בחינת עולם 2

עַל זֹאת יִשְׁתּוֹמֵם כָּל חָסִיד יִבָּהֵל כִּי אָזְלַת יָד:

And thus, from the failure of their hands, the faithful succumb to apathy and despair

כִּי אֶרְאֶה חָמָס וְרִיב בָּעִיר צַלְמִי אֶבְזֶה:

From the ruin and slaughter of the city, they despise their own reflection

כִּי אֶתְבּוֹנֵן לַתְּמוּרוֹת בַּמְּדִינוֹת שָׂנֵאתִי נַפְשִׁי:

From the corruption of politics, they loathe their very soul.

אָמַרְתִּי הֵן הָאָדָם הַלָּז בַּתֵּבֵל הָיָה כְּאַחַד מִצְּבָא הַמָּרוֹם בַּמָּרוֹם:

I said: This man of earth- was he not meant to be one with the heavenly hosts high up above?

לְבָבוֹ מִנִּי יָם רָחֲבוּ גְדוֹתָיו:

His heart is vaster than the sea, his horizons without limit.

יִפְרֹשׂ כְּנָפָיו לְתֵימָן בַּחֲדָרָיו סָתוּם יְגַלֶּה:

When his wings are spread to the southern sky, the abode of light, the concealed is revealed

הֵן קֶדֶם יַהֲלֹךְ וְיָבִין תַּעֲלוּמוֹת חָכְמָה:

And when he turns to the east, the cradle of the rising sun, he opens wisdom’s hidden mysteries

יִסַּק שָׁמַיִם שָׁמָּה מַרְכְּבוֹת הִתְחַכְּמוּתוֹ יַצִּיעַ שְׁאוֹל הִנֵּה עֲלִיּוֹת בִּתְהֹמוֹת יְקָרֶה:

On the chariots of his wisdom he ascends to the heavens, finding in the abyss the pathway to the heights.

יַעֲלֶה מִשְּׁפַל מַצָּבוֹ לְרוּם שָׁמָיו יֵרֵד מִגָּבְהֵי שָׁמָיו עַל אַרְצוֹ עַד יְסֻקְּלוּ לְפָנָיו נְתִיבוֹת עוֹלָמוֹ:

From his lowly station to the heavenly heights, and down once more to the depths of earth, until the pathways of the world stand open before him.

רָצוֹא וָשׁוֹב עַד בְּקַלּוֹת הֶרְגֵּל שִׂכְלוֹ וְרוּחַ בִּינָתוֹ בְּקַצְוֵי הַבְּרִיאָה מוֹלִיךְ וּמֵבִיא מַעֲלֶה וּמוֹרִיד:

Running and returning, carrying and fetching, the spirit of understanding reaches the very ends of the creation, lifting upwards and casting down, all within the flash of cognition

עַד יֶאֱסוֹף בְּחָפְנָיו גְּלִילוֹת אָרֶץ בְּתַעֲצוּמוֹ וְרוּמוֹ וּבְגַאֲוָתוֹ שְׁחָקִים:

Until, by strength, spirit and pride, he places the orbs of the earth and even the heavens above into the palms of his hands.

עַד יִכְלוֹל מַדָּעוֹ טִבְעֵי הַיְּצוּרִים וּתְכוּנָתָם תְּקַבֵּץ בְּחִינָתוֹ אֲמִתַּת הַנִּבְרָאִים לְמִינֵיהֶם:

And so he continues until his knowledge contains every trait, and every secret of each and every being of the creation, each according to its kind.

וְעַל אֵל אֵלִים יְדַבֵּר נִפְלָאוֹת וּמִלִּין לְצַד עִלָּאָה יְמַלֵּל:

And for the God of all the gods, wondrous words are said, and for the highest of the high, a rising speech is spoken.