Vladimir Mayakovsky
        (1893-1930)
 

DI LID VEYGN SOVETISHN PASPORT

Kh'volt velfish
                      dem byurokratizm 
                                                  fartilikt.
Nito keyn reshpekt
                             far mandatn,
Yedes papirl
                     on shum khilek
Kh'volt shikn
                    tsum tatns 
                                   tatn.
Nor ot dos…
Di kupe
            un kayutes
                            lengoys
A baamter
               a heflekher
                                 shurevet,
Di pasportn kukt men,
                                  ikh oykh
                                                nem aroys
Mayn bikhele
                     dos purpurove.
Tsu eynike peser
                           shmeykhlt men mild,
Af andere - m'kukt
                            vi af kvach.
Mit opshay nemt men
                                 a pas
                                         mitn bild
Funem eynglishn
                          altn leybach.
Haltndik zikh
                     in eyn farneygn,
Punkt vi teygelt
                        un mit khnifelekh geherike,
Fresndik dem gutn "onkl"
                                       mit di oygn,
Nemt men
               di peser fun Amerike.
In Poylishn
                  kukt men mit modne havayes,
Vi a tsig in afishe.
                            im leyenen
                                             mit flays
politseyishe oygn
                           farshtarte:
Funvanen
               un vos iz dos far a nays
In der geografisher karte?
Un nit oysgekerevet
                               dem grobn kop
Un afile
            on gefil
                       on yedn 
Nemt men
               ba dener
                            di pasportn op,
un ba ale andere 
                           shvedn.

Un plutsem
                 hot dem her
                                   vi a brand
                                                   a tseflamter
Tsekrimt dos moyl
                              in eyn vayle, 
Dos nemt in hant
                         der her baamter
Mayn roythoytike pasportayle.
Er nemt zi,
               vi me nemt
                               a bombe,
                                             a flam, 
A shtekhler,
                  an ongesharft meser,
Er nemt
            vi a shlang
                             a farfulte mit sam,
A shlang
              fun tsvantsik meter.
S'tut a vunk
                  filbadaytndik
                                      dem tregers blik,
Di pek iz er greyt
                           aykh umzist fartrogn.
Tsetrogn
             der zhandarm
                                  tut a kuk afn shpik
Der shpik - afn zhandarm
                                        tut a kuk tsetrogn.
Mit vos far a tayneg
                               zey voltn mikh a klamer ton,
Zey voltn mikh
                        gekreytsikt un tsepasevet
Derfar,
           vayl ikh halt in hant
                                          dem bahamertn,
Dem baserptn
                       sovetishn pasport.
Kh'volt velfish
                        dem byurokratizm
                                                     fartilikt.
Nito keyn reshpekt
                             far mandatn,
Yedes papirl
                    on shum khilek
Kh'volt shikn
                       tsum tatns tatn.

Nor ot dos…
                     vi an oytser
                                       fun zeltnstn min
Tsit fun keshene aroys
                                    mayn hant.
Leyent
            un zayt mir mekane -
                                              ikh bin
A birger fun ratnfarband.

1929

Ibergezetst af yidish - Emanuil Kazakevich
Romanaized by Shaya Mitelman