i was just reminded that I was the translator of Ehud Manor’s poem “I Have No Other Homeland” that Nancy Pelosi quoted the other day. It’s here.
When Ehud died I was at a total loss. His warmth, his openness, his lack of ego, always shocked and warmed my heart. Me? He’s coming My way? He’s embracing Me? Such a great man and he has time and warmth for Me???
This was a man who truly deserved all the love he generated in his music and words. Here’s the poem:
I Have No Other Home Land
Ehud Manor
Translated by: Karen Alkalay-Gut
I have no other homeland
though my earth is aflame
a word in Hebrew alone
pierces through my veins to my soul –
with aching body, with hungry heart,
Here is my home.
I will not stay silent
that the face of my land has changed
I won’t give up but keep reminding her —
singing in her ears
until she opens her eyes
I have no other country
though my land is burning
only a word in Hebrew
pierces my veins my soul –
with aching body, hungering in my heart,
this is my home.
I will not remain quiet
though the face of my land has changed
I won’t stop reminding her —
singing in her ears
until she opens her eyes
I have no other country
until she renews her days of old
until she opens her eyes
I have no other country
though my land is burning
only a word in Hebrew
pierces my veins my soul –
with aching body, hungering in my heart,
this is my home.
i’ve written many times about him in my old diary, for example here. and i still hope when i turn a corner, I will run into him again.
Hi Karen,
I’ve been an admirer of your poetry for some time.
Though not a poet myself, I do have a blog translating Hebrew poetry, especially Hebrew songs, in lyrical singable translations.
And I also was shocked when I heard Nancy Pelosi quote from Ehud Manor, and I realized that she had also borrowed heavily from my translation:
https://ellisacks.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/i-have-no-country-other-%D7%90%D7%99%D7%9F-%D7%9C%D7%99-%D7%90%D7%A8%D7%A5-%D7%90%D7%97%D7%A8%D7%AA/
Like you, my interaction with Ehud Manor affected me deeply. I only met him once in 1999, but his generosity of spirit, taking time to talk to young new ‘olim so openly, as if they were his collaborators, inspired me.
And when I started my poetry-translation blog in 2014, it was very much with Ehud Manor in mind: matching sounds from the original text to the translated. Making the line sing…
We need more Ehud Manor in our lives!
Thanks, Elli,
I started looking at your translations and they are very beautiful. i’ve never been able to make mine singable.
As for the “I have no other country” it seems both of us are wrong – someone else translated the song especially for Nancy Pelosi. I don’t know who but it was some Israeli who worked for her. And she used the quote before. I can’t find the source right now, but maybe I’ll remember who wrote me about it.
In the meantime, shabbat shalom. I’m sure we’ll have much to discuss in the future.