A Little Wife

A Little Wife

Translation by Hinde Ena Burstin

A little wife once boarded
With her in-laws as a guest
All day long, piously,
She tended to her nest.

All day long in that little house,
(Just between me and you)—
She read a book in secret,
Read it each day anew.

Between her fine dresses,
Made for her wedding day,
She kept a secular book
In secret stashed away…

It sat next to her heart, in the
Breast pocket on her right
She kept that book concealed
A small book in black and white.

And at the Shabes-table
Her in-laws sit and wait
While she's lost in her book,
Not noticing it's late.

Hidden in her little house
Ignoring in-laws and groom
Absorbed in that book
She paces round the room.

Father-in-law calls out,
"Daughter, come on out of there."
"I'm just finishing," she winks,
"The Shmoneh esre prayer."