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אֲיֻמָּה נִכְתָּרָה | Ayumah Nikhtarah (Lo! the mighty nation wore a crown), a piyyuṭ for the second night of Shavuot by Isaac ben Meshulam (translated by Elsie Davis)

Source (Hebrew)Translation (English)
אֲיֻמָּה נִכְתָּרָה
עֲדוּיָה וּמְעֻטָּרָה
בְּיוֹם מַתַּן תּוֹרָה׃
Lo! the mighty nation wore a crown,  
Went adorned with beauty, for her own
Was the Law that day.
בְּחוּרָה מֵעֲמָמִים
בַּת שְׁלֹֽשֶׁת הַתְּמִימִים
מִפּוּט וֻתָּֽרָה׃
Chosen from the peoples, set apart;  
Daughter of the three—the pure of heart;
Loosed from tyrant sway.
גְרָרָהּ בְּרֹב נִסִּים
אֲדוֹן כׇּל הַמַּעֲשִׂיםי
בָּֽאָה לְמִדְבָּֽרָה׃
Whirled away mid wondrous deeds of fame  
By the Lord of marvels, then she came
To the desert lone.
דִּבֶּר עַל לִבָּה
יֹשֵׁב בְּכֵם רְבָבָה
עָדָיו לְהִתְחַבְּרַה׃
He enthroned mid myriad hosts above  
Spake unto her heart His words of love,
Making her His own.
הֵרִיץ לָהּ שְׁלִישִׁי
בַּחֹֽדֶשׁ הַשְׁלִישִׁי
לִיצִיאַת שֶׂה פְזוּרָה׃
Sweet to her the third-born prophet’s word  
In the third month, since the scattered herd
Went from bondage, free.
וְחָמְדָה בְּצִלּוֹ חֲסוֹת
וְהֵשִֽׁיבָה כֵּן לַעֲשׂוֹת
וְנִתְיַפְּתָה נְזוּרָה׃
Sweet to her to trust beneath His shade,  
“I will do,” she answered, “as He bade.”
Crowned and fair was she.
זִמְּנָהּ רָם וְאָיוֹם
וְנִתְקַדְּשָׁה לִשְׁלֹשֶת יוֹם
כְּרָמִים נוֹטֵרָה׃
Terrible and mighty, lo! He set  
Her that tendeth vineyards, three days yet
To be pure and meet.
חֲלָאִים נִתְקַשְּׁטָה
וּבְלָאוֹתֶֽיהָ פָּשְׁטָה
מִמּוֹר מְקֻטָּרָה׃
Then her tattered garments cast away,  
Clad was she with gems and fair array,
Yea, than myrrh more sweet.
טָהוֹר בָּאֵשׁ וָזֹֽהַר
יָרַד לְרֹאשׁ הָהָר
וְנִזְדַּעְזְעָה בָרָה׃
Lo! the Perfect One, mid fire and flame  
On the Mount descended; fair her fame,
Yet her heart did quake.
יָשְׁבָה בִנְקִיקִים
מֵחֶרְדַּת הַבְּרָקִים
וּמִקּוֹל הַהֲבָרָה:
Refuge sought she in the cleft’s stronghold  
When the lightnings flashed and thunders rolled
Till the echoes spake.
כִּלְלָהּ עֲדָיִים
וְנָכֽוֹנוּ שָׁדַֽיִם
לְיוֹנָה מִסֻתָּרָה׃
Decked with jewels, fashioned for His love,  
Wholly fair He formed the hidden dove
For His service wrought.
לִמְּדָהּ בַּמֶּח לְעָבְדוֹ
בְּכׇל לִבָּה לְכַבְּדוֹ
וְהַדָּת נִפְתָּרָה׃
How to honour Him with all her heart,  
How to serve Him, these did He impart;
Thus the Word was taught.
מָלְאָה פִֽיהָ שְׂחוֹק
בְּיוֹם נְתִֽינַת חֹק
בְּכֹּל מְפֹאָרָה׃
Joyous laughter filled her mouth that day  
Of the giving of the statute, yea
Nations praised her power.
נֶחֱמָדִים יָרְשָׁה
לִהְיוֹת לָהּ מורָשָׁה
לִצְבִי וְתִפְאָרָה׃
Prized possessions hers, a precious store  
For a heritage for evermore;
Beauty was her dower.
סִלְסוּל פְּנִינֶיהָ
חָגְרָה בְעֹז מָתְנֶֽיהָ
עֵֽקֶב טוֹב סַחְרָהּ׃
Graced with treasures, valour girdlewise  
Clad her round, and goodly merchandise
Did her hands prepare.
עָרְכָה שֻׁלְחָנָהּ
וּמַלְכָּהּ שָׁם חָנָה
וְלִלְחוֹם נִסְחָרָה׃
Meetly was her table’s offering set,  
For her King abode there, and she ate
Of the sacred fare.
פְּתוּכֵי אֵשׁ וּמַֽיִם
יָרְדוּ מִן הַשָּׁמַֽיִם
לְרַקֵּד בַּחֲבוּרָה׃
Spirits clear as dew and bright as flame,  
Swift to bear His word, from Heaven came
Linked in joyous flight.
צוּרָהּ תּוֹךְ עִירִין
נוֹדַע בַּשְּׁעָרִים
כִּי לוֹ הַגְבוּרָה׃
Mid the watchful angels lo! His throne.  
He, her Rock, within the gates is known;
Unto Him is might.
קְצִיעוֹת וַאֲהָלוֹת
מְבֻסֶּֽמֶת בְּשִׁיר וּתְהִלּוֹת
וְחֶסֶד מִקֻשָּׁרָה׃
Round her scents of cassia, aloes, stir;  
Sweet the song and praise enfolding her,
She whom mercy bound.
רַבּוֹת עָשׂוּ הֲמוֹנָה
וְאַתְּ עָלִית עַל כֻּלָּֽנָה
בְּזֹאת מְאֻשָּׁרָה׃
Many wrought His will, but she above  
All of them excelleth; thus she strove
And her joy? she found.
שׁוֹשַׁנַּת עֲמָקִים
קִבְּלָה מִצְוֺת וְחֻקִּים
בְּכְתָב מֹהָרָה׃
“Lily of the Valley ” named of old,  
High commands and precepts manifold
Were her bridal dower.
תּוֹרָה מִנְיָנָם
וּשְׁתַּֽיִם בְּרֹאשׁ בִּנְיָנָם
כָּהֵֽנָּה מֻזְהָרָה׃
These behold! enshrined within the Law,  
Ceaseless voice of warning, heard with awe
Even to this hour.
לֹא תִשָּׂא
טִכּוּס שֵׁם נוֹרָא עֲלִילָה
יַחֵד שְׁמוֹ יוֹמָם וָלָֽיְלָה׃
Thou shalt not take
in vain the glorious Name of the Worker of terrible deeds.
Proclaim by day and night the Unity of his Name.
זָכוֹר
כִּלְכּוּל עֹֽנֶג לְכָפְלָה
לְיוֹצְרָךְ תְּשׁוֹרֵר
כְּעוֹבְרֵי מְצוּלָה׃
Remember
the double meed of sustenance bestowed for the Sabbath,
and thou shalt sing unto thy Maker
as they who passed over the waves.
בְּגִילָה ‎בְּרִנָּה בְּשִׂמְחָה רַבָּה וְאָמְרוּ כֻלָּם…
With gladness and song and great joy they all said…

This is the piyyut “Eyumah Nikhtrah (Lo, the Mighty Nation…)” by Isaac ben Meshulam for maariv (after the shema) on the second night of Shavuot, was first published in Adler and Davis’s Maḥzor for Shavuot, Avodat Ḥag ha-Shavuot (1909), pp. 178-179.

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