Poem For Saturday.

[Khandro]

SYNAGOGUE

Ottomar Scholem and Abraham Loweren In green felt hats this Shabbat morning Are walking to the synagogue along the bank of the Rhine Past little hills where grapes are reddening

They are quarrelling saying well almost untranslatable things *** conceived on a forbidden day or The devil penetrate your father The old Rhine raises its streaming face and then turns away to smile Ottomar Scholem and Abraham Loweren are angry

Because smoking is not allowed on the Sabbath And there are Christians passing by with cigars alight And because Ottomar and Abraham both love Leah who has sheep's eyes and a somewhat protruding stomach

Nevertheless by and by in the synagogue they will kiss In turn the Torah scroll removing their handsome hats And among the foliage of Succot the festival of bowers Ottomar will smile at Abraham in the middle of singing

They will lose both time and tune and the masculine mellow Voices will cause a Leviathan on the river-bed like the voice of autumn to bellow And in the synagogue full of hats they will be shaking their loulavim

Hanoten ne Kamoth bagoyim tholahoth baleoumim

Apollinaire. circa 1912. Trans. Oliver Bernard.