RUVN AYZLAND (REUBEN EISLAND)

RUVN AYZLAND (REUBEN EISLAND) (April 29, 1884-June 18, 1955)

Born in Gross-Radomysl (Pol. Radomyśl Wielki), Western Galicia.  He studied in religious schools, at home, and in the synagogue study hall.  He began writing Hebrew poetry in 1900—Snunit (Swallow) (Jerusalem)—and Yiddish in 1904 in Teglekher herald (Daily herald) in New York.  He came to the United States in September 1903.  He published poems and stories in: Tsukunft (Future), Literatur (Literature), Shriftn (Writings), Der indzl (The island), and Der firer (The leader), among others.  He was the editor of the journal, Literatur un lebn (Literature and life) (1915); he was editor with Mani Leyb of the journal, Der indzl (March 1925-June 1926).  From 1918 he was a regular contributor to Tog (Day), and later to Tog morgn-zhurnal (Morning journal).  Among his books: Fun mayn zumer (From my summer), poetry (Vienna and New York, 1922), 72 pp.; Dos gezang fun hirsh (Song of the stag), poetry (New York, 1944); Fun undzer friling (From our spring), memoirs and essays (Miami Beach and New York, 1954).  He translated the entire series of poems, Tsofn-yam (North Sea) [Die Nordsee by Heinrich Heine], and four volumes of prose by Heine; On a foterland (Without a fatherland) [De uden Fædreland by Herman Bang], a novel (New York, 1920), 363 pp.; Frateli bedini (Fratelli bedini) [Fratelli Bedini by Herman Bang], a novella (New York, 1919), 55 pp.; poetry by Richard Dehmel, M. Dauthendey, Nietzsche, and Robert Louis Stevenson, among others.  From Chinese poets, works by: Su Dongpo, Du Fu, Zhuangzi, as well as others.  He also wrote a drama entitled R’ asher kahane (Rabbi Asher Kahane).  He was one of the founders of the group known as “Yunge” (Young ones).  He occupied a distinguished place in modern Yiddish lyric poetry, especially in the softer, quieter, clearer, and more descriptive—emotional lyrical—poetry.  He was ill in his last years, withdrawing from journalistic activities and settling in Miami Beach where he died in 1955.

Sources: Zalmen Reyzen, Leksikon, vol. 1; Gershom Bader, Medina veḥakhameha (The land and its wisdom) (New York, 1934); Shmuel Niger, in Dos naye lebn (The new life) (October 1922); N. Shteynberg, Yung-amerike (Young America) (New York, 1930), pp. 183-200; B. Bialostotski, Lider un eseyen (Poems and essays) (New York, 1932); B. Ts. Goldberg, in Tog (July 6, 7, 8, and 27, 1954); Y. Botoshanski, in Di naye tsayt (Buenos Aires) (July 19, 1954); Yankev Glatshteyn, in Yidisher kemfer (1954); N. Mayzil, in Yidishe kultur (June, July, August, 1954); obituaries in Yiddish newspapers in New York (June 20, 1955); M. Unger, in Tog morgn-zhurnal (July 3, 1955).