AVROM AYSEN (ABRAHAM ASEN)

AVROM AYSEN (ABRAHAM ASEN) (March 15, 1886-August 4, 1965)

Born in Brisk (Brześć) in Lithuania.  He studied in religious school until age thirteen.  In 1903 he made his way to the United States.  In 1912 he received a degree in dentistry.  He debuted as writer in 1907 with a poem in Fraye arbeter shtime (Free voice of labor), later publishing poetry in Varhayt (Truth), Kundes (Prankster), Tsukunft (Future), Forverts (Forward), Literarishe bleter (Literary leaves), Yidisher kemfer (Jewish fighter), Oyfkum (Awake), Di feder (The pen), Vokhnblat (Weekly), and Amerikaner (American), in which he published about eighty biographical sketches of American and English poets with illustrations from their writings.  From 1902 he devoted himself to translating from the poetry of English, American, and other writers.  His books include: Der gefangener fun shilon (Prisoner of Chillon) by Lord Byron (New York, 1925), 32 pp.; Di rubayat (The Rubáiyát) of Omar Khayyám (New York, 1926), 63 pp.; Yidishe melodyes (Hebrew Melodies) by Lord Byron (New York, 1928), 30 pp.; Enakh arden (Enoch Arden) by Lord Byron (New York, 1930), 62 pp.; Kayen (Cain), a biblical drama by Lord Byron (Vilna, 1932), 124 pp.; Finf un tsvantsik lider (Twenty-five poems) by H. W. Longfellow (New York, 1933), 46 pp.; Finf un tsvantsik lider (Twenty-five poems) by Walt Whitman (New York, 1934), 64 pp.; 25 lider (25 poems) by Thomas Moore (New York, 1935), 32 pp.; Vilyam shekspirs sonetn (William Shakespeare’s sonnets), all 154 of them (New York, 1944), 176 pp.; Kenig lir (King Lear) by William Shakespeare (New York, 1947), 188 pp.; Yaades-identum (Judaism) by Yisrael Levinthal (New York, 1949), 237 pp.  He was living in New York, and he died in Bel Harbor.

Source: Zalmen Reyzin, Leksikon, vol. 1