PREFACE

The present volume has been written to meet, even though inadequately, a long recognised want, namely a collection of hymns and other devotional poems for the use of English Jews. It is composed chiefly of translations from the mediaeval Hebrew poets, and includes most of those already published under the title of Songs of Zion [1894]. The new matter is, however, more than double that of the old, and some original poems, a few paraphrases of Psalms, and three or four versified Talmud legends have also been added. The poems translated are mainly taken from those additions to the Jewish prayer-book which were made after the liturgy had been fixed, so far as its chief features are concerned. Some of these additions are older than the tenth, some are as late as the sixteenth century. They do not appear identically in all forms of the synagogue liturgy, and while some of them readily found a place in the ordinary Sabbath prayers, others enjoyed only a local admission^[1] As, e.g. the quaint hymn on the death of Moses (see Sabbath 53) which, I believe, is only to be found in the liturgy used by the Italian Jews. It is based on the Midrash.  and were used on special occasions only. In the task of discovering poems suitable for translation in the various liturgies and in two or three collections of Hebrew mediaeval poetry, in ascertaining the authors of several hymns given anonymously in the prayer-books, and in grappling with many of the difficulties attendant on rendering into English the often involved and obscure Hebrew of the originals, I have received from Mr. Israel Abrahams much valuable aid, which it is a pleasure to me to acknowledge here.

It has not been thought necessary to add either introductory remarks or literary notes to these translations. They are intended for devotional purposes, and it is entirely from this point of view that I have regarded my material. The book is for devotion, not for study. It is meant as an adjunct to the prayer-book, to be used at home, in the Sabbath school, perhaps occasionally in the synagogue, as an aid to religious meditation, derived in a great measure from the prayer-book itself. I have endeavoured to make my translations as accurate as possible; but, though I trust that some of the devotional spirit of the originals has been retained even in an English version, I am regretfully conscious that I have not succeeded in giving them that glow of intense religiousness, which these liturgical poems possess in the Hebrew. Uncouth and laboured as that Hebrew sometimes is, it is never commonplace and never aught but spiritually forcible. It is true the Hebrew mediaeval poets wrote for the world as well as for the synagogue. Their works contained satires, love songs, epistles, and epigrams, as well as hymns. But it is beyond question that they were at their best as hymnologists. In devotional poetry they poured forth their whole heart, and their constant theme was the goodness of God and the duty of man. Written in the dark ages of Jewish life, these hymns are illuminated by a divine optimism that may well serve to strengthen our own often wavering faith, and lead us too to find in our religion, that peace and happiness which blessed the singers of those days in the midst of sorrow and persecution.

In the arrangement of the hymns for every Sabbath and festival throughout the year a famous literary precedent has been followed. It must, however, be pointed out that some of the poems here assigned to special Sabbaths are included in some synagogue rituals for every Sabbath. Again, some of the poems here given for Sabbath use were originally composed for more specific occasions, for festivals and fasts. But it must be remembered that very few hymns were written for ordinary Sabbaths, and further that the same hymn will appear in one ritual for an ordinary Sabbath, while in another it will be found appropriated to a special occasion, the truth being that though written for special days, there is seldom anything that renders them inappropriate for all times. Many readers of hymns criticise them as monotonous. Perhaps a similar complaint will be made against this book, especially when it is admitted that hymns written for one day appear equally suitable for another. A further reason for the tendency to monotony in this collection may be found in the fact that hymns of what we may call historic interest, which have reference to such passing events as the founding of a new congregation, or the migration of an old one, the death of a famous Rabbi, or, too often, a more than usually grievous persecution, have been omitted from these pages, as having but little devotional value to the presentday reader. This may somewhat have robbed The Jewish Year of the variety which distinguishes the liturgical poetry that responded to every passing phase of life. But the monotony of hymns in general is due to a deeper cause also. There is infinite variety in God’s goodness, but man has but a finite faculty for giving expression to it. If there be monotony in the thoughts that animate this and every other collection of hymns, the life of man would nevertheless be the nobler and the better, if it reflected, however faintly, that monotony, that wholehearted faith, that supreme sense of God’s love. This is the constant theme of hymns such as are here presented by one who is fully conscious of defects for which she alone is responsible, but who ventures to hope, that a theme so congenial to the highest and noblest ideal of Judaism may yet make these poems acceptable to those for whom they were written.

CONTENTS

[* asterisks indicate works previously published in Songs of Zion by Hebrew Singers of Mediæval Times (1894)]

FIRST SABBATH
1. Light and Darkness, Jehuda Halevi

SECOND SABBATH
2. *God, whom shall I compare to Thee?, Jehuda Halevi

THIRD SABBATH
3. Abraham’s Faith, Alice Lucas

FOURTH SABBATH
4. The Faithful Men, Elijah b. Mordecai

FIFTH SABBATH
5. A Stranger and a Sojourner am I, Alice Lucas

SIXTH SABBATH
6. *O Soul, with storms beset, Solomon ibn Gebirol

SEVENTH SABBATH
7. Jacob’s Dream, Alice Lucas

EIGHTH SABBATH
8. Not Worthy, Alice Lucas

NINTH SABBATH
9. The Living God, Abraham ibn Ezra

TENTH SABBATH
10. *To the Soul, Jehuda Halevi

ELEVENTH SABBATH
11. Psalms ⅭⅩⅩⅥ, paraphrase

TWELFTH SABBATH
12. *The Land of Peace, Solomon ibn Gebirol

THIRTEENTH SABBATH
13. The Mission of Moses, A Talmud Legend

FOURTEENTH SABBATH
14. The Sun and Moon, Jehuda Halevi

FIFTEENTH SABBATH
15. Prayer for Help, Abraham ibn Ezra

SIXTEENTH SABBATH
16. Lord, do Thou guide me, Alice Lucas

SEVENTEENTH SABBATH
17. The Law, Abraham ibn Ezra

EIGHTEENTH SABBATH
18. *Sanctification, Jehuda ibn Abitur

NINETEENTH SABBATH
19. Offerings, Alice Lucas

TWENTIETH SABBATH
20. Even as the Daily Offering, Solomon ben Abun

TWENTY-FIRST SABBATH
21. Elijah’s Prayer, Jehuda ibn Giat

TWENTY-SECOND SABBATH PAGE
22. The Sabbath Day, Jehuda Halevi

TWENTY-THIRD SABBATH
23. *Hymn of Praise, Abraham ibn Ezra

TWENTY-FOURTH SABBATH
24. Guilty are we, Jehuda Halevi

TWENTY-FIFTH SABBATH
25. Our Father’s Sins, From the Portuguese Prayer Book. Author unknown

TWENTY-SIXTH SABBATH
26. Resignation, Abraham ibn Ezra

TWENTY-SEVENTH SABBATH
27. Simeon Ben Migdal, A Talmud Legend

TWENTY-EIGHTH SABBATH
28. Dawn, Moses ibn Ezra

TWENTY-NINTH SABBATH
29. Happy he who saw of old, Adapted from Solomon ibn Gebirol

THIRTIETH SABBATH
30. *O Sleeper, wake, arise, Jehuda Halevi

THIRTY-FIRST SABBATH
31. At Evening, From the Daily Prayer Book. Author unknown

THIRTY-SECOND SABBATH
32. Praise ye the Almighty, from “Tal Orouth,” Author unknown

THIRTY-THIRD SABBATH
33. The Wonders of God, Joab

THIRTY-FOURTH SABBATH
34. As the Sand of the Sea, From the Portuguese Prayer Book. Author unknown

THIRTY-FIFTH SABBATH
35. The Peace of God, Alice Lucas

THIRTY-SIXTH SABBATH
36. Faith, Alice Lucas

THIRTY-SEVENTH SABBATH
37. O thou Red Sea, Jehuda Halevi

THIRTY-EIGHTH SABBATH
38. Hillel and his Guest, A Talmud Legend

THIRTY-NINTH SABBATH
39. Psalm ⅭⅩⅩⅠ, Paraphrase

FORTIETH SABBATH
40. The Ways of God, Jehuda Halevi

FORTY-FIRST SABBATH
41. The Soul, Abraham ibn Ezra

FORTY-SECOND SABBATH
42. Commit thy Way, Alice Lucas

FORTY-THIRD SABBATH
43. Prayer, Solomon ibn Gebirol^[2] An English verse adaptation of ibn Gabirol’s piyyut, “Shaḥar Avaqshekha” 

FORTY-FOURTH SABBATH
44. Yea, more than they, Alice Lucas

FORTY-FIFTH SABBATH
45. At Morning, Jehuda Halevi

FORTY-SIXTH SABBATH
46. O Lord, I call on Thee, Abraham ibn Ezra

FORTY-SEVENTH SABBATH
47. Souls of the Righteous, Alice Lucas

FORTY-EIGHTH SABBATH
48. How Long, Jehuda Halevi

FORTY-NINTH SABBATH
49. The Commandment of Forgetfulness, A Talmud Legend

FIFTIETH SABBATH
50. From Psalm Ⅳ, Alice Lucas

FIFTY-FIRST SABBATH
51. Lo, as the Potter, from the Atonement Prayer Book. Author unknown

FIFTY-SECOND SABBATH
52. *Penitential Prayer, Moses ibn Ezra

FIFTY-THIRD SABBATH
53. The Death of Moses, from the Italian Prayer Book. Author unknown

FIFTY-FOURTH SABBATH
54. *Hymn of Glory, Jehuda ha Chasid

FIRST DAY OF PASSOVER
55. When the Morning came, Isaac ibn Giat

SEVENTH DAY OF PASSOVER
56. By the Red Sea, Jehuda Halevi

57. PENTECOST
*Sinai (formerly “Hymn for Pentecost”), Jehuda Halevi

FAST OF AB
58. *Ode to Zion, Jehuda Halevi

NEW YEAR
59. *My King, Nachmanides
60. *Judgment and Mercy, Simeon

PENITENTIAL DAYS
61. The Crown of Sovereignty, Solomon ibn Gebirol

DAY OF ATONEMENT
62. *The Heart’s Desire, Jehuda Halevi
63. *Servant of God, Jehuda Halevi
64. Mercy and Pardon, Chiya
65. While yet we dwell on earth, Author Unknown

FIRST DAY OF TABERNACLES
66. *Palms and Myrtles (formerly “Hymn for Tabernacles”), Kalir

EIGHTH DAY OF TABERNACLES
67. Creator of the Universe, Joseph

[Additional Works]
68. *Sabbath Hymn, Solomon Alkabets
69. *Hymn for the Conclusion of the Sabbath, Isaac
70. *Hymn of Unity for the Seven Days of the Week, Samuel bar Kalonymos
71. *Grace After Meals [Tsur Mishelo], Author unknown
72. Grace For Sabbath, Isaac^[3] As indicated by the acrostic. A more definitive attribution is to Yitsḥaq Luria/ 
73. Morning [Elohai Neshamah] and Evening (HaMapil) Hymns, Talmudic. From the Daily Prayer Book
74. *Lord of the Universe (Adon Olam), From the Daily Prayer Book. Author unknown
75. *The Living God We Praise (Yigdal), Daniel b. Judah Dayan

[Note: does not include Jehuda haLevi’s “Passover Hymn,” “Morning prayer,” and “God and Man” found in Songs of Zion (1894).