Lyre and pipe have turned to tearful cries

Menaḥem ben Michael

12th Century

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Menahem ben Michael’s lament for the Seventh of Av, which was one of two fasts commemorating the destruction of the Temple in Karaite tradition (the other was the Tenth of Av, alluded to at the end). The two days correspond to the Rabbanite practice of mourning on the Ninth of Av. This poem recounts the loss of the Temple and then notes that it has been taken by the Kedarites, an enemy of the Jews mentioned in Psalms 120:5, likely referring in this poem to Muslims.

Lyre and pipe have turned to tearful cries. Have they not turned to mourning?
The joy of our drums and dance has ceased.
Strings and lute, musical instruments, today have turned to “Woe!,”
to scornful headshaking by our neighbors.
The music played by Asaph and his brothers, and the song of Ethan,1
are now laments and sighing in our presence.
The lights of day darkened, when Nebuzaradan2 came.
He demolished and burned the pride of [God’s] lovely abode.
The Temple and sanctum have become woe.
Nergal and Samgar-Nebo3 have made them desolate, and they fought in front of us.
Strangers and foreigners entered the sanctum on the 7th of Av.
Our foes, they acted with spite.
They tore down the walls and ramparts, the building Solomon had built with glory.
It was now a trampling ground for our enemies.
The Tabernacle and its vessels have been handed over to strangers.
Shall we not lament this and raise our voices, saying, “Woe!”?
Wails and dirges we cry bitterly, like doves.
We do not remain silent but clap our hands and beat our thighs.
They set fire to God’s whole meeting place [the Temple], burned it on the 10th [of Av].
The Kedarites have finished it off, as they shamed us.
I lament and wail, pluck hair from my head, and leave my clothes disheveled.
For there is no cure, no healing, for our wound.
For You, O our Rock, we hope, and await Your speedy redemption.
May we be rescued, and return to the city of Zion, our holy place!
Translated by Gabriel Wasserman.

Notes

[Asaph and Ethan were two of the Levite singers in the Temple (see 1 Chronicles 15:19), but now that the Temple has been destroyed, sad laments replace their joyous singing.—Trans.]

[The Babylonian general who destroyed the Temple, as retold in 2 Kings 25:8–9.—Trans.]

[Two Babylonian officials under Nebuchadnezzar at the time of the destruction of the Temple; see Jeremiah 39:3.—Trans.]

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 3: Encountering Christianity and Islam.

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Menahem ben Michael’s lament for the Seventh of Av, which was one of two fasts commemorating the destruction of the Temple in Karaite tradition (the other was the Tenth of Av, alluded to at the end). The two days correspond to the Rabbanite practice of mourning on the Ninth of Av. This poem recounts the loss of the Temple and then notes that it has been taken by the Kedarites, an enemy of the Jews mentioned in Psalms 120:5, likely referring in this poem to Muslims.

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Related Guide

Early Medieval Liturgical Poetry (Piyyut)

7th to 12th Century

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