Poetry Analysis

About the child Abram

By: Nathan Alterman

And Abram answers her:

Mother, mother,

No child sleeps in the bed like any child.

For I saw you in it, mother, mother,

Sleeping and in your heart is food.

Then his father stands up and stretches out his hand to him and scolds him, tall and high.

And says to him: Abram, come home immediately

My son Abram, quickly come home.

And Abram answers him:

Father, father,

There I will be afraid to open my eyes.

For I saw you there, father, father,

A sleeping lump, without your head on my shoulders.

Then his little sister stands before him and calls him home crying.

But Abram answers her: there you are sleeping with the tears of the dead on your cheek.

Before him stand then seventy nations

And say:

Here we are for you!

In seventy decrees of law and seventy judgments we will bring you back to this house!

And you in the bed we will lay down

And you will sleep there like your father!

And Abram in the dream

Cries out father!

And calls his mother’s name and she answers:

My son, blessed... for if not for the pain in my heart.

My heart in me is broken into two.