“Mene, Mene, Tekel Upharsin,” a prayer-poem by Miriam del Banco (1932)

Contributor(s): Miriam del Banco and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Shared on: 11 June 2022 under the Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication

Categories: Rosh haShanah (l’Maaseh Bereshit), Yom Kippur, Hoshana Rabba

Tags: 19th century C.E., 57th century A.M., English poetry, English vernacular prayer, Prayers as poems, תשובה teshuvah, זמן תשובה Zman teshuvah

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Contribute a translation	Source (English)
מְנֵא מְנֵא תְּקֵל וּפַרְסִין	“Mene, Mene, Tekel Upharsin” (Daniel 5:25)
	Say, dost thou know the story To which these words relate? Long years have fled, like shadows, Through Time’s wide open gate, Since first their silent voices Rang through the human heart; Rang, like a silver clarion, Their message to impart.
	’Tis ages since that warning Spoke from the palace wall— As lightning from a storm-cloud Speaks of the tempest’s thrall— And yet, those words will ever Shine with a light divine, And, from forgotten ages, Gleam through the mists of time.
	Gleam on our hearts, that often Disclaim the stain of wrong; We deem ourselves unsullied And in our virtues strong; And yet, in God’s great balance, Where virtue conquers sin, How many have been tested! How many wanting been!
	Deep in the human bosom, Though hidden far away, There is a mystic chamber ere passions oft hold sway, And there the hand of reason— That stern, unerring hand— Inscribes the words our conscience Cannot but understand.
	It writes of wasted moments, Of duties still undone, Of powers for good neglected Of victories unwon, Of tender blossoms mangled And crushed beneath our feet— The lives we might have rendered So perfect—so complete.
	Of careless words it tells us— We spoke them without thought; Ah, could we know the heart-ache Our ill-timed utt’rance wrought! Of loving words unspoken, And checked fore’er by death; Or grand, inspiring accents Lost on a voiceless breath.
	Thus, in each throbbing bosom, Though hidden and concealed, Our failings are recorded And to our souls revealed, But Hope still smiles in Glory, And Faith still points above, And whispers: “Trust thou ever Thy Father’s constant Love.”

The prayer-poem ““Mene, Mene, Tekel Upharsin”” by Miriam del Banco (1858-1931) was included in her posthumously published anthology, Poetry and Prose (1932), p. 94-95. The poem was likely published during her lifetime, but we do not know where or when. If you know, please leave a comment, or contact us. –Aharon Varady

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. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike . 4.0 . International .

““Mene, Mene, Tekel Upharsin,” a prayer-poem by Miriam del Banco (1932)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.

Miriam del Banco

Miriam del Banco (27 June 1858 - 6 November 1931) was a writer, poet, translator, and educator. She was the daughter of Rabbi Max Del Banco (1825-1864), a reform rabbi with a congregation in Evansville, Indiana at the time of his death. Johanna (née Meyer), Miriam's mother, moved to St. Louis and there Miriam began her education in its public schools, displaying remarkable poetic talent. Later she was sent to her uncle at Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where she attended the State Normal School. After graduating with honors, she rejoined her mother, who in the mean time had moved to Chicago. There, in 1885, Ms. Del Banco began teaching in the public schools, and from 1889 onward, as the assistant principal at the Von Humboldt School. Later on she served as the principal of the McClellan and Motley schools in Chicago. In 1921, at the age of 63, she earned a PhD from DePaul University. She was a frequent contributor to both the Jewish and general press, having written a large number of poems, both Jewish and secular, and often under the pseudonym, "the Pansy" (after her favorite flower).

Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Aharon Varady (M.A.J.Ed./JTSA Davidson) is a volunteer transcriber for the Open Siddur Project. If you find any mistakes in his transcriptions, please let him know. Shgiyot mi yavin; Ministarot naqeni שְׁגִיאוֹת מִי־יָבִין; מִנִּסְתָּרוֹת נַקֵּנִי "Who can know all one's flaws? From hidden errors, correct me" (Psalms 19:13). If you'd like to directly support his work, please consider donating via his Patreon account. (Varady also translates prayers and contributes his own original work besides serving as the primary shammes of the Open Siddur Project and its website, opensiddur.org.)

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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