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| Source (Hebrew) | Translation of Yosef Goldman (English) | Translation of Susan Weingarten (English) |
|---|---|---|
אֵיכָה בְּאֵרִי הָפְכָה לְקִבְרִי וְיוֹם מְאוֹרִי הָפַךְ שְׁחוֹרִי וְהֻשְׁחַת כָּל פְּרִי וְנֶהְפַּךְ שִׁירִי עֵינִי נוֹבְעָה מַיִם מֵעֹמֶק שִׁבְרִי. |
Eikhah[1] The opening word of the Book of Lamentations, “איכה” — translated as “alas!” or “how?!?” — is often used in Jewish poetry of lament — ḳinnot — that memorialize the Jewish people, from the liturgy for mourning the Temple’s destruction to today. – Alas! my well[2] Be’eri means “my well.” [Be’eri here also refers to Kibbutz Be’eri, the site of one of the massacres that took place on 7 October 2023. — ANV] has turned into my grave. And the day of my light[3] A reference to the festival of Simḥat Torah on which the massacres took place. In TaNaKh and Rabbinic literature, Torah is compared to both light and water. “For the commandment is a lamp, the teaching of Torah is a light” (Proverbs 6:23) and “A flowing stream, a fountain of wisdom” (Proverbs 18:4). Also find Shir haShirim Rabbah 1:2. has become my darkness And all fruit has been destroyed and my singing overturned My eyes pour forth water[4] ”For these do I weep, my eyes flow with tears; far from me is a comforter who might revive my spirit; my children are forlorn, for the foe has prevailed” (Lamentations 1:16) from the depth of my brokenness |
O how has my well Become my grave And my day of light Become my darkness And every fruit destroyed And my song overthrown My eyes fill with water From the depths of my despair |
אֵיכָה תּוֹרָה עֲרוּכָה וּסְדוּרָה וְכָל פְּאֵרָהּ לֹא עָמַד לְעֶזְרָה וּבְיוֹם הֲדָרָהּ הֻשְׁחַת תָּאֳרִי עֵינִי נוֹבְעָה מַיִם מֵעֹמֶק שִׁבְרִי. |
Eikhah — Torah so orderly and arranged So full of splendor did not come to our aid And on the day of her exalting,[5] i.e. Simḥat Torah. I have lost my standing My eyes pour forth water from the depth of my brokenness |
O how was my Torah Arrayed in order In all her glory Not able to help And on her beautiful festival My image was destroyed My eyes fill with water From the depths of my despair |
אֵיכָה יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּיוֹם קְרוֹא אֵל וְחַיִּים שׁוֹאֵל וּמְהוּמָה קִבֵּל זָקֵן וְעוֹלֵל בְּדַם מִתְגּוֹלֵל וְחַגּוֹ חִלֵּל אוֹיֵב אַכְזָרִי עֵינִי נוֹבְעָה מַיִם מֵעֹמֶק שִׁבְרִי. |
Eikhah — Israel on a day of calling to God Life was requested but chaos received Elder and infant wallow in blood[6] Find Ezekiel 15:6, “When I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you: ‘Live despite your blood’…” His festival desecrated by a merciless enemy My eyes pour forth water from the depth of my brokenness |
O how was it that Israel, On the day she cried to God And asked for life, Received terror Elder and babe Wallow in blood And a cruel enemy Desecrates her feast My eyes fill with water From the depths of my despair |
אֵיכָה אִמָּהוֹת וִילָדוֹת וּנְעָרוֹת בִּשְׁבִי מוּלָכוֹת כְּבִימֵי פְרָעוֹת וְנִפְרְצוּ גִּדְרוֹת צֹאן יְשָׁרוֹת וּפָסְקוּ מְחוֹלוֹת וּנְגִינוֹת מְשׁוֹרְרִי עֵינִי נוֹבְעָה מַיִם מֵעֹמֶק שִׁבְרִי. |
Eikhah — mothers, girls, and young women Taken into captivity as in the days of pogroms And fences were breached righteous sheep And the dancing ceased and the songs of my singers My eyes pour forth water from the depth of my brokenness |
O how are mothers And children and young girls Brought into captivity As in the days of pogroms And the fences are broken For the sheep of the righteous And the dancing is ended And the songs of my singers My eyes fill with water From the depths of my despair |
וְאֵיכָה אֶתְמַהּ בּוֹרֵא רוּמָה עַד אָן אֻמָּה תִּהְיֶה מְהוּמָה עַד אָן קוֹמָה תֻּשְׁפַּל אֲדָמָה וְעַתָּה קוּמָה לְהָאִיר נֵרִי וּבְעֵין רַחֲמֶיךָ תְּרַפֵּא שִׁבְרִי וְעֵינִי הַנּוֹבַעַת תַּשְׁקֶה בְּאֵרִי |
And eikhah — I wonder, you who enobled her — How long shall a nation live in upheaval How long shall her stature be brought low to the ground And now, arise to kindle my lamp[7] It is you who light my lamp; YHVH my elo’ah lights up my darkness” (Psalms 18:29). And from the wellsprings of your mercy heal my brokenness And my eye[8] Hebrew, עין (‘ayin), means both “spring” and “eye.” that pours forth will water Be’eri |
O how long I wonder Creator on high How long will the people Be in terror? How long Will the earth be humiliated? Now arise To light my lamp And with your spring of mercy Heal my despair And my eyes brimming with water Will fill my well (=Be’eri) |
Qinat Be’eri was written by Yagel Haroush in the month of Marḥeshban after the massacres on 7 October and disseminated on social media. (The text of the qinah here is as shared on the website Kipa on 7 January 2024.) The initial English translation and notes was shared by Yosef Goldman and Josh Fleet. (These notes were very lightly edited for clarity.) On Tishah b’Av, a second English translation was offered by Dr. Susan Weingarten. –Aharon Varady
Recording(s)
Source(s)
Kinnah October 7th (Yagel Haroush 2023) – Hebrew Kinnah October 7th (Yagel Haroush 2023) – Hebrew and English
Notes
| 1 | The opening word of the Book of Lamentations, “איכה” — translated as “alas!” or “how?!?” — is often used in Jewish poetry of lament — ḳinnot — that memorialize the Jewish people, from the liturgy for mourning the Temple’s destruction to today. |
|---|---|
| 2 | Be’eri means “my well.” [Be’eri here also refers to Kibbutz Be’eri, the site of one of the massacres that took place on 7 October 2023. — ANV] |
| 3 | A reference to the festival of Simḥat Torah on which the massacres took place. In TaNaKh and Rabbinic literature, Torah is compared to both light and water. “For the commandment is a lamp, the teaching of Torah is a light” (Proverbs 6:23) and “A flowing stream, a fountain of wisdom” (Proverbs 18:4). Also find Shir haShirim Rabbah 1:2. |
| 4 | ”For these do I weep, my eyes flow with tears; far from me is a comforter who might revive my spirit; my children are forlorn, for the foe has prevailed” (Lamentations 1:16) |
| 5 | i.e. Simḥat Torah. |
| 6 | Find Ezekiel 15:6, “When I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you: ‘Live despite your blood’…” |
| 7 | It is you who light my lamp; YHVH my elo’ah lights up my darkness” (Psalms 18:29). |
| 8 | Hebrew, עין (‘ayin), means both “spring” and “eye.” |
“קִינָת בְּאֵרִי | Qinat Be’eri (a Lamentation for Be’eri), by Yagel Haroush” is shared through the Open Siddur Project under their Fair Use Right (17 U.S. Code §107 - Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use), in respect to the copyrighted material included. Any additional work that is not already in the Public Domain is shared under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
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Steps leading into the Pool of Gibeon (credit: Natritmeyer, license: CC BY-SA)
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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו "May the pleasantness of אדֹני our elo’ah be upon us; may our handiwork be established for us — our handiwork, may it be established." –Psalms 90:17
May I suggest adding to the note on “my well” that Be’eri is also the name of a particular place where many people where killed or captured, and that was very severely damaged. The reference is unmissable in Hebrew but could be missed in translation.
Thank you. I’ve added a note for the reference.