Natan Alterman (born 1910, Warsaw - died 1970, in Israel) was an Israeli poet, journalist, and translator.He was born in Warsaw, and moved to Tel Aviv in 1925, where he continued his studies at the Gymnasium. His first published book of poetry was Kokhavim Bakhuts ("Stars Outside"), published in 1938. According to Benjamin Harshav, this volume, "with its neo-romantic themes, highly charged texture, and metrical virtuosity, immediately established him as a major force."His next major book was Simhat Ani'im ("The Joy of the Poor") (1941), which many regard as his magnum opus. This is a kaleidoscopic phantasmagoria consisting of 31 interconnected poems, all from the viewpoint of the ghost of a dead man obsessed with the living woman he loves - a reversal of the Orpheus and Eurydice story. The dead man wants to protect his living love from war and poverty, but more than anything he wants to drag her into his world. His plans are continually frustrated. The light from a humble candle is enough to drive him back. The story reads like a supernatural thriller, but the rhyme and the meters are regular and elegant.In 1942, Alterman wrote an angry poem in which Jewish children who have been murdered in the Holocaust give sarcastic thanks to God for choosing them.Alterman translated Shakespeare, Molière and Racine into Hebrew, as well as Yiddish and Russian writers. He wrote the lyrics of the famous song Kalaniyot, sung by Shoshana Damari.Alterman won the Bialik Prize in 1957 and the Israel Prize in 1968.After the Six-Day War, Alterman criticized David Ben-Gurion for being too willing to give up the occupied territories in return for a peace agreement.-------- Book's :
Books Published in Hebrew
Stars Outside (poetry), Yachdav, 1938 [Kochavim Ba-Hutz]
Joy of the Poor (poetry), Machbarot Lesifrut, 1941 [Simchat Ani'im]
The Tenth Chick (children), Machbarot Lesifrut, 1943 [Ha-Efroach Ha-Asiri]
Plague Poems (poetry), Machbarot Lesifrut, 1944 [Shirei Makot Mitzraim]
About That (poetry), Ministry of Defense, 1948 [Al Zot]
The Seventh Column; volume I (poetry), Davar, 1948 [Ha-Tur Ha-Shevi'i]
The Seventh Column; volume 2 (poetry), Davar, 1954 [Ha-Tur Ha-Shevi'i]
The Day of the Million, Davar, 1950 [Yom Ha-Milion]
The Black Market Poems, Prime Minister's Office, 1951 [Mi-Shirei Ha-Shuk Ha-Shahor]
City of the Dove (poetry), Machbarot Lesifrut, 1957 [Ir Ha-Yonah]
The Singing Book of Friendship (poetry), Machbarot Lesifrut, 1958 [Sefer Ha-Teva Ha-Mezameret]
Poems of Ten Brothers (poetry), Machbarot Lesifrut, 1961 [Shir Asarah Ahim]
The Writings of Nathan Alterman in Four Volumes, Machbarot Lesifrut, Davar, and Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1961-1962 [Ketavim]
Kinneret, Kinneret (play), Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1962 [Kinneret, Kinneret]
Ghosts' Inn (play), Amikam, 1962 [Pundak Ha-Ruhot]
Pythagoras' Trial (play), Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1965 [Mishpat Pitagoras]
Summer Celebration (poetry), Machbarot Lesifrut, 1965 [Hagigat Kayitz]
Esther the Queen (play), Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1966 [Esther Ha-Malkah]
The Final Mask (satire), Ma'ariv, 1968 [Ha-Masecha Ha-Ahrona]
Collected Works, Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1971-1979
The Silver Platter - Selected Poems (poetry), Ministry of Defence Publishing House, 1974 [Magash Ha-Kesef]
Poems 1931-1935, Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1984 [Shirim]
The Seventh Column 1943-1948, Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1986 [Ha- Tur Ha-Shevi'i]
Both Roads (non-fiction], Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1989 [Al Shtei Drachim]
The Seventh Column 1948-1956, Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1995 [Ha- Tur Ha-Shevi'i]
Last days of Or (play), Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1990
Plays Performed
Kinneret, Kinneret [Cameri-1961]
Ghosts' Inn [Cameri-1962]
Pythagoras' Trial [Habimah-1965]
The Flea Market (musical) [Cameri-1965]
Esther the Queen [Cameri-1966]
Tzatz ve-Tzatza (musical) [Cameri-1969]
Summer Celebration [Cameri-1972]Books in Translation
Serebrionoe Bliudo
Russian: Tel Aviv, Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1974Selected Poems
English/Hebrew: Tel Aviv, Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1978Little Tel Aviv
English: Tel Aviv, Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1981The Silver Platter
Italian: Tel Aviv, Hadas, 1998Individual poems have been published in: Afrikaans, Arabic, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, English, Esperanto, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese.
