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A qinah for 7 October and the hostages, to be recited as part of the Tishah b’Av liturgy.
| Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
|---|---|
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֱֽלֹהִ֡ים בָּ֤אוּ גוֹיִ֨ם ׀ בְּֽנַחֲלָתֶ֗ךָ (תהלים עט:א) אֳפָקִים נִתְּנוּ לְטִבְחַת גְּבוּלוֹתֶֽיךָ בְּאֵרִי מֻצְּתָה מִמֵּימֶֽיהָ מֻפְשָׁט מוֹשָׁבִי׃ בְּתוּלֹתַ֥י וּבַחוּרַ֖י הָלְכ֥וּ בַשֶּֽׁבִי׃ (איכה א:יח) |
God, nations entered Your inheritance! (Psalms 79:1) Horizons[1] Hebrew: Ofakim. The name of one of the towns attacked on 7 October. were given to Your borders’ slaughter. My well[2] Hebrew: B’eri. The name of one of the towns attacked on 7 October. was drained of her waters, my town was stripped — my young women and men taken captive! (Lamentations 1:18) |
נָתְנ֡וּ אֶת־נִבְלַ֬ת עֲבָדֶ֗יךָ מַ֭אֲכָל (תהלים עט:ב) גִּבְעוֹת הַנֶּגֶב נִשְׂרְפוּ כַּהֵיכָל דָּם נִשְׁפַּךְ וּלְנַקּוֹתוֹ מִי יוּכַל הָעֲשָׂרָה בִּנְתִיבוֹתֵיהֶם כׇּל־אֶחָד שָׁכַל וּמִשָּׁמַֽיִם זָעַק אֲהָהּ אֵל הִסְתַּכַּל זִקְנֵי עַמְּךָ כּוֹאֲבִים אֶת־מַכְאוֹבִי׃ בְּתוּלֹתַ֥י וּבַחוּרַ֖י הָלְכ֥וּ בַשֶּֽׁבִי׃ (איכה א:יח) |
They gave the corpses of Your servants as carrion! (Psalms 79:2) The hills of the southland were burned like the Temple. Blood was spilt, and who can clean it? The ten, in their paths,[3] A twofold reference. Referring to Netiv haAsarah (lit: Path of the Ten), one of the towns attacked on 7 October. Also referring to the ten martyrs whose deaths at the hand of the Romans are referenced in the Tishah b’Av and Yom Kippur liturgies. each one was bereaved, and from heaven cried: “Alas! O Deity, look! Your people’s elders are suffering my suffering!” — my young women and men taken captive! (Lamentations 1:18) |
שָׁפְכ֬וּ דָמָ֨ם ׀ כַּמַּ֗יִם (תהלים עט:ג) חוֹלִית כְּמוֹ־חוֹל בְּעֵינַֽיִם טָבְעוּ שְׁעָרֶיהָ כִּפְלַֽיִם יָכִינִי נִהְיְתָה כִּירוּשָׁלַֽיִם כָּלְאוּ אֶת־יוֹנְקֵי שָׁדַֽיִם לְחׇרְבָּה מִי־יִבְנֶה פַּעֲמַֽיִם מִי־יָשׁוּב בְּקוֹל שֽׁוּבִי שֽׁוּבִי׃ בְּתוּלֹתַ֥י וּבַחוּרַ֖י הָלְכ֥וּ בַשֶּֽׁבִי׃ (איכה א:יח) |
They spilt blood like water! (Psalms 79:3) Ḥolit,[4] One of the towns attacked on 7 October. Literally: “sand dune” like sand in the eyes.[5] i.e. it brings one to tears Her gates sunk[6] A twofold reference. Referring to Sha’ar haNegev (lit: Gate of the Negev), the regional council most severely impacted by the attacks on 7 October. Also a reference to Lamentations 2:9 doubly. Yakhini[7] One of the towns attacked on 7 October. became like Jerusalem. They imprisoned suckling babies! To destruction, who will build a second time? Who will return at the sound of “Return, return?”[8] A reference to Song of Songs 7:1 — my young women and men taken captive! (Lamentations 1:18) |
הָיִ֣ינוּ חֶ֭רְפָּה לִשְׁכֵנֵ֑ינוּ (תהלים עט:ד) נוֹבָה הֻשְׁתַּק נִגּוּנֵֽינוּ סֻגְּפוּ אֹהֲבֵי פִּזְמוֹנֵֽנוּ עַזָּה כַּמָּֽוֶת חֶדְלוֹן לְחָנֵֽינוּ פְּסַנְתֵּרִין וְסוּמְפֹּנְיָה בַּל־יְשַׂמְּחוּ אֶת־לִבִּי׃ בְּתוּלֹתַ֥י וּבַחוּרַ֖י הָלְכ֥וּ בַשֶּֽׁבִי׃ (איכה א:יח) |
We have become the reproach of our neighbors! (Psalms 79:4) Nova[9] One of the music festivals attacked on 7 October. — our melody was silenced. The lovers of our choruses were tormented. Strong as death[10] A twofold reference. The word “strong” in Hebrew is ‘azza, a homonym of Gaza. Also a reference to Song of Songs 8:6 is the ceasing of our tunes. Psaltery and symphony,[11] Find Daniel 3:15 let them not cheer up my heart! — my young women and men taken captive! (Lamentations 1:18) |
עַד־מָ֣ה יְ֭הֹוָה תֶּאֱנַ֣ף לָנֶ֑צַח(תהלים עט:ה) צַדֵּק דִּין בְּנֵי פְּסַיידָּאק הַנְּתוּנִים לְרֶֽצַח קָרַֽעְנוּ בְּגָדֵֽינוּ עַל־מְפִיצֵי קֶֽצַח רְעַם אֵל עֶלְיוֹן דְּרֹךְ פּוּרָם הַזֵּה נֵֽצַח שְׂדֵרוֹתֵינוּ תְּחֻסַּֽנָּה בַּת־עַמִּי תּוּשְׁבִי׃ בְּנֵ֣י הַמְּדִינָ֗ה הָֽעֹלִים֙ מִשֶּׁבִ֣י׃ |
Until what, Cause, will You rage eternal? (Psalms 79:5) Justify the judgment of those of Psyduck,[12] One of the music festivals attacked on 7 October. given over to murder. We have torn our clothes for those scattering nigella.[13] Find Isaiah 28:25 Thunder, Highest Deity! Tread their vintage! Splatter their juice![14] Find Isaiah 63:3 Our avenues[15] Hebrew: sderotenu. A reference to Sderot, one of the cities attacked on 7 October. will be strengthened; you will be returned, my poor people! The children of the land who ascend up from captivity![16] Ezra 2:1, adjusted with pausal form |
תָּ֤ב֣וֹא לְפָנֶיךָ֮ אֶנְקַ֢ת אָ֫סִ֥יר כְּגֹ֥דֶל זְרוֹעֲךָ֑ ה֝וֹתֵ֗ר בְּנֵ֣י תְמוּתָֽה׃ וְהָ֘שֵׁ֤ב לִשְׁכֵנֵ֣ינוּ שִׁ֭בְעָתַיִם אֶל־חֵיקָ֑ם חֶרְפָּ֘תָ֤ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר חֵרְפ֣וּךָ אֲדֹנָֽי׃ וַאֲנַ֤חְנוּ עַמְּךָ֨ ׀ וְצֹ֥אן מַרְעִיתֶךָ֮ נ֤וֹדֶ֥ה לְּךָ֗ לְע֫וֹלָ֥ם לְד֥וֹר וָדֹ֑ר נְ֝סַפֵּ֗ר תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃ (תהלים עט:יא-יג) |
Let the prisoners’ groans come before You; by Your great arm free those condemned to death. And return upon our neighbors sevenfold upon their laps the shame by which they shamed You, Master. And we are Your people and the flock You shepherd; we thank You forever, from generation to generation we tell Your praises.[17] These verses erving as a doxology concluding the lament (Psalm 79:11-13) |
Notes
| 1 | Hebrew: Ofakim. The name of one of the towns attacked on 7 October. |
|---|---|
| 2 | Hebrew: B’eri. The name of one of the towns attacked on 7 October. |
| 3 | A twofold reference. Referring to Netiv haAsarah (lit: Path of the Ten), one of the towns attacked on 7 October. Also referring to the ten martyrs whose deaths at the hand of the Romans are referenced in the Tishah b’Av and Yom Kippur liturgies. |
| 4 | One of the towns attacked on 7 October. Literally: “sand dune” |
| 5 | i.e. it brings one to tears |
| 6 | A twofold reference. Referring to Sha’ar haNegev (lit: Gate of the Negev), the regional council most severely impacted by the attacks on 7 October. Also a reference to Lamentations 2:9 |
| 7 | One of the towns attacked on 7 October. |
| 8 | A reference to Song of Songs 7:1 |
| 9 | One of the music festivals attacked on 7 October. |
| 10 | A twofold reference. The word “strong” in Hebrew is ‘azza, a homonym of Gaza. Also a reference to Song of Songs 8:6 |
| 11 | Find Daniel 3:15 |
| 12 | One of the music festivals attacked on 7 October. |
| 13 | Find Isaiah 28:25 |
| 14 | Find Isaiah 63:3 |
| 15 | Hebrew: sderotenu. A reference to Sderot, one of the cities attacked on 7 October. |
| 16 | Ezra 2:1, adjusted with pausal form |
| 17 | These verses erving as a doxology concluding the lament |
“אֱֽלֹהִים בָּאוּ גוֹיִם | Elohim Baü Goyim — a qinah for 7 October by Isaac Gantwerk Mayer” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.
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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
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