אָתָֽאנוּ לְךָ יוֹצֵר | Atanu l’Kha Yotsér (Am siebzehnten Tag des Tamuz) — a seliḥah of unknown authorship (German translation by Isaac Seligman Baer)

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1 July 2026 under the Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication

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11th century C.E., 49th century A.M., acrostic, Alphabetic Acrostic, German translation, פיוטים piyyuṭim, סליחות səliḥot, Three Weeks of Mourning

The first seliḥah for the seventeenth of Tammuz in the Ashkenazi rites, translated to German by Isaac Seligman Baer in 1865. First transcribed from the Fraktur and orthographically modernized in 2025 for a European Academy for Jewish Liturgy retreat. Thank you to the great David Schapiro for his extensive help in the process!

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
אָתָֽאנוּ לְךָ יוֹצֵר רוּחוֹת בְּרוֹב עֲוֺנֵֽינוּ כָּבְדוּ אֲנָחוֹת גְּזֵרוֹת עָצְמוּ וְרַבּוּ צְרִיחוֹת כִּי בְּשִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר בְּתַמּוּז נִשְׁתַּבְּרוּ הַלּוּחוֹת׃	Wir kommen zu Dir, Schöpfer aller Geister! Schwer seufzend ob unserer Sündenmenge, klagend ob der vielen Unglücksfälle; denn ach, am siebzehnten Tag des Tamuz wurden die Gesetztafeln zerbrochen.
גָּלִֽינוּ מִבֵּית הַבְּחִירָה דִּינֵֽנוּ נֶחְתַּם וְנִגְזְרָה גְּזֵרָה וְחָשַׁךְ בַּעֲדֵֽנוּ אוֹרָה כִּי בְּשִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר בְּתַמּוּז נִשְׂרְפָה הַתּוֹרָה׃	Aus dem erwählten Gotteshause wurden wir vertrieben, jeder Lichtstrahl um uns her ward verfinstert, unser Urteil wurde besiegelt, unsere Strafe beschlossen — ach, am siebzehnten Tag des Tamuz ward die Gesetzrolle verbrannt.
הָרְסוּ אוֹיְבֵֽינוּ הַהֵיכָל וּבָרְחָה שְׁכִינָה מִזָּוִית הֵיכָל וְנִמְסַֽרְנוּ בִּידֵי זֵדִים לְהִתְאַכָּל כִּי בְּשִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר בְּתַמּוּז הָעֳמַד צֶֽלֶם בְּהֵיכָל׃	Unsere Feinde rissen das Heiligtum nieder, aus dessen Räume die Gottheit entschwebt war, der Gewalt der Tyrannen wurden wir übergeben, uns zu verderben — ach, am siebzehnten Tag des Tamuz wurde im Heiligtum ein Götzenbild aufgestellt.
זֵרֽוּנוּ מֵעִיר אֶל עִיר וְנִלְכַּד מֶֽנּוּ רַב וְצָעִיר חָרְבָה עִירֵֽנוּ וְאֵשׁ בָּהּ הִבְעִיר כִּי בְּשִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר בְּתַמּוּז הׇבְקְעָה הָעִיר׃	Von Stadt zu Stadt wurden wir umhergeworfen, der Hohe und Niedrige wurde ergriffen, unsere Stadt wurde zerstört, in Brand gesteckt — ach, am siebzehnten Tag des Tamuz wurde die Stadt erstürmt.
טָפַשׁ בְּמִקְדָּשֵֽׁנוּ צַר הַמַּשְׁמִיד וְנֻטַּל מֵחָתָן וְכַלָּה אֶצְעָדָה וְצָמִיד יַֽעַן כִּעַסְנֽוּךָ נִתַּֽנּוּ לְהַשְׁמִיד כִּי בְּשִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר בְּתַמּוּז בֻּטַּל הַתָּמִיד׃	Wild tobte der zerstörende Feind in unserem Heiligtum, Bräutigam und Braut wurden ihrer Geschmeide beraubt; weil wir Dich erzürnten überliesest Du uns der Verheerung — ach, am siebzehnten Tag des Tamuz hörte das tägliche Opfer auf.
כָּלָה מֶֽנּוּ כׇּל־הוֹד וָשֶֽׁבַח חַרְבּוֹ שָׁלַף אוֹיֵב עָלֵֽינוּ לָאֶֽבַח לִהְיוֹת עוֹלְלִים וְיוֹנְקִים מוּכָנִים לַטֶּֽבַח כִּי בְּשִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר בְּתַמּוּז בָּטְלוּ עוֹלָה וָזָֽבַח׃	Hinweg von uns ist Pracht und Ruhm, des Feindes Schwert ward über uns geschwungen und Kinder und Säuglinge zur Schlachtbank hingeführt — ach, am siebzehnten Tag des Tamuz hörten Ganz- und Schlachtopfer auf.
מָרַֽדְנוּ לְשׁוֹכֵן מְעוֹנוֹת לָכֵן נִתְפַּזַּֽרְנוּ בְּכׇל־פִּנּוֹת נֶהְפַּךְ מְחוֹלֵֽנוּ לְקִינוֹת כִּי בְּשִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר בְּתַמּוּז בָּטְלוּ קָרְבָּנוֹת׃	Dem Himmelstrohner widerstrebten wir, darum wurden wir nach allen Enden zerstreut und unsere Tänze in Trauer und Klagen verwandelt — ach, am siebzehnten Tag des Tamuz hörten die Opfer auf.
סָרַֽרְנוּ לְפָנֶֽיךָ מֵרִיב לְשׁוֹנוֹת לָכֵן לָמְדָה לְשׁוֹנֵֽנוּ לוֹמַר קִינוֹת עֻזַּֽבְנוּ בְּלִי לְהִמָּנוֹת כִּי בְּשִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר בְּתַמּוּז גָּֽרְמוּ לָֽנוּ עֲוֺנוֹת׃	Mit frechen Reden waren wir Dir widerspenstig, darum mußte sich unsere Zunge an Klagelieder gewöhnen; unzählig viele wurden unsere Missetaten — ach, am siebzehnten Tag des Tamuz haben die Sünden uns das Unglück verursacht.
פֻּזַּרְנוּ בְּלִי מְצוֹא רְוָחָה לָכֵן רָבְתָה בָּֽנוּ אֲנָחָה צוּר רְאֵה נַפְשֵֽׁנוּ כִּי שָׁחָה וְשִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר בְּתַמּוּז הֲפׇךְ־לָֽנוּ לְשָׂשׂוֹן וּלְשִׂמְחָה׃	Wir wurden zerstreut ohne Erleichterung zu finden, Trübsale nur häuften sich über uns; o stehe, Schöpfer, unsere gebeugte Seele und verwandle den siebzehnten Tag des Tamuz uns in Wonne und Freude!
קִשִּֽׁינוּ עֹֽרֶף וְרָבְתָה בָֽנוּ אָסוֹן לָכֵן נִתַּֽנּוּ לִמְשִׁסָּה וְרִפְשׁוֹן רְאֵה יְהֹוָה וְחַלְּצֵֽנוּ מֵאָסוֹן וְשִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר בְּתַמּוּז הֲפׇךְ לָֽנוּ לְשִׂמְחָה וּלְשָׂשׂוֹן׃	Für unseren Starrsinn überströmte uns das Mißgeschick und wir wurden der Plünderung und Bedrückung übergeben; schaue, Herr, und errette uns vom Unheil, verwandle uns den siebzehnten Tag des Tamuz in Freud’ und Wonne!

This is a transcription of “Atanu l’Kha Yotsér,” a seliḥah for the 17th of Tammuz of unknown authorship found in 13th century Ashkenazi manuscripts and translated by Isaac Seligman Baer in הסליחות לכל השנה: לפי מנהג האשכנזים Ha-Seliḥot le-khol ha-shanah: le-fi minhag ha-Ashkenazim (1865), pp. 558-561.

Source(s)

Ha-Seliḥot le-khol ha-shanah le-fi minhag ha-Ashkenazim (Isaac Seligman Baer 1865), p. 558

Ha-Seliḥot le-khol ha-shanah le-fi minhag ha-Ashkenazim (Isaac Seligman Baer 1865), p. 559

Ha-Seliḥot le-khol ha-shanah le-fi minhag ha-Ashkenazim (Isaac Seligman Baer 1865), p. 560

Ha-Seliḥot le-khol ha-shanah le-fi minhag ha-Ashkenazim (Isaac Seligman Baer 1865), p. 561

Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (transcription & naqdanut)

From a family of musicians, Isaac Gantwerk Mayer believes that creative art is one of the most powerful ways to get in touch with the divine. He composes music and poetry in Hebrew and English. (He also translates and authors his own original works.) Isaac runs a Jewish music transcription service, which will transcribe and set any Jewish music in any language, recorded or written. Contact his service on Facebook or via his music blog.

Isaac Seligman Baer

Seligman (Isaac) Baer was a masoretic scholar, and an editor of the Hebrew Bible and of Jewish liturgy. He was born in Mosbach, the northern district of Biebrich, Sept. 18, 1825 and died at Biebrich-on-the-Rhine, March, 1897. He belonged to the school of Wolf Heidenheim, and had in his possession some of Heidenheim's original manuscripts and personal copies of his published works with handwritten marginal notes. Baer's monumental edition of the Jewish prayerbook according to the Ashkenazic rite, Seder Avodat Yisrael (Rödelheim, 1868), accompanied by a critical commentary, became the authoritative model for numerous editions published subsequently in the 20th century. His editions of the Jewish liturgy also include Kinnot for the fast of the ninth of Av. He never occupied an academic position, but was content with the office of Hebrew teacher to the Jewish community of Biebrich. In recognition of his services to the Commission for the History of the Jews in Germany, the honorary degree of doctor of philosophy was conferred upon him by the University of Leipzig.

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו׃ (תהלים צ:יז) · "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)