Bar Kochba

Shmuel Halkin

1939

Act II

Scene 2

Young Man:

Tell us, Bar Kochba, the words to use

When we return to our homes

And tell of meeting you.

Bar Kochba:

For taking of the people’s land,

For stealing of the people’s wealth,

For towns and villages destroyed,

For all these, the sword must punish.

Old Man:

If earlier I could not decide

You now have given my old hands

New certitude, for…

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Creator Bio

Shmuel Halkin

1897–1960

Shmuel Halkin was a leading Soviet Yiddish poet during the interwar period. His verse was characterized by his attention to neoclassical forms anchored by sophisticated philosophical and biblical allusions. Halkin also worked closely with the Moscow State Yiddish Theatre, producing acclaimed translations, including Kenig Lir (King Lear, 1935), and adaptations of plays by Avrom Goldfaden, such as Bar Kochba (1937). A member of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee, Halkin was sent to a prison in northern Russia after the repression of Soviet Yiddish culture in 1948. A poetic memoir of his experiences in the camp was later published in Israel.

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