Hebrew Praise Poems for Alfonso X and Jewish Loyalty at Court

Todros ben Judah Abulafia

Mid- to Late 13th Century

1

When I went to the king to enter his service, I gave him a chalice—embroidered work and designer’s craft—and on its forehead I placed a mark,

Faith saw that vengeance was naught ever since the day Don Alfonso arose as king.
I came to serve you and brought a chalice for your splendor, upon it a poem embroidered.
As God commanded, “On every pilgrimage…

Please login or register for free access to Posen Library
Register
Already have an account?
Engage with this Source

As a courtier to his king Alfonso X, Todros ben Judah Abulafia composed at least two Hebrew panegyrics (praise poems) honoring his patron. Though Alfonso likely did not know Hebrew, these poems served as public testimony of Jewish loyalty to their Christian king. The first emphasizes royal service, equating a visit to the king with the pilgrimage festivals in Jerusalem. The second, written in troubadour style, portrays the poet as the king’s servant and highlights Alfonso’s generosity toward both Jews and Christians. The “mark” mentioned in the headnote likely refers to Ezekiel 9:4–6, where God commands that a sign be placed on the foreheads of the righteous.

Read more

Creator Bio

Todros ben Judah Abulafia

1247–1306

A diplomat, court poet, and tax official, Todros ben Judah ha-Levi Abulafia lived in Toledo and served in the court of King Alfonso X of Castile (r. 1252–1284). In 1281, he was among a group of leading Jews arrested by royal order—as his patron, Don Çag de la Maleha, had been sentenced to death and hanged—but Abulafia seems to have been released and to have returned to serving the Castilian court. He was a prolific and witty poet in the troubadour tradition, openly writing about his sexual adventures. Around 1,200 of his own poems (and some by friends) appear in his dīwān (collection of poems), which he called Gan ha-meshalim ve-ha-ḥidot (The Garden of Parables and Riddles). The dīwān, which includes love poems, invective poems, panegyrics, and more, was preserved in a single manuscript copied in the seventeenth century.