Episode 37: 'Tis a Fearful Thing

Connor and Jack talk about a poem that was likely written hundreds of years ago (more on this in the podcast) by Jewish poet and philosopher Yehuda Halevi. More recently, it was featured in the Netflix original series, Godless. This episode contains a wide-ranging discussion of poetic translation, religion, and universality in poetry.

'Tis a Fearful Thing
By: Yehuda Halevi

‘Tis a fearful thing
to love what death can touch.

A fearful thing
to love, to hope, to dream, to be –

to be,
And oh, to lose.

A thing for fools, this,

And a holy thing,

a holy thing
to love.

For your life has lived in me,
your laugh once lifted me,
your word was gift to me.

To remember this brings painful joy.

‘Tis a human thing, love,
a holy thing, to love
what death has touched.