The Shy Hand of a Jew

Poetry. Bilingual Edition. Translated from the Polish by Aniela & Jerzy Gregorek. Standing in solidarity with those who were beaten and frightened, Maurycy (Mosze) Szymel spoke to them directly in their own language, becoming one of them. Though his reputation had already been established as a Jew writing in Polish, he decided to write his poems to Jews in Yiddish, which he signed with his Hebrew name, Mosze (Moses). The collection here is organized chronologically around various volumes of Szymel's poetry, and this book represents the first collection of Maurycy Szymel's poetry in English translation.