New Year, a poem by Miriam del Banco (1932)

Contributor(s): Miriam del Banco and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Shared on: 2 June 2022 under the Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication

Categories: Rosh haShanah (l’Maaseh Bereshit)

Tags: 19th century C.E., 57th century A.M., English poetry, English vernacular prayer, Prayers as poems

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Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	New Year
	The stream of Time glides ever swiftly by Now in the shade now in the sun’s bright ray, And flower-laden, hung with rosy mists, Has brought to us another New Year’s Day.
	All rainbow-tinted floats a tiny speck Upon the tide; no fairy hand reveals What hidden lies beneath its mystic shade, How much of joy and sorrow it conceals.
	But, as it nears, a child in raiment white, A winged form with radiant face we see, An echoing born in hand, and borne aloft To greet mankind, by Faith, Hope, Charity.
	All eagerly we greet the fair young year, Nor heed the phantoms that with measured tread. Keep weary vigil, where the Old Year’s form Upon the farther shore, lies cold and dead.
	He brought to each of us a flower of joy; To each he brought a sorrow and a tear; Within each heart a trace; upon each brow A kiss;—the stern, the just, the dead Old Year.
	We part from him reluctant yet content, Sweet memories and dreams will linger near, Rut mankind, hopeful, turns to something bright, And Israel welcomes in her glad New Year.
	How sweet his countenance, though yet ’tis dim Within the glimmer of the morning ray, But on his fair young brow a star he wears— The morning star of the Atonement Day.
	But list! a song of joy is on his lips, A song as silv’ry as had sweet bells rung, The words, which echo o’er the stream of Time; “The God of Israel—our God is One.”
	Till Israel hears the song and swells the strain, Which ever echoes on like one glad cheer, While to all mankind on this broad earth flows This glad refrain; A happy, bright New Year!

The poem “New Year” by Miriam del Banco (1858-1931) was included in her posthumously published anthology, Poetry and Prose (1932), p. 113-114. The poem was likely published during her lifetime, but we do not know where or when. If you know, please leave a comment, or contact us. –Aharon Varady

Source(s)

“New Year, a poem by Miriam del Banco (1932)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 Universal license.

Miriam del Banco

Miriam del Banco (27 June 1858 - 6 November 1931) was a writer, poet, translator, and educator. She was the daughter of Rabbi Max Del Banco (1825-1864), a reform rabbi with a congregation in Evansville, Indiana at the time of his death. Johanna (née Meyer), Miriam's mother, moved to St. Louis and there Miriam began her education in its public schools, displaying remarkable poetic talent. Later she was sent to her uncle at Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where she attended the State Normal School. After graduating with honors, she rejoined her mother, who in the mean time had moved to Chicago. There, in 1885, Ms. Del Banco began teaching in the public schools, and from 1889 onward, as the assistant principal at the Von Humboldt School. Later on she served as the principal of the McClellan and Motley schools in Chicago. In 1921, at the age of 63, she earned a PhD from DePaul University. She was a frequent contributor to both the Jewish and general press, having written a large number of poems, both Jewish and secular, and often under the pseudonym, "the Pansy" (after her favorite flower).

Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Aharon Varady (M.A.J.Ed./JTSA Davidson) is a volunteer transcriber for the Open Siddur Project. If you find any mistakes in his transcriptions, please let him know. Shgiyot mi yavin; Ministarot naqeni שְׁגִיאוֹת מִי־יָבִין; מִנִּסְתָּרוֹת נַקֵּנִי "Who can know all one's flaws? From hidden errors, correct me" (Psalms 19:13). If you'd like to directly support his work, please consider donating via his Patreon account. (Varady also translates prayers and contributes his own original work besides serving as the primary shammes of the Open Siddur Project and its website, opensiddur.org.)

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו "May the pleasantness of אדֹני our elo’ah be upon us; may our handiwork be established for us — our handiwork, may it be established." –Psalms 90:17