Betrothed to the earth’s dust

This Hebrew poem is a touching lament for a young woman who died unmarried. It contrasts the waste and humiliation of death with the honor and joy that life would have brought her. The poet hints at the woman’s illness and death, noting that she left behind her jewelry, and points to the grim fact that her fate is ultimately the fate of all creatures. The poem ends on a more uplifting note as the poet shifts his focus to God’s restorative powers, drawing on Isaiah 61:3. The ellipsis indicates a lacuna in the manuscript.