passengers jumped up from their seats and helped the women arrange their baskets, looking pleased and smug at the produce of their land, like sons returning home and seeing it filled with all the best. Some asked how their sisters were, and others asked how the fruits of their gardens were; some asked what this one was doing and what that one was doing, and others joked with the
women, and the women joked with them, until the train entered the station and all the passengers jumped up and got off. When Isaac had entered his car, he saw only those who were in the car; now that he got out, his eyes were confused by that population. And Isaac picked up his belongings and went down to the city. This was the city that was the end of all his journeys on land and the beginning of his journey by sea.
The city is big and noisy and large palaces loom up. All kinds of wares whose like Isaac had never seen before in his life he saw now in Trieste. And everything here is unusual and unfamiliar. Instead of horses—donkeys. Even the fish in the market are strange, even the fruit and vegetables. And a kind of warm bluishness permeates the space of the city and a smell of soaked grass wafts there. Carriages run and their noise is swallowed up in their rubber wheels. But a great turmoil rises from the city. A lot of people are here, and among all those many people, not a single one pays heed to Isaac.
Isaac walks around in the markets of Trieste, in one hand his sack and in the other hand his valise. The sweet sun he left three days ago in his hometown had grown old before its time. Spring it was when Isaac left his hometown and here it is summer. Endless sweat drips from his forehead and all his limbs are weary. Where will he go and where will he turn and where will he buy a ticket here for a trip to the Land of Israel? And Isaac put down his bundles and asked passersby, and they replied in a tongue that was incomprehensible to him. More than from their words, he learned from their gestures. Isaac set off for the sea. Innumerable ships are standing in the har-bor of Trieste. Some came from distant lands and others are leaving for distant lands. Among all those ships stands Isaac’s ship. The next day it sets off, and whoever buys himself a ticket buys himself a place on the ship, and is entitled to board it at once. Isaac bought himself a ticket and bought himself food. He ate a little and he drank a lot and he got onto the ship.
I
Isaac boarded the ship and found his place. He untied his sack and opened his valise and changed some of his clothes, for he took pity
on his good clothes not to rumple them during the voyage so that he would enter the Land of Israel with them ironed. And after he found a place for his belongings he went to tour the ship. Aside from the crew, there wasn’t anyone there.
The day began to turn dark and small lanterns illuminated the ship. The crew went to eat their supper and as they dined they sang in German and in Italian, hymns to the sea and other songs. The waters of the sea turned dark and stars flickered in the firmament, and the moon rose from the dark water and the black waves swayed silently. Little by little the sailors’ singing stopped and silence spread over the sea. All that was heard was the sound of the waves lapping the boards of the ship. Isaac took out bread and sardines and sat down and ate supper and looked at everything around him, until his limbs started to grow slack and his eyes began to close. He stood up and packed the leftovers of his dinner and made himself a place to sleep. It didn’t take long before he was lying down.
Isaac lay down alone on the big ship by the light of the stars in the firmament and the voice of the waves in the sea. Never in his life did Isaac lie down alone and never in his life had he slept outside. Never in his life did Isaac lie down alone because in his father’s house there were only four beds. In one bed Father slept with little Vove, the son of
women, and the women joked with them, until the train entered the station and all the passengers jumped up and got off. When Isaac had entered his car, he saw only those who were in the car; now that he got out, his eyes were confused by that population. And Isaac picked up his belongings and went down to the city. This was the city that was the end of all his journeys on land and the beginning of his journey by sea.
The city is big and noisy and large palaces loom up. All kinds of wares whose like Isaac had never seen before in his life he saw now in Trieste. And everything here is unusual and unfamiliar. Instead of horses—donkeys. Even the fish in the market are strange, even the fruit and vegetables. And a kind of warm bluishness permeates the space of the city and a smell of soaked grass wafts there. Carriages run and their noise is swallowed up in their rubber wheels. But a great turmoil rises from the city. A lot of people are here, and among all those many people, not a single one pays heed to Isaac.
Isaac walks around in the markets of Trieste, in one hand his sack and in the other hand his valise. The sweet sun he left three days ago in his hometown had grown old before its time. Spring it was when Isaac left his hometown and here it is summer. Endless sweat drips from his forehead and all his limbs are weary. Where will he go and where will he turn and where will he buy a ticket here for a trip to the Land of Israel? And Isaac put down his bundles and asked passersby, and they replied in a tongue that was incomprehensible to him. More than from their words, he learned from their gestures. Isaac set off for the sea. Innumerable ships are standing in the har-bor of Trieste. Some came from distant lands and others are leaving for distant lands. Among all those ships stands Isaac’s ship. The next day it sets off, and whoever buys himself a ticket buys himself a place on the ship, and is entitled to board it at once. Isaac bought himself a ticket and bought himself food. He ate a little and he drank a lot and he got onto the ship.
I
Isaac boarded the ship and found his place. He untied his sack and opened his valise and changed some of his clothes, for he took pity
on his good clothes not to rumple them during the voyage so that he would enter the Land of Israel with them ironed. And after he found a place for his belongings he went to tour the ship. Aside from the crew, there wasn’t anyone there.
The day began to turn dark and small lanterns illuminated the ship. The crew went to eat their supper and as they dined they sang in German and in Italian, hymns to the sea and other songs. The waters of the sea turned dark and stars flickered in the firmament, and the moon rose from the dark water and the black waves swayed silently. Little by little the sailors’ singing stopped and silence spread over the sea. All that was heard was the sound of the waves lapping the boards of the ship. Isaac took out bread and sardines and sat down and ate supper and looked at everything around him, until his limbs started to grow slack and his eyes began to close. He stood up and packed the leftovers of his dinner and made himself a place to sleep. It didn’t take long before he was lying down.
Isaac lay down alone on the big ship by the light of the stars in the firmament and the voice of the waves in the sea. Never in his life did Isaac lie down alone and never in his life had he slept outside. Never in his life did Isaac lie down alone because in his father’s house there were only four beds. In one bed Father slept with little Vove, the son of
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