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pp. 1254-1255
Megillot

Lamentations (Eikha)

אֵיכָה

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Hebrew
לָךְ מֵעֲבוֹר תְּפִלָּה׃ סְחִי וּמָאוֹס תְּשִׂימֵנוּ בְּקֶרֶב הָעַמִּים׃ פָּצוּ עָלֵינוּ
פִּיהֶם כָּל־אֹיְבֵינוּ׃ פַּחַד וָפַחַת הָיָה לָנוּ הַשֵּׁאת וְהַשָּׁבֶר׃ פַּלְגֵי־מַיִם
תֵּרַד עֵינִי עַל־שֶׁבֶר בַּת־עַמִּי׃ עֵינִי נִגְּרָה וְלֹא תִדְמֶה מֵאֵין הֲפֻגוֹת׃
עַד־יַשְׁקִיף וְיֵרֶא יְהוָה מִשָּׁמָיִם׃ עֵינִי עוֹלְלָה לְנַפְשִׁי מִכֹּל בְּנוֹת עִירִי׃
צוֹד צָדוּנִי כַּצִּפּוֹר אֹיְבַי חִנָּם׃ צָמְתוּ בַבּוֹר חַיַּי וַיַּדּוּ־אֶבֶן בִּי׃ צָפוּ־מַיִם
עַל־רֹאשִׁי אָמַרְתִּי נִגְזָרְתִּי׃ קָרָאתִי שִׁמְךָ יְהוָה מִבּוֹר תַּחְתִּיּוֹת׃ קוֹלִי
שָׁמָעְתָּ אַל־תַּעְלֵם אָזְנְךָ לְרַוְחָתִי לְשַׁוְעָתִי׃ קָרַבְתָּ בְּיוֹם אֶקְרָאֶךָּ
אָמַרְתָּ אַל־תִּירָא׃ רַבְתָּ אֲדֹנָי רִיבֵי נַפְשִׁי גָּאַלְתָּ חַיָּי׃ רָאִיתָה יְהוָה
עַוָּתָתִי שָׁפְטָה מִשְׁפָּטִי׃ רָאִיתָה כָּל־נִקְמָתָם כָּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָם לִי׃
שָׁמַעְתָּ חֶרְפָּתָם יְהוָה כָּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָם עָלָי׃ שִׂפְתֵי קָמַי וְהֶגְיוֹנָם עָלַי
כָּל־הַיּוֹם׃ שִׁבְתָּם וְקִימָתָם הַבִּיטָה אֲנִי מַנְגִּינָתָם׃ תָּשִׁיב לָהֶם גְּמוּל
יְהוָה כְּמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם׃ תִּתֵּן לָהֶם מְגִנַּת־לֵב תַּאֲלָתְךָ לָהֶם׃ תִּרְדֹּף
בְּאַף וְתַשְׁמִידֵם מִתַּחַת שְׁמֵי יְהוָה׃
Sephardi
Lach me'avor tefillah: sechi uma'os tesimenu bekerev ha'amim: patzu aleinu
pihem kol-oyveinu: pachad vafachat hayah lanu hashe'et vehashaver: palgei-mayim
teirad eini al-shever bat-ami: eini nigrah velo tidmeh me'ein hafugot:
ad-yashkif veyeire Adonai mishamayim: eini olelah lenafshi mikol benot iri:
tzod tzaduni katzipor oyvai chinam: tzametu vabor chayai vayadu-even bi: tzafu-mayim
al-roshi amarti nigzarti: karati shimcha Adonai mibor tachtijot: koli
shamata al-ta'alem oznecha leravchati leshav'ati: karavta beyom ekra'echa
amarta al-tira: ravta Adonai rivei nafshi ga'alta chayai: ra'itah Adonai
avatati shaftah mishpati: ra'itah kol-nikmatam kol-machshevotam li:
shamata cherpatam Adonai kol-machshevotam alai: siftei kamai vehegyonam alai
kol-hayom: shivtam vekimatam habitah ani manginatam: tashiv lahem gemul
Adonai kema'aseh yedeihem: titen lahem meginat-lev ta'alatecha lahem: tirdof
be'af vetashmidem mitachat shemei Adonai:
English
cloud beyond the reach of prayers. You have made us filth and loathing among nations. They gaped snarling mouths at us, all our enemies. Terror and snare were with us; devastation, breaking. Rivers of water ran from my eyes, over my maiden nation's breaking. My eye pours out and will not stop, no respite, until the LORD shall look down, and see us from His Heaven. My eye torments my soul over all the daughters of my city. He hunted me down like a bird, my enemy, for no cause. They closed off my life in a pit, and then brandished a stone above me. The waters came up over my head; I said, "I am condemned." LORD, I called Your name from the very lowest of pits. You have heard my voice - do not close off Your ears, to my need, to my pleading. You once were close when I called You, You would tell me, "Do not fear." You would fight my fight, my LORD - redeem my life. You see, LORD, this twisted justice: judge my case. Witness all their vengefulness, all that they think to do to me. Hear their insults, LORD, and all their thoughts of me, my attackers' mouths, all they mutter against me, all the day. Watch their sitting and rising, see - I am their mocking song. LORD, return them payment, for all that they have done. Bring them the heart's dirge, Your curse upon them. Pursue them with rage and annihilate them from under the skies of the LORD.
Hebrew
אֵיכָה יוּעַם זָהָב יִשְׁנֶא הַכֶּתֶם הַטּוֹב תִּשְׁתַּפֵּכְנָה אַבְנֵי־קֹדֶשׁ בְּרֹאשׁ
כָּל־חוּצוֹת׃ בְּנֵי צִיּוֹן הַיְקָרִים הַמְסֻלָּאִים בַּפָּז אֵיכָה נֶחְשְׁבוּ לְנִבְלֵי־
חֶרֶשׂ מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי יוֹצֵר׃ גַּם־תַּנִּין חָלְצוּ שַׁד הֵינִיקוּ גּוּרֵיהֶן בַּת־עַמִּי
לְאַכְזָר כִּי עֵנִים בַּמִּדְבָּר׃ דָּבַק לְשׁוֹן יוֹנֵק אֶל־חִכּוֹ בַּצָּמָא עוֹלָלִים
שָׁאֲלוּ לֶחֶם פֹּרֵשׂ אֵין לָהֶם׃ הָאֹכְלִים לְמַעֲדַנִּים נָשַׁמּוּ בַּחוּצוֹת
הָאֱמֻנִים עֲלֵי תוֹלָע חִבְּקוּ אַשְׁפַּתּוֹת׃ וַיִּגְדַּל עֲוֺן בַּת־עַמִּי מֵחַטַּאת
סְדֹם הַהֲפוּכָה כְּמוֹ־רָגַע וְלֹא־חָלוּ בָהּ יָדָיִם׃ זַכּוּ נְזִירֶיהָ מִשֶּׁלֶג צַחוּ
מֵחָלָב אָדְמוּ עֶצֶם מִפְּנִינִים סַפִּיר גִּזְרָתָם׃ חָשַׁךְ מִשְּׁחוֹר תָּאֳרָם לֹא
נִכְּרוּ בַּחוּצוֹת צָפַד עוֹרָם עַל־עַצְמָם יָבֵשׁ הָיָה כָעֵץ׃ טוֹבִים הָיוּ
חַלְלֵי־חֶרֶב מֵחַלְלֵי רָעָב שֶׁהֵם יָזֻבוּ מְדֻקָּרִים מִתְּנוּבֹת שָׂדָי׃ יְדֵי
נָשִׁים רַחֲמָנִיּוֹת בִּשְּׁלוּ יַלְדֵיהֶן הָיוּ לְבָרוֹת לָמוֹ בְּשֶׁבֶר בַּת־עַמִּי׃
כִּלָּה יְהוָה אֶת־חֲמָתוֹ שָׁפַךְ חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ וַיַּצֶּת־אֵשׁ בְּצִיּוֹן וַתֹּאכַל
יְסֹדֹתֶיהָ׃ לֹא הֶאֱמִינוּ מַלְכֵי־אֶרֶץ וְכֹל יֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל כִּי יָבֹא צַר וְאוֹיֵב
Sephardi
Eikhah yu'am zahav yishne haketem hatov tishtapekhnah avnei-kodesh berosh
kol-chutzot: benei Tziyon hayekarim hamesula'im bapaz eikhah nechshevu lenivlei-
cheres ma'aseh yedei yotzer: gam-tanin chaletzu shad heiniku gureihen bat-ami
le'achzar ki einim bamidbar: davak leshon yonek el-chiko batzama olalim
sha'alu lechem pores ein lahem: ha'okhelim lema'adanim nashamu bachutzot
ha'emunim alei tola chibeku ashpatot: vayigdal avon bat-ami mechatat
Sedom hahafuchah kemo-raga velo-chalu vah yadayim: zaku nezirehah misheleg tzachu
mechalav admu etzem mipeninim sapir gizratam: chashach mishchor to'oram lo
nikeru bachutzot tzafad oram al-atzmam yavesh hayah ka'etz: tovim hayu
challei-cherev meichallei ra'av shehem yazuvu medukarim mitenuvot sadai: yedei
nashim rachmaniyot bishlu yaldeihen hayu levarot lamo beshever bat-ami:
kilah Adonai et-chamato shafach charon apo vayatzet-esh beTziyon vatochal
yesodotehah: lo he'eminu malchei-aretz vechol yoshvei tevel ki yavo tzar ve'oyev
English
How dull gold has become; how that finest gilt has changed. The sacred stones poured out at the end of every street. Precious children of Zion, worth their very weight of gold - how they are considered now as cheap clay jugs - the work of Potter's hands. Even jackals bring out udders, give their cubs to suck. The daughter of my people is cruel, like desert ostriches. The tongues of little ones have clung to their mouths' rooves with thirst. Infants ask for bread - none break it for them. Those who once ate the finest foods, stand desolate in the streets. Those brought up in clothes of scarlet now embrace the trash heaps. The sin of my people is greater even than that of Sedom, which was turned over all in a moment: no hand touched it. Jerusalem's nazirites were cleaner than snow, once; brighter than milk, glowing warm from within more than rubies, hewn finely as sapphires. Now they are darker than pitch, not recognized on the streets, with skin shriveled against bones, dry as wood. Better to be killed by the sword than killed by hunger. The slain at least seep at their wounds; do not starve for the yield of meadows. The hands of loving women have cooked their own children. These have become their nourishment: the breaking, of my maiden nation's fast. The LORD burned all His anger; poured out all his flaming rage. He set fire blazing in Zion; and it consumed all her foundations. The kings of the world did not believe it - not anyone living on earth - that a foe and enemy would come and