Leyb Kvitko (1890–1952)

Leyb Kvitko was born in Holoskovo, near Odessa, lost both of his parents very early and was raised by his grandmother. At age 10 he began working as a quilter’s apprentice. In 1917, Kvitko was welcomed by the urban literary community as a folk talent when he arrived in Kiev wearing a coat, hat, and boots that he had made by himself. In 1929, Soviet Yiddish literary circles were scandalized by Kvitko’s poetic sharzhn (caricatures), particularly one that depicted Moyshe Litvakov, editor of the Moscow newspaper Der emes, as “stink-bird Moyli,” sitting unattainably high on a roof and poisoning people’s lives with his stink. Many Yiddish writers, notably Hofshteyn and Markish, defended him, but Kvitko was ultimately saved by the leading Russian children’s writer Kornei Chukovskii, whose praise helped him to become a household name. According to the Soviet literary historian Hersh Remenik, Kvitko’s popularity as a children’s poet unfairly eclipsed his importance as a folk poet, whose Yiddish poetry “had revealed the sadness of a world and the rise of a new world.” During World War II, Kvitko was a member of the JAC; in 1946 he replaced Markish as head of the Yiddish Writers Section at the Soviet Writers Union. He was arrested with other members of the JAC and executed 12 Aug ‘52.

ANNA-VANNA – BRIGADIER
Anna-Vanna, our squad
wants to see piglets!
we will not offend them:
Let’s take a look and get out!
Leave the yard,
don’t ask!
It’s time for the piglets to bathe,
Let’s go!

Anna-Vanna, our squad
wants to see piglets!
and touch the backrests –
are there a lot of bristles?
Leave the yard,
don’t ask!
It’s time to feed the piglets,
Let’s go!

Anna-Vanna, our squad
wants to see piglets!
stigmas – piglets?
tails – hooks?
Leave the yard,
don’t ask!
It’s time for the piglets to sleep,
Let’s go!.

Anna-Vanna, our squad
wants to see piglets!
Leave the yard,
be patient until morning.
We’ve already lit the lantern,
The piglets went to bed.
(fr Prokofiev musical setting, Поросята | Анна Ванна, наш отряд | LiederNet)