Zelda: "When I Spoke The Blessing" (From Hebrew)

When I Spoke The Blessing
By Zelda
Translated by A.Z. Foreman

"Blessed Art Thou, Lord Our God..."

When I spoke the blessing over the Sabbath candles
My longing cried out loud:
Shabbat shalom to you all, my darlings.
Ah, but they had passed out of the lands of the living
And did not answer that warmth.

My quavering holy day spoke: my roots are on high.
And I whispered:
Shalom to you, Shabbat to you,
My darling, my soul.

And through my tears: a wandering flow of flames.
And all the wall was glistening gold.
So much the light surrounding me,
And so much the pain,
My own dear soul is about to pass out.

The Original:

כאשר ברכתי על הנרות

זלדה

כַּאֲשֶר בֵּרַכְתִּי עַל הַנֵּרוֹת

קָרְאוּ כִּסּוּפַי בְּקוֹל:

שַבַּת שָלוֹם, יַקִּירַי –

אַךְ הֵמָּה נָטְשוּ אֶת אַרְצוֹת הַחַיִּים

וְלֹא עָנוּ לָרֹךְ.

אָמַר חַגִּי הָרוֹעֵד: שָרָשַי לְמַעְלָה.

לָחַשְתִּי:

שָלוֹם לָךְ, שַבָּת לָךְ, נִשְמָתִי.

מִבַּעַד לְדִמְעוֹתַי שוֹטְטוּ שַלְהָבוֹת

וְהַקִּיר כֻּלּוֹ זָהָב מְנַצְנֵץ,

כָּל-כָּךְ אוֹר מִסְּבִיבִי

וְכָל כָּךְ הַכְּאֵב –

עוֹד רֶגַע וְתֵצֵא נִשְמָתִי.