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| Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
|---|---|
אֵיכָה יָשְׁבָה בָּדָד נִיר עֹז רַבָּתִי דָּם. שְׂדֵרוֹת הָיְתָה כְּאַלְמָנָה, קִרְיָה הֲלוּמָה, וּמִי נֶאֱמָנָהּ? |
O How She Sat Alone[1] A paraphrase of Lamentations 1:1 “O how she sat alone, the city full of people was like a widow.” Nir Oz,[2] A kibbutz in the Gaza envelope on the North West Negev, attacked on October 7, 2023. Sderot – a city in the Negev North East of Gaza, attacked on October 7, 2023. full of blood Sderot, was like a widow A city stunned, and who is faithful to her?[3] A paraphrase of Isaiah 1:21 “How did she become a whore, the faithful city. Full with justice, righteousness used to rest in her, but now murderers.” |
אֵיכָה יָשְׁבָה בָּדָד בַּמָּמָ”ד מִשְׁפָּחָה, וְעוֹד אַחַת, וְעוֹד, וְעוֹד אַחַת. |
O How They Sat Alone In the shelter room One family, and another, And another, and another one. |
אֵיכָה יָשְׁבוּ בָּדָד תַּצְפִּיתָנִיּוֹת רַבָּתִי עַיִן, וְלֹא הָיְתָה הַקְשָׁבָה, וִישׁוּעָה – אָיִן. |
O How They Sat Alone The many-eyed women at the observation posts And there was no listening, And deliverance – none. |
אֵיכָה יָשְׁבוּ בָּדָד צְעִירוֹת וּצְעִירִים בְּמִסְתּוֹרֵי שׁוֹּחוֹת וְשִׂיחִים. פָּסְקוּ רִקּוּדֵיהֶם, וּמִי יְחַלְּצֵם? |
O How They Sat Alone Young women and young men Hiding in pits and shrubs. Their dancing halted, And who will rescue them? |
אֵיכָה יָשְׁבוּ בָּדָד חֲטוּפוֹת וַחֲטוּפִים, וַעֲדַיִן יוֹשְׁבִים: 120 גְּבָרִים, נָשִׁים, קְשִׁישִׁים וִילָדִים. בָּכוֹ בּוֹכִים בַּלַּיְלָה, דְּמָעוֹת עַל לְחָיֵיהֶם, וְאֵין מְנַחֵם. |
O How They Sat Alone Captive women and captive men And sitting there, still: 120 men, women, elders and children. Crying, they are crying at night Tears on their cheeks And there is no one who comforts.[4] A paraphrase of Lamentations 1:2 “Crying she will cry at night, her tears on her cheek. No one comforts her of all those who love her…” |
The author of this qinah is a survivor of the slaughter in Kibbutz Nahal Oz. 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.”
Notes
| 1 | A paraphrase of Lamentations 1:1 “O how she sat alone, the city full of people was like a widow.” |
|---|---|
| 2 | A kibbutz in the Gaza envelope on the North West Negev, attacked on October 7, 2023. Sderot – a city in the Negev North East of Gaza, attacked on October 7, 2023. |
| 3 | A paraphrase of Isaiah 1:21 “How did she become a whore, the faithful city. Full with justice, righteousness used to rest in her, but now murderers.” |
| 4 | A paraphrase of Lamentations 1:2 “Crying she will cry at night, her tears on her cheek. No one comforts her of all those who love her…” |
“אֵיכָה יָשְׁבָה בָּדָד | Eikhah Yashvah Badad (O How She Sat Alone), a qinah by Nurit Hirschfeld-Skupinsky” is shared through the Open Siddur Project under the Fair Use Right (17 U.S. Code §107 - Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).
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