The Ineffable Name of God: Man: Poems in Yiddish and English (English and Yiddish Edition)

Heschel is outstanding and challenges the intellect. He is always provacative and stears thoughts in unusual directions.

I must admit, I enjoy Abraham Joshua Heschel’s ideas far more than his writing. Generally, his writing lacks thrust and drive. When you see interviews of Heschel, you can understand his appeal among his students and associates: he had a vibrant, persuasive personality. Without the man behind them, Heschel’s writing get a bit repetitious… even… blasphemy… boring.These early poems have a certain vibrancy to them, and the original Yiddish next to the translations, for those able, adds an element of solidity. Despite the title, the poems run the range of topics; there are strictly religious poems, secular poems, and ones in between. Of course, the secular poems can be interpreted as religious, especially those devoted to the imaginary woman.That said, some are right on religiously non-dual, such as “The Most Precious Word” were we find these lines: “I’ll make every word a name for You! / I’ll call you: Forest! Night! Ach! Yes! / And collect moments, / weave a bit of eternity, a gift for You.”Here Heschel plays with themes he will fully exploit later. And he does so in a more compact, condensed form.

These poems are in class with the great mystic poets, Donne, Blake and Dickenson. Fine translation and beautiful book.

very good. features the poems in both yiddish and english