גַּמָּדֵי לָיִל | Gnomes of the Night, a poem by Ḥayyim Naḥman Bialik (ca. 1894)

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (transcription), the Ben Yehuda Project (transcription), Ben Aronin and Ḥayyim Naḥman Bialik

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14 January 2019 under the Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication

Categories:

Bedtime Shema

Tags:

magical beings, modern hebrew poetry, entering magical territory, mythopoetic, evening spirits, 57th century A.M., animistic spirits, Jewish faeries, creatures of the night, romanticism, where the wild things are, 19th century C.E., vilde ḥayye, שדים sheydim, whimsy, night

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Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
גַּמָּדֵי לָיִל	Gnomes of the Night
לְאוֹר הַיָּרֵחַ, הַזֹּלֵף בְּנַחַת בִּתְכֵלֶת הָאַוֵּר, הַמְשַׁכֵּר הַלֵּב כַּחֲלוֹם זָהָב, וּכְמִקְסָם עֵינַיִם יְעַוֵּר;	In the light of the moon gently spraying The blue-tinted air with its gleam, That blinds human eyes with its magic And fires the heart with a dream;
לְאוֹר הַיָּרֵחַ בַּלָּיְלָה, עֵת יִצְלַל מְלֹא תֵבֵל בַּדְּמָמָה, וּבְסוּת אוֹר קִפָּאוֹן תִּתְעַלֵּף הַחֹרְשָׁה בְּתַחְתִּית הָרָמָה;	When the whole world is shadowed with silence In the light of the moon of the night, When in dim-frosted light like a garment Swoons the forest below the height;
וּבֵין הַצֶּאֱלִים בַּחֹרְשָׁה כְּעֵין רֶשֶׁת כֶּסֶף מְזֹרָה, יִרְעֲדוּ עַל־רֹךְ הָעֲשָׂבִים עֲגִילִים וּגְלִילִים שֶׁל־אוֹרָה;	When appears in the shadowy forest A network of silvery white, While shimmering there on the grasses Are circles and ringlets of light;
וּבְאוֹר רַךְ וָזַךְ כִּמְזֻקָּקִים עַל־מוֹרַד הַגִּבְעָה מַזְהִירִים – לֹא אַבְנֵי חֵן וְסַפִּירִים – רִבֹּאוֹת רְסִיסִים בְּהִירִים…	And when, in the rays soft and filtered, There gleam on the slope of the height Not jewels nor sapphires but droplets — Yes, myriads of droplets of light;
אָז תֵּרֵד מַקְהֵלַת גַּמָּדִים בְּמוֹרַד הַגִּבְעָה בִּרְנָנָה, שַׁאֲנַנָּה כַּחֲלוֹם יֶלֶד קָטָן, עֲנֻגָּה כְּקֶרֶן הַלְּבָנָה;	’Tis then come the gnomes joyous trooping Descending the slope of the height, As gently they come as the moonbeams, Like the dream of a child in the night.
וּצְנִיפִים עֲגֻלִּים וּשְׁחֹרִים יִצְנְפוּ רָאשֵׁיהֶם הַקְּטַנִּים, וּפְנֵיהֶם מוּעָדוֹת הַיַּעֲרָה, שָׁם לַחְפֹּר מִכְמַנִּים, מִכְמַנִּים.	And the gnomes’ little heads are well-covered, With round little black little hoods. They march there to dig for vast treasures, Their faces are turned towards the woods.
וּבְלֶכְתָּם יִנְעֲרוּ אֶת־נִטְפֵי הַטַּל מִן־הַדְּשָׁאִים, וּנְפוֹצוֹת הָרְסִיסִים הַזַּכִּים כִּבְדֹלַח מַתִּיזִים נִיצוֹצוֹת, נִיצוֹצוֹת.	And as they march on they make tremble The droplets of dew on the grass; And bursting, these crystal-like droplets Cast myriads of sparks as they pass.
כֹּה הָלֹךְ וְרַנֵּן יֵרֵדוּ, עֲרוּכִים בַּטּוּר שִׁבְעָה שִׁבְעָה, עַד בֹּאָם בַּעֲבִי־צֵל הַחֹרְשָׁה, הַנָּמָה בְּתַחְתִּית הַגִּבְעָה.	Thus walking and singing, descending By sevens they march in the night, Till they come to the shadowy forest That sleeps at the foot of the height.
אָז כֻּלָּם יָפוּצוּ בְשָׁאוֹן וּבָאוּ אֶל־בֵּין הָאַלּוֹנִים, בִּמְקוֹם מֵעֵין רוֹאִים נִצְפָּנוּ בַּקַּרְקַע מַטְמוֹנִים, מַטְמוֹנִים.	Then all of them scatter with tumult ’Neath bush and ’neath shadowy tree; They come to a place where are hidden The treasures that no eye may see.
הֵם בָּאִים – וּבְשִׁפְעַת הַצְּלָלִים תִּתְאַחַד עֲדַת הַגַּמָּדִים, יִתְלַכְּדוּ וִירַקְּדוּ כִּגְדָיִים, וְצָהֲלוּ צָהֳלַת יְלָדִים.	They come there in deepening shadows, Together the gnomes then deploy, They dance like young goats and they frolic As children exult in their joy.
וְכִתְמֵי הָאוֹרָה הַחִוְרִים יְרַצְּדוּן עַל־שְׁחוֹר מְעִילֵיהֶם, יַחֲלִיקוּ עַל־רוּם מִצְנְפוֹתָם, יִקָּלְעוּ בִּקְוֻצּוֹת רָאשֵׁיהֶם.	Then flickers the light pale and golden On the black of the garments they wear; Now it leaps on their hoods bright and shining And is cast on the locks of their hair.
וַעֲיֵפֵי מְשׁוּבָה יִפֹּלוּ, יִשְׂתָּרְעוּ בְּצֵל הָאַלּוֹנִים, וְחָפְרוּ מִשָּׁם וְהוֹצִיאוּ מַטְמוֹנִים הֲמוֹנִים, הֲמוֹנִים.	Then wearied of frolic and falling To rest themselves there ’neath the trees, They gather and dig for the treasures. What numberless treasures are these!
וּלְאוֹר הַיָּרֵח הַבָּהִיר בִּצְחוֹק צָלוּל, צַח, צְחוֹק יְלָדִים תְּשַׁעֲשַׁע עַל־מְאוּרַת הַזָּהָב וּתְצַחֵק עֲדַת הַגַּמָּדִים.	And in the bright gleam of the moonlight Their joy in their laughter is told. With the pure ringing laughter of children They dance near their mine-pit of gold.
וּצְלִיל דִּינְרֵי זָהָב וָכֶתֶם, וּבְרַק אַבְנֵי־חֵן עִם אוֹר סַהַר יִתְעָרְבוּ בִּצְחוֹק הַתַּעֲלוּלִים, יַרְעִישׁוּ דּוּמִיַּת הַיָּעַר.	The tinkle of coins and the sparkle Of gems that are strewn all around Soon mingle their light with the laughter; The forest is stirred at the sound.
וּצְחוֹק וַעֲלִיצוּת וְזָהָב – אַךְ, הָהּ! לַכֹּל תִּכְלָה וְאַחֲרִית – הֵחָפְזוּ, גַּמָּדִים! – הִגִּיעַ זְמַן קְרִיאַת הַגֶּבֶר שֶׁל־שַׁחֲרִית.	Thus the gold and the joy and the laughter — Alas, for this too must be gone! Hurry, gnomes, for the morn is approaching! The rooster soon summons the dawn.
אָז תֶּחֱרַד הָעֵדָה וְקָמָה, וַעֲרוּכִים בַּטּוּר שִׁבְעָה שִׁבְעָה יָשׁוּבוּ מַחֲרִישִׁים וְנוּגִים, יָשׁוּבוּ בְּמַעֲלֵה הַגִּבְעָה.	How quickly the gnome-troop arises, By sevens arrayed for their flight; And sadly they march and in silence, Returning — ascending the height.
וּבְהָלֵט הַסַּהַר הַנִּכְלָם אֶת־פָּנָיו הַחִוְרִים מִלְמָעְלָה, יָבֹאוּ בַצֵּל הַגַּמָּדִים, יִמּוֹגוּ כַּחֲלוֹם חֶזְיוֹן לָיְלָה.	And when the moon, shamed, hides its pallor And wraps its pale face drained of light, The gnomes march away to the shadows And melt like a dream of the night.

The poem “Gamodei Layil” (Gnomes of the Night) was written by Ḥayyim Naḥman Bialik in 5655 (1894/5). This English translation was made by Ben Aronin and appears in the Complete Poetic Works of Hayyim Nahman Bialik: Translated from the Hebrew, volume I (ed. Israel Efros, New York: 1948, Histadruth Ivrith of America, Inc.), p. 60-62. Transcription of the Hebrew provided by contributors to Project Ben-Yehuda. (Thank you!)

. Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication . 1.0 . Universal .

“גַּמָּדֵי לָיִל | Gnomes of the Night, a poem by Ḥayyim Naḥman Bialik (ca. 1894)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 Universal license.

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.)

the Ben Yehuda Project (transcription)

Founded in 1999, the Ben Yehuda Project digitally transcribes Hebrew works in the Public Domain.

Ben Aronin

Ben Aronin (1904-1980), Hebrew translator, US television performer, scriptwriter, poet and author. The Chicago Jewish Historical Society dubbed him "the Chicago Jewish community’s quintessential Renaissance Man...a lawyer, scholar, teacher, writer, summer camp counselor, and for many years director of extension activities at Anshe Emet. He wrote Jewish-themed songs and plays which are still performed today." He appeared as Uncle Ben in the Magic Door series for children; as an author, he began publishing work of genre interest with "The Doubt" for Amazing in May 1932, and who wrote the Raphael Drale sequence of Lost Race tales about the Lost Tribes of Israel, comprising The Lost Tribe: Being the Strange Adventures of Raphael Drale in Search of the Lost Tribes of Israel (1934) and Cavern of Destiny (1943). In 1941, his The Abramiad, a book-length mythological poem on the emergence of the Jewish people, was published by Argus Books.

Ḥayyim Naḥman Bialik

Hayim Nahman Bialik (Hebrew: חיים נחמן ביאליק‎‎; January 9, 1873 – July 4, 1934), was a Jewish poet who wrote primarily in Hebrew but also in Yiddish. Bialik was one of the pioneers of modern Hebrew poetry. (via wikipedia)

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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