every moment the previous ... the Advocate brought back so many
recollections ... who knows what the Prosecuting Attorney will remind
him of?
"Judges!" he begins with a sharp, stinging voice--
* * * * *
But he stops short.
"Judges!" he begins once more, but more softly, and he interrupts
himself again.
At last there issues from the same throat a voice as soft as butter:
"Judges! He has been silent! I shall be silent too!"
All is still, and in front a new soft, trembling voice is heard:
"Bontsie, my child Bontsie!" Bontsie's heart is dissolved in tears ...
he would have opened his eyes, but they are covered with tears ... he
has never wept such sweet tears before.... "My child," "My
Bontsie!"--ever since his mother had died, he had not heard such a voice
and such words.
* * * * *
"My child!" the Highest Judge proceeds, "you have suffered all, and you
were silent! There is not a member, not a bone in your body without
wounds, without a spot of blood. There is not a hidden place in your
soul where it does not bleed, and yet you were always silent....
"There they did not understand such things! It may be you yourself did
not know that you can cry and that from your cries the walls of Jericho
could tremble and fall! You yourself did not know of your hidden
power....
"They did not reward your silence in the other
belōhnt, nor dort is' der Ōlem-hascheker, dā auf'n Ōlem-emes west
du dein Lōb bekummen!
Dich wet dās Bess-din-schel-majle nischt mischpeten, dir wet es
nischt paskenen, dir wet es kēin Cheelek nischt aus-un' nischt
āb-thēilen! Nemm dir, wās du willst! Alles is' dein!
Bonzje hēbt dās erste Māl die Äugen auf! Er werd wie verblend't vun
der Licht vun alle Seiten; Alles blankt, Alles blischtschet, vun
Alles jāgen Strahlen: vun die Wänd', vun die Keelim, vun die
Malochim, vun die Dajonim! Ssame Sunnen!
Er lāst die müde Äugen arāb.
--Take? frägt er messupek un' verschämt.
--Sicher! entfert fest der Ow-bess-din! Sicher, sāg' ich dir, as
Alles is' dein, Alles in Himmel gehör' zu dir! Klaub' un' nemm, wās
du willst, du nemmst nor bei dir allēin!
--Take? frägt Bonzje noch a Māl, nor schōn mit a sicheren Kol.
--Take! Take! Take! entfert män ihm auf sicher vun alle Seiten.
--Nu, ōb asō, schmēichelt Bonzje, will ich take alle Tāg' in der
Früh' a hēisse Bulke mit frischer Putter!
Dajonim un' Malochim hāben arābgelāst die Köpp' verschämt. Der
Katēgor hāt sich zulacht.