and hypocrite
that robs the mezuzah and steals bread,
they are with books in the hand
as saints and with healthy heart….
All those who during the whole year
committed crimes and 1001 mistakes;
all those of lowest reputation
give fists in the mouth of the soul.
All those that mislead those who are close
robbed justice from the poor and from their brother
all those charlatans and theives
on Kippur they confess
People who are bad to God and to people,
stained with marks on their forehead
wear the tallit upside down
they fast with lively hypocracy
We take for example in the colony
men who destroy their family,
men of bad character,
on Kippur, they pray to almighty God.
The destroyers and the obstructors
people who are enemies of progress
those who undermine our institutions
on Kippur they cleanse/purify their hearts…
Men that ran for their damage
during all days of the year,
on Kippur they demonstrate innocence
they show affection to each brother
Certain Rabbis of our city,
judges who are false and without dignity,
on Kippur with their oversized beards,
remove their responsibility from the Jewish community!
thus the holy day of Kippur
each one is unburdened and with fear
the entire day we spent in the synagogue
until the final hour of the prayer el nora aliela.
Leaving the synagogue, we shake each others hands,
we wish that we are brothers among brothers;
all gay, all filled with joy,
by the pardon of the Almighty.
We visited parents and family,
friends, acquaintances and neighbors;
wishing us a prosperous year,
a cheerful and successful year.
After that, we started the year.
with a thousand and one lies and deceit;
all of the prayer and supplication,
it was but only to mislead He above! …
The fists do mark the signs,
again begin to do evil;
and after exclamation and screaming,
we commit a thousand and one crimes.
Kippur comes and goes
it always the same character;
the men of yesterday were proud,
those today are not at all sincere.
The men of today lack faith,
they know no justice or law;
they disregarded the most elevated morality,
to lead a dignify and respectable life.
The best human character,
is to help those who are dear;
do good, to find peace,
this is the end point and nothing else.