Wail, O community, and lament in trembling
About This Entry
Eli ben ‘Amram composed this kinah (lament) for the death of the Karaite Tsemaḥ ben Asa, who died sometime after 1036. It survives in the Cairo Geniza in a manuscript written by Eli himself. As in his lament for the assassination of Abū Naṣr Faḍl al-Tustarī, this poem shows Eli’s connections with Karaite notables; here, it is particularly striking that Eli praises Tsemaḥ’s knowledge, referring to Tsemaḥ as “the ark of testimony.” It has been suggested that this poem was written to be recited at Tsemaḥ’s grave, as it contains directives for the mourners to lament Tsemaḥ’s death.
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Wail, O community, and lament in trembling,
over our master Tsemaḥ, prince [nasi] of Israel and Judah.
Woe, for the ark of testimony1 has been put away,
and the beautiful vessel has perished, is lost,
and the gold has changed, and the topaz dimmed,
and the crown has fallen, gone down to the ground.
Compose a dirge, make great laments,
cry out from all sides, and wail, with a broken spirit.
Over the prince of Israel, begin a dirge.
Over this, don sackcloth, make dirges and wail,
over him who would study the Torah and keep the testimony.
Call out to the lamenters, to those that sing laments,
to raise a bitter voice, and moan in their wails.
Over the prince of Israel they widen their mouths.
When will the shepherd come to look for the lost one? [ . . . ]
Woe, for the splendor and crown have been taken away,
and the amethyst has gone desolate, the topaz gone dark.
The form has been violated, and ended, passed away,
and cast to the grave, wandering and roaming. [ . . . ]
O Children of Israel, lament with broken spirit,
over the crown of wisdom, the prince of princes,
father of the understanding, head of Karaites,
who strengthened the faltering and all the weak,
with his generous spirit and his pious soul.
O shepherd of Israel [i.e., God], hear my voice.
Tend the slaughtered flock, and gather them from all corners,
and console the mourners’ hearts in the city [Jerusalem] where he [i.e., David] camped.
Let them ascend to it, redeemed, in joy and song.
Speedily restore Jerusalem, Your holy place.
Arise and have mercy on Zion, for it is time to show favor to it,
and gather the dispersed of Israel and Judah.
Source: CUL T-S 277.212.
Translated by Gabriel Wasserman.
Notes
[Great scholars are called by this epithet, for they contain great teaching, just as the ark with the two tablets did.—Trans.]
Credits
Bibliothèque nationale de France, Department of Manuscripts, Arabe 3929, fol. 78r, detail.
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 3: Encountering Christianity and Islam.
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