Let my laments circle like vapour up to heaven. Asking heaven to join in with my sorrow. For today is a day that I was destroyed twice. As we proclaim “Oh, that my head were water”.
I will see the weeping and wailing of the desert. I compare this night with that of the past, this time in the desert with that of the past. I shall weep in the wilderness. I will roar out “Oh, to be in the wilderness”.
I shall be severed and rejected like an olive branch. I will incite all the members of the celestial household to stand with me. I will provoke the Master of the House and will state “If one offers me thorns and thistles”,
I will adore him wholeheartedly. I will learn the words to encourage Him. I will be worried and ask “Where is the Shepherd?” for I cannot find Him. I will call out “Would that I knew how to reach Him”.
I will turn my words again and again like a wheel. I will recount to him face to face my troubles. The sun and moon will exhibit their woes by ceasing to shine. I will scream out “O that my words were written down”.
The guilt of those stealing the first fruits past my enemies hangs over me, I will declare these actions sinful, The constellations weeped as the Kohen Gadol’s tunic was torn. I will scream out “O that I had someone to give me a hearing.”
She went into exile due to the breaking of the ancestral covenant. I remember when we were married. I will shed tears like streams from a great pond. I will wail “O that I had the wings of a dove!”
My brother’s sins can be compared to the idols of the enemies. The pastures are without water due to His anger. The harvest is reaped late as are the vineyards. I will recite “Would that I were brought to the ramparts”.
I will plant my great tent in the midst of these tombs. I will fly away and reside in this graveyard and take care of those awaiting death. I will lament “What man can live and not see death”.
LORD, I asked for Your help, every year my people say that this will be the year, but I will let all know that I am aware of their plight “That the hand of the LORD has done this”.
I bow down my head to You, LORD, my strength. I kneel before You in supplication to bandage my wounds. I will praise You in song with verses from my wounds. I will direct my prayer “If only You could be with us as with a brother”.
Don’t forget the cries from your Temple, rejoin the remnants of Judah and Israel and return them to her. The thousands who have been exiled shall return to God to state “Would that the deliverance of Israel might come from Zion!”
(God responds) Since the time Israel has not followed my ways, left Me so I left them and turned My face from them; I grieved and cried, my bowels and my heart poured out. How they have torn My glorious crown from My head.
מחבר: רבי אלעזר הקליר
מסודר לפי אקרוסטיכון א"ת ב"ש
אַאֲדֶה עַד חוּג שָׁמַיִם. אַאֲלֶה אִתִּי שָׁמַיִם. אָאֹר יוֹם מַחֲרִיבִי פַּעֲמַיִם. אֶתְאוֹנֵן מִי יִתֵּן רֹאשִׁי מַיִם:
Let my laments circle like vapour up to heaven. Asking heaven to join in with my sorrow. For today is a day that I was destroyed twice. As we proclaim “Oh, that my head were water”.
אַבְחִין בִּבְכִי יְלֵל מִדְבָּר. אֶבְחֲנָה לֵיל מִלֵּיל וּמִדְבָּר מִמִּדְבָּר. אֲבַכֶּה אִתִּי עוֹלַת מִדְבָּר. אֶשְׁאַג מִי יִתְּנֵנִי בַמִּדְבָּר:
I will see the weeping and wailing of the desert. I compare this night with that of the past, this time in the desert with that of the past. I shall weep in the wilderness. I will roar out “Oh, to be in the wilderness”.
אֶגָּדַע וְאֶנָּשֵׁל כְּנֹקֶף זַיִת. אֲגָרֶה אִתִּי כָּל בְּנֵי בַיִת. אֶגְרֹם שֶׁיֹּאמַר בַּעַל הַבַּיִת. אֵרָשֶׁה מִי יִתְּנֵנִי שָׁמִיר וָשַׁיִת:
I shall be severed and rejected like an olive branch. I will incite all the members of the celestial household to stand with me. I will provoke the Master of the House and will state “If one offers me thorns and thistles”,
אַדְוֶה בְּכָל לֵב לְהַמְצִיאֵהוּ. אֵדְעָה מִלִּין בָּם לְאַמְּצֵהוּ. אֶדְאַג אַיֵּה רוֹעֶה וְלֹא אֶמְצָאֵהוּ. אֲקוֹנֵן מִי יִתֵּן יָדַעְתִּי אֶמְצָאֵהוּ:
I will adore him wholeheartedly. I will learn the words to encourage Him. I will be worried and ask “Where is the Shepherd?” for I cannot find Him. I will call out “Would that I knew how to reach Him”.
אֵהָפְכָה וְאֶתְהַפְּכָה כְּאוֹפָן בְּמִלַּי. אֶהְגֶּה פָּנִים בְּפָנִים לְתַנּוֹת עֲמָלַי. אָהֲהוּ חֶרֶס וְסַהַר מִלְּהַגִּיהַּ לְמוּלַי. אֶצְרַח מִי יִתֵּן אֵפוֹא וְיִכָּתְבוּן מִלָּי:
I will turn my words again and again like a wheel. I will recount to him face to face my troubles. The sun and moon will exhibit their woes by ceasing to shine. I will scream out “O that my words were written down”.
אוֹרַח מִשְׁפְּטֵי גּוֹנְבֵי עֲלִי. אוֹדִיעַ בְּבִצְעִי וּמַעֲלִי. אוּמְלְלוּ מַזָּלוֹת בְּקָרְעִי מְעִילִי. אֶפְעֶה מִי יִתֵּן שׁוֹמֵעַ לִי:
The guilt of those stealing the first fruits past my enemies hangs over me, I will declare these actions sinful, The constellations weeped as the Kohen Gadol’s tunic was torn. I will scream out “O that I had someone to give me a hearing.”
אָזְדָה כְּהוּפְרָה הָאֲבִיּוֹנָה. אֶזְכְּרָה כִּי הָיִיתִי מְחֻתָּנָה. אַזִּיל פְּלָגִים כִּבְרֵכָה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה. אֶעֱגוֹר מִי יִתֶּן לִי אֵבֶר כַּיּוֹנָה:
She went into exile due to the breaking of the ancestral covenant. I remember when we were married. I will shed tears like streams from a great pond. I will wail “O that I had the wings of a dove!”
אָח נִפְשָׁע מִקִּרְיַת עֹז אֶל צֹר. אָחוּ בְּלִי מַיִם בְּאַף לַעֲצֹר. אָחַז קָמוֹת לִקְצֹר וְעוֹלְלוֹת לִבְצֹר. אָשִׂיחָה מִי יוֹבִילֵנִי עִיר מָצוֹר:
My brother’s sins can be compared to the idols of the enemies. The pastures are without water due to His anger. The harvest is reaped late as are the vineyards. I will recite “Would that I were brought to the ramparts”.
אֶטַּע אָהֳלֵי אַפַּדְנִי בְּצַלְמָוֶת. אָטוּסָה וְאֶשְׁכֹּנָה עַד חֲצַר מָוֶת. אֶטָּפֵל אֶת הַמְּחַכִּים לַמָּוֶת. אֶנְהֶה מִי גֶבֶר יִחְיֶה וְלֹא יִרְאֶה מָּוֶת:
I will plant my great tent in the midst of these tombs. I will fly away and reside in this graveyard and take care of those awaiting death. I will lament “What man can live and not see death”.
אֱיָלוּתִי לְעֶזְרָתִי תַּרְתִּי חֲזוֹת. אֲיוּמָתִי בְּכָל שָׁנָה אוֹמֶרֶת הִיא הַשָּׁנָה הַזֹּאת. אֲיַדַּע לַכֹּל כִּי מוּדַעַת זֹאת. אִם לֹא כִּי יַד יְיָ עָשְׂתָה זֹאת:
LORD, I asked for Your help, every year my people say that this will be the year, but I will let all know that I am aware of their plight “That the hand of the LORD has done this”.
אֶכֹּף לְךָ רֹאשׁ יְיָ חֵילִי. אֶכְרַע לְךָ בֶּרֶךְ לְחַתֵּל מַחֲלִי. אַכְתִּירְךָ בְּשִׁיר מִשִּׁירֵי מְחוֹלִי. אֲכַוֵּן מִי יִתֶּנְךָ כְּאָח לִי:
I bow down my head to You, LORD, my strength. I kneel before You in supplication to bandage my wounds. I will praise You in song with verses from my wounds. I will direct my prayer “If only You could be with us as with a brother”.
אַל תִּשְׁכַּח צַעֲקַת אֲרִיאֵל. אֵלָיו לֶאֱגֹר יְהוּדָה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל. אַלְפֵי שִׁנְאָן אֲשֶׁר מָסַר אֵל. לֵאמֹר מִי יִתֵּן מִצִּיּוֹן יְשׁוּעַת יִשְׂרָאֵל:
Don’t forget the cries from your Temple, rejoin the remnants of Judah and Israel and return them to her. The thousands who have been exiled shall return to God to state “Would that the deliverance of Israel might come from Zion!”
יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעֵת בִּדְרָכַי לֹא הָלָכוּ. עֲזָבוּנִי וַעֲזַבְתִּים וּפָנַי מֵהֶם נֶהְפָּכוּ. רָגַנְתִּי וְהֵילַלְתִּי וּמֵעַי וְלִבִּי נִשְׁפָּכוּ. אֵיכָה תִּפְאַרְתִּי מֵרַאֲשׁוֹתַי הִשְׁלִיכוּ:
(God responds) Since the time Israel has not followed my ways, left Me so I left them and turned My face from them; I grieved and cried, my bowels and my heart poured out. How they have torn My glorious crown from My head.