נַחֲמוּ נַחֲמוּ עַמִּי | Naḥamu, Naḥamu Ami (Comfort, comfort, my people), a piyyuṭ for Tishah b’Aḇ

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26 July 2018 under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license

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מנחה Minḥah, Needing Vocalization, פיוטים piyyuṭim, פזמונים pizmonim, שבת נחמו Shabbat Naḥamu, Western Sefaradim

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
נַחֲמוּ נַחֲמוּ עַמִּי (ישעיהו מ:א) – יֹאמַר אֶשְׂכּוֹל כֹּֽפֶר, לְנַחֵם אֶת כׇּל־הַנִמְצָא כָּתוּב בַּסֵּפֶר, לָשׂוּם לַאֲבֵלֵי צִיּוֹן פְּאֵר תַּחַת אֵפֶר.	“Comfort, comfort, my people” (Isaiah 40:1) – will say the Cluster of Henna,^[1] ”Eshkol Kofer”- a metaphor for God from the Song of Songs 1:14 to comfort all who are found written in the book,^[2] Daniel 12:1 to place for the mourners of Tsiyyon an adornment in place of ashes.^[3] Isaiah 61:3
עַל־חַלְלֵי בַּת־עַמִּי לְמִי הוֹמֶה עֲלֵי, וְעַל־בֵּית אוּלַמִּי וְעַל־שִׁמְמוֹת הֵיכָלַי, מָקוֹם הַנִּקְרָא בִּשְׁמִי, וּקְרָאתִיו הֲדוֹם רַגְלַי, שָׂמוּ אוֹתוֹ לְעִיִּים בְּנֵי־עֵיפָה וָאֵֽפֶר׃^[4] In many printings, עֵֽפֶר	My heart yearns for the slain ones of the daughter of my people,^[5] Jeremiah 8:23 and for the House of My Inner Chamber and the remnants of My Sanctuary, the place called by My name,^[6] Cf. Isaiah 43:7 and which I called My footstool.^[7] Lamentations 2:1, Psalms 99:5 The children of ‘Eiphah and Epher^[8] Genesis 25:1 [Midian] have made her [Yerushalayim] into heaps.^[9] Psalms 79:1
דַּבְּרוּ אֶל^[10] In many printings, עַל לֵב צִיּוֹן וְקָרְאוּ אֵלֶֽיהָ, וְהֵסִ֩ירָה֩ אֶת־שִׂמְלַ֨ת שִׁבְיָ֜הּ מֵעָלֶ֗יהָ, (דברים כא:יג), בְּשׁוּבָהּ לֹא־יוֹסִיף לְטַמֵּא הֵיכָלֶֽיהָ, וְאַל־יִמְשֹׁל עַם נׇכְרִי בִּצְבִי נַחֲלַת שֶֽׁפֶר׃	Speak unto the heart of Tsiyyon and call unto her,^[11] Cf. Isaiah 40:1 and remove the dress of her captivity from upon her.^[12] Deuteronomy 21:13 When she returns they will never again defile her sanctuary, and a foreign nation will not rule^[13] Cf. Exodus 21:8 over the deer, the goodly inheritance.
נַחֵם עַם מֵאֶבְלוֹ וְכַפֵּר עַל־אַשְׁמָתוֹ, וְהָקֵל אֶת־סִבְלוֹ וְהַעֲבֵר אֶת־כְּלִמָּתוֹ, וּשְׁלַח מַלְאַךְ רַחֲמִים לְרַפֵּא אֶת־מְגוּרָתוֹ, וּפְדֵה עַמְּךָ מִשַּֽׁחַת לֵאמֹר ”מָצָ֥אתִי כֹֽפֶר“ (איוב לג:כד).	Comfort the nation from its mourning and atone for its guilt, make lighter its suffering and remove its shame, and send your angel of mercy to heal its granary; redeem Your people from suffering to say, “I have found a ransom.” (Job 33:24)
נַחֲמוּ נַחֲמוּ עַמִּי (ישעיהו מ:א) – יֹאמַר אֶשְׂכּוֹל כֹּֽפֶר, לְנַחֵם אֶת כׇּל־הַנִמְצָא כָּתוּב בַּסֵּפֶר, לָשׂוּם לַאֲבֵלֵי צִיּוֹן פְּאֵר תַּחַת אֵפֶר.	“Comfort, comfort, my people” (Isaiah 40:1) – will say the Cluster of Henna,^[14] ”Eshkol Kofer”- a metaphor for God from the Song of Songs 1:14 to comfort all who are found written in the book,^[15] Daniel 12:1 to place for the mourners of Tsiyyon an adornment in place of ashes.^[16] Isaiah 61:3
אֶשָּׂא נֵס לַגּוֹיִם לַשּׁוֹכְנִים בְּכׇל־תֵּבֵל, לְשׁוֹבֵב לְהַר^[17] In many printings, אֶל־הַר צִיּוֹן קְרוּאָה נַחֲלַת חֶבֶל, לָשׂוּם שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן בְּרֹאשָׁהּ תַּחַת אֵבֶל, מְעִילָם וּמֵעֵיבָל, וּמֵעֵיפָה וָאֵפֶר׃^[18] In many printings, וָעֵֽפֶר	I will raise up a banner among the nations,^[19] Isaiah 11:12 to the dwellers of all of the earth,^[20] Cf. Isaiah 18:3 to return to Har Tsiyyon, called the lot of your inheritance,^[21] Cf. Psalms 105:11 to place oil of joy upon her head instead of ashes, from Elam^[22] See Jeremiah 49:39 and Eval, and from darkness and ashes.
אֲשִׁיבֵם אֶל־נְוֵה קׇדְשָׁם, מִתְעַלְּפִים בַּהֲמוֹנָם, יָרֹנּוּ בִּמְחוֹלוֹת כִּי אֲנַחֵם^[23] וַאֲנַחֲמֵם מֵאֶבְלָם, וְאֶהְפֹּךְ אֶבְלָם לְשָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמַּחְתִּים מִיגוֹנָם, וְאָז כׇּל־שׂוֹטְנָם וּמוֹנָם, יַעֲטוּ בּוּז וְחֵֽפֶר׃	I will return them to their holy sanctuary,^[24] Exodus 15:13 fainting in their multitudes, they will rejoice in dance for I will comfort them from their mourning, and I will change their mourning into joy and may them happy from their distress,^[25] Jeremiah 31:13 and then all of the accusers^[26] Find Ezra 4:6 and oppressors^[27] Find Isaiah 49:26 will wind away in contempt and shame.
יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אֶבְנֶה וְאֶהְיֶה סְבִיבוֹתֶֽיהָ, לְחוֹמַת אֵשׁ וּלְכָבוֹד בְּבָתֵּי מוֹשְׁבוֹתֶֽיהָ, וְאָז יֹאמְרוּ בָעַמִּים בִּרְכוֹת^[28] In many printings, בִּרְבוֹת טוֹבוֹתֶיהָ, נִחַ֨ם יְהֹוָ֜ה צִיּ֗וֹן נִחַם֙ כׇּל־חׇרְבֹתֶ֔יהָ, וְתָשִׁיב בְּתוֹכָהּ לָעַד נוֹחֲלֵי אִמְרֵי שֶֽׁפֶר׃	I will rebuild Yerushalayim^[29] See Jeremiah 31:4 and I will be surrounding her, a wall of fire and glory^[30] Zechariah 2:9 in all of the houses of her dwellings, and then it will be said among the nations^[31] See Psalms 126:1 and Joel 2:17 blessings of her goodness, for YHVH has comforted Tsiyyon, comforted all of her ruins, and He will return to her midst forever the inheritors of goodly words.^[32] Genesis 49:21

After attending Minḥah services on Tisha B’ab at Congregation Shearith Israel in New York City (The Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, and the oldest Jewish congregation in the United States), I was moved to translate this beautiful piyyut of unknown authorship which is recited in most Sephardic, Mizrahi and Yemenite traditions on Tisha B’ab at Minḥah. In its stanzas, rich and replete with biblical references (as is particularly common in Sephardic Piyyut), God speaks to Jerusalem and promises to comfort her, and comfort and redeem her people. A recording of how the piyyut is sung in the London Spanish and Portuguese tradition can be found here. After this piyyut, a selection of biblical verses is recited responsively by the Ḥazzan and congregation, also beginning with Naḥamu, Naḥamu Ami, at which point the musical motif of Seliḥot is introduced into the service as a preview of the season of repentance to come.

Source(s)

Notes

Notes
1	”Eshkol Kofer”- a metaphor for God from the Song of Songs 1:14
2	Daniel 12:1
3	Isaiah 61:3
4	In many printings, עֵֽפֶר
5	Jeremiah 8:23
6	Cf. Isaiah 43:7
7	Lamentations 2:1, Psalms 99:5
8	Genesis 25:1
9	Psalms 79:1
10	In many printings, עַל לֵב
11	Cf. Isaiah 40:1
12	Deuteronomy 21:13
13	Cf. Exodus 21:8
14	”Eshkol Kofer”- a metaphor for God from the Song of Songs 1:14
15	Daniel 12:1
16	Isaiah 61:3
17	In many printings, אֶל־הַר
18	In many printings, וָעֵֽפֶר
19	Isaiah 11:12
20	Cf. Isaiah 18:3
21	Cf. Psalms 105:11
22	See Jeremiah 49:39
23	וַאֲנַחֲמֵם
24	Exodus 15:13
25	Jeremiah 31:13
26	Find Ezra 4:6
27	Find Isaiah 49:26
28	In many printings, בִּרְבוֹת
29	See Jeremiah 31:4
30	Zechariah 2:9
31	See Psalms 126:1 and Joel 2:17
32	Genesis 49:21

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.

Gabriel Kretzmer Seed (translation)

Rabbi Gabe Kretzmer Seed has served as a Jewish chaplain in the New York City Department of Correction since 2018 where he provides religious services, classes and spiritual support primarily for Jewish incarcerated individuals along with providing general spiritual care for the incarcerated and staff of all faiths and none. He was recently named one of the New York Jewish Week 36 Under 36, a list of individuals making a difference in the New York Jewish Community for his work in the jails during the pandemic. Gabe received semikhah from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah in 2017, and is a graduate of Columbia University where he majored in United States History. He also received BA and MA degrees from the Jewish Theological Seminary – JTS where he focused on Talmud and Midrash, and Jewish education. He is the co-founder of the Zemirot Database, an editable online database for zemirot, liturgy, and other Jewish songs. Gabe is an avid Baal tefillah and Baal qriyah, and leads davening regularly in both his home community of Riverdale, NY, and has served as the High Holiday Ḥazzan Sheni at Congregation Tiferet Israel in Austin, TX since 2014. He also loves studying Jewish liturgy, especially comparing siddurim of different nusḥaot and minhagim.

Unknown

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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)