A Wish – Song Cycle of Seven Poems
by Miriam Lindberg (1957 – 1975)
Music: Daniel Galay
Eva Ben-Zvi, soprano
Orit Orbach, clarinet
Daniel Galay, piano
Miriam Lindberg was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on June 6, 1957,
and died at eighteen on October 9, 1975. She was buried in Jerusalem.
A grove of 1200 trees was planted in her memory in the Modi’in forest near Ben Shemen by
Swedish friends and organizations.
The seven poems which were set to music by the composer Daniel Galay were among the 42 poems which were found after her death scattered in various notebooks and in margins of high- school copybooks, written in four languages: Swedish, English, Hebrew and French. They were published by the Miriam Felicia Lindberg Memorial Foundation (established in Israel in 1976),
in the book “The Song of Miriam,” Eked, 1987.
The song cycle was written and performed in 1991. This recording is from a live concert, which was transferred from a tape cassette to mp3 and here to youtube.
WHY IS IT SO DARK
Why is it so dark and dull,
I feel I want to run away,
but where?
I would fly if I had the sky
beneath me. Oh why
do we let happiness go by,
though we have opportunities
ready served to us?
Why am I walking around as if blind?
Feelings come to an end.
Everything is so much in change.
A war is coming to an end here,
another just begins there,
we ask why?
Why are we not living in peace
with each other, then?
Repetition, repetition, repetition –
is one’s life, as history,
one long repetition?
TOO MUCH TALK
Boredom, boredom
At random I’m
picking out these foolish
lines
Why? I don’t have to
But I do. There’s too much
talk around me.
WHERE ARE YOU?
Where are you
what do you do
I want to know
every tiny thing
Not a single minute
passes without me
thinking of you
thinking of you…
When you are near
Immediately I react –
My heart jumps
Perhaps I get a smile
Perhaps you just pass
With your schoolmates
Anything can happen
Nothing happens
What to do?
A WISH
Soon seventeen I’ll be
much has passed by me
Before seventeen I wish
So much to be kissed
A POEM FOR MOTHER
You unfathomable
indescribable
you who whipped our noses
through the years and dried
sad tears
inspired to the good
in life – it is not to be
taken for granted.
You are round as a mound
Good as a bun
You did what you ought to have done
Despair not
but continue your
lighted path. Mother!
YOU
The very thought of you
makes me feel
who I am and
what I can give
to you.
There is a lot, there
deep within me
a treasure-mine
of unexplored love
(or unused energy).
I wait to see you next
Not patiently, not calmly
urgently I wait
to see you next
to feel your presence.
ON RECEIVING A CORRECTED ESSAY ON “RELIGION FOR EVERYDAY”
This I consider
to be Religion for Everyday:
Praise life
and all its wonder
and not subordinate clauses
subjects and predicates
To hell!!
That is barbaric
to receive
or take
WHY IS IT SO DARK Why is it so dark and dull
I feel I want to run away but where I would fly if I had the sky beneath me Oh why do we let happiness go by though
we have opportunities ready served to us Why I am walking around as if blind? Feelings
come to an end. Everything is so much in change A war is coming to an end here,
another just begins there, we ask why? Why are we not living in peace
with each other, then? Repetition, repetition, repetition
is one’s life, as history, one long repetition TOO MUCH TALK Boredom, boredom At random I’m picking out these foolish lines, Why? I don’t have to, but I do. There’s too much talk around me WHERE ARE YOU Where are you, what do you do, I want to know every tiny thing Not a single minute passes without me
thinking of you, thinking of you When you are near Immediately I react – My heart jumps Perhaps I get a smile
Perhaps you just pass
With your schoolmates Anything can happen
Nothing happens. What to do A WISH Soon seventeen I’ll be
much has passed by me Soon seventeen I’ll be much has passed by me much has passed Before seventeen I wish
So much to be kissed kissed A POEM FOR MOTHER You unfathomable
indescribable
you who whipped our noses through the years and dried
sad tears inspired to the good in life it is not to be
taken for granted You are round as a mound Good as a bun
You did what you ought to have done Despair not
but continue your
lighted path. Mother YOU The very thought of you, makes me feel who I am
and what I can give to you There is a lot, there deep within me
a treasure-mine of unexplored love
(or unused energy) I wait to see you next
Not patiently, not calmly, urgently I wait to see you next
to feel your presence ON RECEIVING A CORRECTED ESSAY ON “RELIGION FOR EVERYDAY” This I consider
to be Religion for Everyday Praise life
and all its wonder and not subordinate clauses
subjects and predicates To hell!! That is barbaric
to receive, or take Praise life
and all its wonder And all its, all its wonder This I consider
to be Religion for Everyday Praise life
and all its wonder