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קִינָה לְאֶרֶץ אֲהוּבָה | Qinah l’Erets Ahuvah (Lamentation for a Beloved Land), by Liora Eilon

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Source (Hebrew)Translation (English)
אֵיכָה הָפְכוּ מִשְׁכְּנוֹתַיִךְ לְעִיֵּי חֳרָבוֹת,
אֲנָשַׁיִךְ לְגוֹלִים בְּאַרְצָם?
הוֹי אֶרֶץ נִבְגֶּדֶת, בָּגְדוּ בָּךְ בָּנַיִךְ,
שָׂמוּ מַאֲוַיֵּיהֶם בְּרֹאשׁ מַעְיָנָם,
חָרְצוּ גּוֹרָלֵךְ בְּמוֹ לְשׁוֹנָם,
עֲזָבוּךְ בְּלִבָּם, תּוֹעִים בְּדַרְכָּם.
O How your dwellings have been turned into ruins,
Your people become exiles in their own land?
O Betrayed land, your sons betrayed you,
They put their desires before all else,
They sealed your fate with their very tongues,
They abandoned you in their hearts, lost in their ways.
אֵיכָה חָרְבוּ קִבּוּצַיִךְ, עָרִים שָׁמֵמוּ,
אֲנָשַׁיִךְ מֵתִים, שְׂדוֹתַיִךְ נָשַׁמּוּ.
נִירִים רֻטְּשוּ, הָפְכוּ שְׂדוֹת אֵימָה,
עֵין כָּל חָרְבָה, יָבְשָׁה מִדִּמְעָה.
O How your Kibbutzim were destroyed, cities made desolate,
Your people dead, your fields wasting away.
Furrows ravaged, become fields of horror,
All eyes devastated, dried out of tears.
בָּנַיִךְ, בְּנוֹתַיִךְ נִטְבְּחוּ בְּלִי מָגֵן,
אֶל שִׁבְיָן הוּבְלוּ עַלְמוֹת חֵן.
וְעוֹמְדִים מִנֶּגֶד חוֹרְשֵׁי הַמְּזִמָּה
לוֹחֲשִׁים, רוֹחֲשִׁים, וְהָאָרֶץ דָּמְמָה
Your sons, daughters butchered undefended,
Fair maidens hauled into captivity.
And the plotters standing before them
Whispering, rustling, and the land was silent
אֲבוֹי אַתֶּם, מוּגֵי הַלֵּבָב,
הַיּוֹשְׁבִים בְּכִסְּאוֹתֵיכֶם, עַל עַצְמוֹת הַמּוֹשָׁב,
אֲמוּנִים עַל חַיֵּי יַקִּירִים חֲטוּפִים
עֵת אִמָּהוֹת וְאָבוֹת בְּאֶבְלָם עֲטוּפִים.
Woe unto you, you cowards,
Sitting carelessly in your cushioned chairs,
Entrusted with the lives of beloved captives
While mothers and fathers are wrapped in their grief.
עוֹד נָשׁוּב וְנִבְנֵךְ אַדְמַת מוֹלֶדֶת,
עוֹד נָשׁוּב וּנְרַנֵּן בִּשְׂדוֹתַיִךְ שִׁיר מִזְמוֹר
עוֹד יָשׁוּבוּ בָּנַיִךְ לֶאֱהֹב וְלִסְלֹחַ,
עוֹד תָּשֹׁבְנָה בְּנוֹתַיִךְ הַלֵּל לִגְמֹר
עַל שְׁכֵנִים, עַל רֵעִים, שֶׁהָיוּ לְאוֹיְבֵינוּ,
כַּאֲשֶׁר תֶּחֱזֶינָה עֵינֵינוּ, בַּשָּׁלוֹם בֵּינֵינוּ.
We will yet return and rebuild you, the soil of our homeland
We will yet return and sing in your fields a joyous song
Your sons will yet return to love and forgive
Your daughters will yet return to complete the thankful song
For neighbors and fellows who had become our enemies,
When our eyes will see peace between us.
וּתְפִלָּה נִשָּׂא יַחַד לִגְבוּלוֹת שֶׁל שַׁלְוָה,
לִשְׁכֵנוּת טוֹבָה, לְמַנְהִיגִים עִם עֲנָוָה
שֶׁנְּכַבֵּד אִישׁ אָחִיו, אִשָּׁה אֲחוֹתָהּ,
עֵת תַּצְמִיחִי שׁוּב, אֶרֶץ, דָּגָן וְחִטָּה.
And we will cast a prayer together for borders of tranquility,
For becoming good neighbors, for leaders with humility
That we will respect each other, brothers and sisters
When you will sprout again, O land, grain and wheat.

The author of this qinah is a survivor of the slaughter in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. The qinah was first published in an article by Tamar Biala appearing in The Times of Israel, “O how she sat alone: New laments for a beloved land” on 4 August 2024, appended with the note: “These Lamentations will appear in Dirshuni: Contemporary Women’s Midrash Vol. 2.”

 


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