FUN AMOL UN HAYNT: LIDER UN BALADES VEGN MILKHOME פונ אמאל אונ היינט: לידער און באלאדעס וועגנ מילכאמע
Moscow: Der Emes, 1943. with no dust jacket. Item #43487
First edition. Original illustrated paper wrappers, 16vo, 62 pages. In Yiddish. Title translates as “From Then and Now: Songs and Ballads About War”
War poems by Soviet-Yiddish poet Moyshe Khashtshevatski.
“[Khashtshevatski] was a poet, prose writer, and playwright, born in Buki, near Uman, Ukraine…In 1918 (April 6) he debuted in print with a poem, entitled ‘Friling Kumt’ (Spring Comes), in the Kiev newspaper Di Naye Tsayt (The New Times)—using the pen name M. Mishal. In 1921 he moved to Kiev, where he forged a strong bond with the local Yiddish writers (Yekhezkl Dobrushin, Dovid Hofshteyn, and Der Nister, among others), and from that point he enhanced ever more his reputation as a creator and builder of Soviet Yiddish literature…From 1923 over the course of three years, he contributed intensively to Emes (Truth) in Moscow, and he actively took part in the Soviet community and political life.
Although his first works were in the symbolist vein, he would later switch to a more realistic depiction of life and address the major issues and events of the time. He brought new motifs and artistic imagery into Soviet Yiddish poetry. The range of his interests was extremely broad. He also masterfully translated from the Russian and Ukrainian classics, as well as from other languages.
In 1943 the Moscow publisher Der Emes (The Truth) brought out two books by him: a poetry collection entitled Fun Amol un Haynt (Of Then and Now) [this work] and jottings about the hero of the Soviet Union, Khayim Diskin (Khayim Diskin). The majority of poems in the former were dedicated to war themes.
Shortly after the outbreak of the Nazi-Soviet war in 1941, he was evacuated to Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and there he learned of the death of his only son at the front. He proceeded to volunteer for mobilization into the Red Army, despite the fact that he was forty-six years of age. He contributed in the harshest of battles in that period of the fighting and died in battle.” (Leksikon Fun Der Nayer Yidisher Literatur)
SUBJECT(S): Yiddish poetry. OCLC: 233117501
Number penned to front wrapper & title page; edgewear to one corner on many leaves (no text affected) and paper is browning and somewhat fragile but otherwise Good Condition. (BK) (YID-48-111A-L-’mexcc).
Price: $275.00