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This is an original qinah written in response to the attack of October 7. Since the attack occurred on Simḥat Torah, this text is designed to follow the structure of the haqafot recited on Simḥat Torah. But it’s meant to be read on Tisha b’Av, or at least on another fast day.
Note: “The CAUSE” is used to translate the Divine Name YHVH, based on the philosophical idea of God as the Prime Mover and on the interpretation of the Name as a causative form of the copula – “causes to be.”
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| Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
|---|---|
אָנָּא יְהֹוָה אַיֵּה הַיְּשׁוּעָה אָנָּא יְהֹוָה אַיֵּה הַהַצְלָחָה אָנָּא יְהֹוָה הֲשִׁיבֵֽנוּ וְחַדֵּשׁ יָמֵֽינוּ׃ |
Please, Cause, Where is salvation? Please, Cause, Where is success? Please, Cause, Return us, and renew our days! |
אָשִׂים עַל־רֹאשִׁי אֵֽפֶר אַיֵּה הַיְּשׁוּעָה בְּיוֹם שִׂמְחַת הַסֵּֽפֶר אַיֵּה הַהַצְלָחָה גְּרָר אֶת־בְּרִית אֲבוֹת הֵפֵר הֲשִׁיבֵֽנוּ וְחַדֵּשׁ יָמֵֽינוּ׃ |
I set ash on my head. Where is salvation? On the day of the book’s rejoicing,[1] Simḥat Torah, the day of the Ḥamas attack Where is success? Gerar voided the ancestral covenant.[2] A reference to Genesis 20 and 21. Abraham made a covenant with Abimelech, king of the Philistines, in Gerar. The area of the ancient Philistine pentapolis is loosely equivalent to the modern Gaza Strip, and the word “Philistine” is cognate to the word “Palestine.” Throughout this poem the language of Philistia is used to refer to Gaza. Return us, and renew our days! |
דָּם נָקִי שָׁפְכוּ אַיֵּה הַיְּשׁוּעָה הַקִּבּוּצִים חָרְכוּ אַיֵּה הַהַצְלָחָה וְשׂוֹנְאֵֽנוּ לֹא שָׁכְכוּ הֲשִׁיבֵֽנוּ וְחַדֵּשׁ יָמֵֽינוּ׃ |
Innocent blood they spilled. Where is salvation? The kibbutzim they scorched. Where is success? And those who hate us did not calm down. Return us, and renew our days! |
זִמְרַת נֽוֹבָה הֻשְׁתְּקָה אַיֵּה הַיְּשׁוּעָה חָמְסוּ וְנֶהֱנוּ בְּקוֹל צְעָקָה אַיֵּה הַהַצְלָחָה טְהוֹרִים הִתְחַבְּקוּ בְּחׇזְקָה הֲשִׁיבֵֽנוּ וְחַדֵּשׁ יָמֵֽינוּ׃ |
The song of Nova was silenced. Where is salvation? They did violence,[3] In Hebrew poetry, punning is no laughing matter. The root of the verb “to do violence” is the same as the root of the word “Ḥamas.” enjoying the sound of screaming. Where is success? Pure ones embraced tightly. Return us, and renew our days! |
יָבֵשׁ וְרֵיק הָיָה בְּאֵרִי אַיֵּה הַיְּשׁוּעָה כְּפַר עַזָּה שְׁבוּעַֽיִם מִכִּפּוּרִי אַיֵּה הַהַצְלָחָה לֹא הָיָה עֻזִּי בְּנַחֲלִי וּבְנִירִי הֲשִׁיבֵֽנוּ וְחַדֵּשׁ יָמֵֽינוּ׃ |
Dry and empty was my well.[4] ”My well” = Be’eri Where is salvation? Kfar ˁAzza, two weeks past my atonement.[5] ”Atonement” = kippur, the same root as kfar Where is success? My strength was not in my arroyo or fallow ground.[6] ”Arroyo of strength” = Naḥal ˁOz. “Fallow ground of strength” = Nir ˁOz. Return us, and renew our days! |
מִבֵּיתָם שְׁבוּיִים חָפְנוּ אַיֵּה הַיְּשׁוּעָה נָשִׁים בְּצִיּוֹן עִנּוּ אַיֵּה הַהַצְלָחָה סַרְנֵי פְּלֶֽשֶׁת לֹא חָנְנוּ הֲשִׁיבֵֽנוּ וְחַדֵּשׁ יָמֵֽינוּ׃ |
They picked out hostages from their homes. Where is salvation? Women in Zion they abused.[7] Lamentations 5:11 Where is success? The tyrants of Philistia had no mercy. Return us, and renew our days! |
עַזָּה כַּמָּֽוֶת אַהֲבָה אַיֵּה הַיְּשׁוּעָה פְּרָחִים אַל־תִּצְמְחוּ בָּהּ אַיֵּה הַהַצְלָחָה צַדִּיקִים נֶעְדָּרִים מֵאׇהֳלִיבָה הֲשִׁיבֵֽנוּ וְחַדֵּשׁ יָמֵֽינוּ׃ | |
קִלְּלֽוּנוּ הַנׇּכְרִים אַיֵּה הַיְּשׁוּעָה רָֽצוּ לִבְגֹּד־בָּֽנוּ חֲבֵרִים אַיֵּה הַהַצְלָחָה שָׁוְא לְבָרֵךְ בַּמְּאָרְרִים הֲשִׁיבֵֽנוּ וְחַדֵּשׁ יָמֵֽינוּ׃ |
The foreigners insulted us. Where is salvation? Friends rushed to betray us. Where is success? It is worthless to bless those who curse. Return us, and renew our days! |
תָּשִׁיב לָאָֽרֶץ אֶת־כׇּל־יוֹשְׁבֶֽיהָ הוֹשִֽׁיעָה־נָא תַּחֲזִיר אֶת־בַּת־עַמִּי לְנָוֶֽהָ הִצְלִיחָה־נָא תִּנְקֹם נָקָם בְּכׇל־אוֹיְבֶֽיהָ עֲנֵֽנוּ בְּיוֹם צוֹם תַּעֲנִיתֵֽנוּ׃ |
You will return the land’s inhabitants to it. Save us, please! You will bring my poor people back to her abode. Grant us success, please! You will avenge her enemies. Answer us on this fast-day! |
Notes
| 1 | Simḥat Torah, the day of the Ḥamas attack |
|---|---|
| 2 | A reference to Genesis 20 and 21. Abraham made a covenant with Abimelech, king of the Philistines, in Gerar. The area of the ancient Philistine pentapolis is loosely equivalent to the modern Gaza Strip, and the word “Philistine” is cognate to the word “Palestine.” Throughout this poem the language of Philistia is used to refer to Gaza. |
| 3 | In Hebrew poetry, punning is no laughing matter. The root of the verb “to do violence” is the same as the root of the word “Ḥamas.” |
| 4 | ”My well” = Be’eri |
| 5 | ”Atonement” = kippur, the same root as kfar |
| 6 | ”Arroyo of strength” = Naḥal ˁOz. “Fallow ground of strength” = Nir ˁOz. |
| 7 | Lamentations 5:11 |
| 8 | Song of Songs 8:6. “Strong” = ˁAzza |
| 9 | A poetic term for Judah. |
“הקפות קינה לשביעי באוקטובר | Haqafōt of Lamentation for the seventh of October, by Isaac Gantwerk Mayer” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.
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