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A German translation of Maoz Tsur, by the early Reform rabbi Leopold Stein. This singable German translation was cited as an inspiration for Gustav Gottheil and Marcus Jastrow’s well-known English edition. In some communities in the German Empire, for instance the community of Beuthen (now Bytom, Poland), it was recited during the morning service on Ḥanukkah. It poetically translates the first five verses in their entirety, avoiding the controversial sixth verse (said by some to have been added post-facto, and rejected by the early Reform movement).
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| Source (Hebrew) | Translation (German) | Translation of German (English) |
|---|---|---|
מָעוֹז צוּר יְשׁוּעָתִי לְךָ נָאֶה לְשַׁבֵּֽחַ תִּכּוֹן בֵּית תְּפִלָּתִ וְשָׁם תּוֹדָה נְזַבֵּֽחַ לְעֵת תָּכִין מַטְבֵּֽח מִצָּר הַמְנַבֵּֽחַ אָז אֶגְמֹר בְּשִׁיר מִזְמוֹ חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃ |
Schirm und Schutz in Sturm und Graus, dir erschall’ ein Jubellied. Schützt, o Herr, dein Heilig Haus, drin Dir Lob und Preis erblüht; Doch wenn einst verstummt der Feind, dem dein Volk ein Spott erscheint, dann erschall’ all überall der Sang des uns, o Herr vereint. |
Shield and protection in storm and horror To You resounds a jubilation-song. Protect, O Lord, your Holy House; in it Your lauds and praise blossom. Yet if one day the enemy is silenced (To whom your people seems a mockery), Then, all over resounding the song of ours, O Unified Lord. |
רָעוֹת שָׂבְעָה נַפְשִׁי בְּיָגוֹן כֹּחִי כָּלָה חַיַּי מֵרְרוּ בְקֹשִׁי בְּשִׁעְבּוּד מַלְכוּת עֶגְלָה וּבְיָדוֹ הַגְּדוֹלָה הוֹצִיא אֶת־הַסְּגֻלָּה חֵיל פַּרְעֹה וְכׇל־זַרְעוֹ יָרְדוּ כְּאֶֽבֶן בִּמְצוּלָה׃ |
Drangsal beuge mir das Haupt, und die Fron brach meine Kraft: Mut und Freiheit hat geraubt mir dereinst Ägyptens Haft. Doch der Herr, mit starker Macht hat des heil’gen Schwurs gedacht; der Tyrann mit Roß und Mann er sank hinab in Graus und Nacht. |
Tribulation bowed down my head, And toil broke my strength. Courage and freedom was stolen From me once by Egyptian imprisonment. But the Lord, with great might Thought of the holy oath. The tyrant, with horse and man Sank down in horror and night. |
דְּבִיר קׇדְשׁוֹ הֱבִיאַֽנִי וְגַם שָׁם לֹא שָׁקַֽטְתִּי וּבָא נוֹגֵשׂ וְהִגְלַֽנִי כִּי זָרִים עָבַֽדְתִּי וְיֵין רַעַל מָסַֽכְתִּי כִּמְעַט שֶׁעָבַֽרְתִּי קֵץ בָּבֶל זְרֻבָּבֶל לְקֵץ שִׁבְעִים נוֹשַֽׁעְתִּי׃ |
Heilig Land du nahmst uns auf, doch nur kurz war unser Rast. Dränger scharten sich zuhauf, straffend unsres Abfalls Hast. Doch wie groß der Sünden Zahl, nicht er losch Dein Gnaden strahl; siebzig Jahr, und Dein Altar erstand, o Herr, ein zweites Mal. |
You welcomed us to the Holy Land, But only brief was our rest. Slave-drivers gathered in droves, Tightening our apostatic haste. But no matter how great the number of sins, It does not extinguish your grace-shine. Seventy years, and Your Altar Arose, Lord, a second time. |
כְּרוֹת קוֹמַת בְּרוֹשׁ בִּקֵּשׁ אֲגָגִי בֶּן־הַמְּדָתָא וְנִהְיָתָה לוֹ לְפַח וּלְמוֹקֵשׁ וְגַאֲוָתוֹ נִשְׁבָּֽתָה רֹאשׁ יְמִינִי נִשֵּֽׂאתָ וְאוֹיֵב שְׁמוֹ מָחִֽיתָ רֹב בָּנָיו וְקִנְיָנָיו עַל הָעֵץ תָּלִֽיתָ׃ |
Fällen wollt den Gottesschaft Haman einst der Tücke voll, doch zum Fallstrick ward die Kraft und zur Schande ward sein Groll. Ewig lebt der Frommen Hort, doch der Bösen Ruf verdorrt; Hab und Gut und Lebensgluth, ein jäher Tod rafft Alles fort. |
Once, malice-filled Haman desired to fell the Godhead, But his strength became a pitfall And his resentment became a shame. Forever lives the pious horde; But the reputation of the evil withers. His belongings and property and glow of life A sudden death took it all away. |
יְוָנִים נִקְבְּצוּ עָלַי אֲזַי בִּימֵי חַשְׁמַנִּים וּפָרְצוּ חוֹמוֹת מִגְדָּלַי וְטִמְּאוּ כׇּל־הַשְּׁמָנִים וּמִנּוֹתַר קַנְקַנִּים נַעֲשָׂה נֵס לַשּׁוֹשַׁנִּים בְּנֵי בִינָה יְמֵי שְׁמוֹנָה קָבְעוּ שִׁיר וּרְנָנִים׃ |
Javan drängte an im Sturm. einst zur Hasmonäer zeit, und es stürzten Mau’r und Turm, und Dein Tempel ward entweiht. aber aus des Öles Rest, du dein Haus erhellen läßt; und zum Ruhm dem Heiligtum, währt ewig Herr, das Weihe fest. |
Yavan attacked in the storm, Once, in the Hasmonean era, And the wall and tower fell, And Your Temple was desecrated. But from the rest of the oil, You let Your house light up, And for the glory of your sanctum, Eternally Enduring Lord, they consecrated this festival. |
The transcription here was sourced from Gebete und Lieder für die Sabbathe und Festage (H. Freund 1906). If you know of an earlier printing of Leopold Stein’s translation, please leave a comment below or contact us.
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“מָעוֹז צוּר | Schirm und Schutz in Sturm und Graus, a German translation of Maoz Tsur by Leopold Stein (1906)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 Universal license.
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>Synagogue in Beuthen O.S. from Illustrated guide through the Upper Silesian industrial area: with special consideration of the places Kattowitz, Königshütte, Beuthen, Tarnowitz, Zabrze and Gleiwitz
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