YD7250. i-xlvi 4/8/02 8:18 AM Page i New Yiddish Library YD7250. i-xlvi 4/8/02 8:18 AM Page ii The New Yiddish Library is a joint project of the Fund for the Translation of Jewish Literature and the National Yiddish Book Center Additional support comes from the Kaplen Foundation and the Felix Posen Fund for the Translation of Modern Yiddish Literature series editor: david g. roskies YD7250. i-xlvi 4/8/02 8:18 AM Page iii The World According to Itzik: Selected itzik manger Poetry translated and edited by leonard wolf and with an introduction by david g. roskies and Prose leonard wolf yale university press new haven & london YD7250. i-xlvi 4/8/02 8:18 AM Page iv Copyright © 2002 by the Fund for the Translation of Jewish Literature. All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in- cluding illustrations, in any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sec- tions 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from the publishers. “The Ballad and the White Glow,” “The Crucified and the Verminous Man,” “For Years I Wallowed,” “Hagar Leaves Abraham’s House,” “In the Train,” “Jacob Teaches the Story of Joseph to His Sons,” “November,” “The Patri- arch Jacob Meets Rachel,” all by Itzik Manger, translated by Leonard Wolf, from The Penguin Book of Modern Yiddish Verse, by Irving Howe, Ruth R. Wisse, and Khone Shmeruk, copyright © 1987 by Irving Howe, Ruth Wisse, and Chone Shmeruk. Used by permission of Viking Penguin, a divi- sion of Penguin Putnam, Inc. Excerpts from “My Last Day in Eden,” “My Friend Pisherl,” “In King David’s Estates,” “A Terrible Tale of the Messiah- Ox,” “The Turmoil over the Flight of the Messiah-Ox,” “Our Mission,” and “Anyella” from The Book of Paradise by Itzik Manger, translated by Leonard Wolf. Translation copyright © 1965 by Leonard Wolf. Reprinted by per- mission of Hill and Wang, a division of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC. Printed in the United States of America. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Manger, Itzik, 1909–1969. [Selections. English. 2002] The world according to Itzik: selected poetry and prose / Itzik Manger ; translated and edited by Leonard Wolf ; introduction by David G. Roskies and Leonard Wolf. p. cm. — (New Yiddish library) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-300-09248-2 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Manger, Itzik, 1901–1969—Translations into English. 2. Bible. O.T.—History of Biblical events—Poetry. I. Wolf, Leonard. II. Title. III. Series. PJ5129.M26 A27 2002 839؅.18409—dc21 2001007306 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 YD7250. i-xlvi 4/8/02 8:18 AM Page v This book is dedicated to the memory of Uriel Weinreich, scholar, Yid- dishist, and friend, who introduced me to the work of Itzik Manger —L. W. YD7250. i-xlvi 4/8/02 8:18 AM Page vi.