Poets And Money

 

 I never really paid attention to the  human figures on banknotes, until recently when I wished to get a closer look at the face of  the poetess, Rachel,  on the 20 NIS (new israeli shekel) paper bill. 

 

                                                Rachel

I was surprised  there was no mention of her name, only a line from one of her poems "And Perhaps", (poem that had been turned into one of the most beautiful, beloved Israeli song of all times). 

I checked the other three banknotes with poet figures :      Saul Tchernichovsky on the green 50 NIS banknote, Leah Goldberg on the orange 100 NIS banknote, Natan Alterman  on the  blue 200 NIS banknote. No names, only a line from their work on the back of the banknote.

                                            the four poets in the series of banknotes

There was one name ,though, on the paper bills, the name of economist Karnit Flog,  Bank of Israel Governor at the time of the emission of the poets' banknote series in 2014-2017.         I found that rather unfair and frustrating.  However, maybe, there's a reason for not mentioning the poets'  names - I'll have to try and find out what it is.

Rachel Bluwstein (1890-1931)  known by her first name 'Rachel',  interests me not only for her lovely, simple poems, but also as a woman, and as a person with a tragic life (she died untimely of tuberculosis). Lake Kinneret (The Sea of Galilee) was her whole world (and she was buried close to it).

                              Rachel's grave at Kinneret cemetery (Wikipedia)

*

"And Perhaps" (Ve Ulai) - lyrics

 

And perhaps, these things never happened, never existed

And perhaps, I never rose at dawn to work in the field with my own hands,   by the sweat of my brow

On the long, blazing days of harvest / while on top of a cart with sheaves/ I never did  raise my voice in song

Never did I purify myself with innocence, in the azure waters of my Kinneret

Oh, my Kinneret / were you real or was it my dream?

                  

                                singer Ester Ofarim
          

 

The nuns' silent neighbouress

Ashes, dust, will remain of you

As this has always been the rule

Nothing brings you into this world

Nothing takes you away from it

Nothing of you will remain behind

Veronica Micle

4.v111 1889

(free translation from romanian - june 2009)

On one of the hottest days of last June, facing the tombstone of the young beautiful poetess Veronica Micle, I felt a deep sadness penetrating my soul. What a loss of talent and beauty ! I think the words, engraved on her stone, refer to the physical aspect of things . She herself left behind two daughters, poems, prose , admirers.- that's certainly no Nothing.

Veronica committed suicide two months after her lover (the great romanian poet Mihai Eminescu) died. She was burried in a tiny garden at the Varatec Monastery. This all women's monastery (with about six hundred nuns), surrounded by meadows and forests , housing fine paintings and furniture, always attracted writers, poets and scholars who found here the proper atmosphere for rest and creative work - and in Veronica's case, final peace.

Veronica and Eminescu, whom she lovingly called Emin, first met at her house where she hosted a literary salon. After the death of her husband (thirty years her senior), the two came close to each other planning to marry but , for some reason , it didn't happen. They both died in their late thirties.

There's some new material (letters) recently released by descendants of the Micle family, and it will probably serve as the basis of a great literary, romantic movie.

VERO & EMIN

view of Veronica Micle's grave -( june 2009)

the main entrance to the monastery (hidden by the van)

nun selling products of the monastrey's own bakery (2009)

people visiting the convent - (june 2009 )