הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין־כִּפּוּר לְפוּרִים | HaMavdil bein Kippur l-Furim — a Purim parody of the Havdalah and Yom Kippur piyyuṭ “HaMavdil” (ca. 16th c.)

Israel Davidson — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 00:50:59 +0000

A parody of the Havdalah (and Yom Kippur) piyyuṭ HaMavdil for Purim from the 16th century, found in Israel Davidson’s classic work Parody in Jewish Literature (1907). Despite the acrostic signature, I didn’t write it I swear!

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)	Rhyming Translation (English, Davidson 1907)
הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין־כִּפּוּר לְפוּרִים שֶׁשּׂוֹנֵא אֶת־הַנְּזִירִים וְאוֹהֵב אֶת־הַשִּׁכּוֹרִים הַצּוֹעֲקִים בַּלָּֽיְלָה׃	May the One who distinguishes between Yom Kippur and Purim, who hates the nazirites^[1] Who are required to abstain from wine and loves the drunkards shouting all night…	Here’s to him who flings aside The cup of penitence at Purim tide, And fees the hermits with drunkards to bide Howling through the night.
יַֽׄיִן אָדֹם אָהַֽבְתִּי וְגַם עִם־לָבָן גַּֽרְתִּי וְשׁוֹתֶה מַֽיִם שָׂנֵֽאתִי כָּאֲפֵלָה וּכְאִשּׁוֹן לָֽיְלָה׃	Red wine I love, but I can live with white.^[2] A pun on Jacob’s statement (in Gen. 32:4) upon returning home, “I have lived with Lavan” — whose name literally means “white.” And drinking water I hate, like gloom and like the black of night.	Red wine I prize as meed, White wine is good in time of need, But the water-drinker I hate, indeed, As the dense darkness of the night;
צְׄעָקָה וּדְמָעוֹת אוֹרִֽידָה^[3] Printed: ירדה — emendation Davidson’s. בִּרְאוֹתִי מַֽיִם בִּסְעוּדָה הָבִֽיאוּ לִי עֶשְׂרִים מִדָּה אוּלַי יַסְפִּיקוּן לִי הַלָּֽיְלָה׃	Shouting, tears I shed when I see water at a feast. Bring me twenty measures! Perhaps that will be enough for me tonight.	I cry, and tears I shed If on water I am fed; O, for twenty measures of sparkling red To quench my thirst to-night.
חֵׄן וָחֶֽסֶד יֻתַּן לָרָעִים^[4] Printed: להם — emendation Davidson’s. אִם־תּוֹסִֽיפוּ יַֽיִן בַּגְּבִיעִים עִם־כּוֹסוֹת שֵׁכָר מְלֵאִים אוּלַי נִשְׁכְּרָה זֶה הַלָּֽיְלָה׃	Grace and mercy will be given to the wicked if you increase wine in goblets along with full cups of liquor — perhaps we will get drunk this very night.	Your praise, my friends, aloud I’ll cry If ne’er the wine in my cup go dry. With brimful jugs of beer we’ll try To get drunk to-night.
קְׄדֻשָּׁה אֲלַמֶּדְכֶם חֲכָמִים הַטּוּ אׇזְנְכֶם בַּעֲרוּ מַֽיִם מִבָּתֵּיכֶם כִּי הֵם חֲשׁוּבִים כַּלָּֽיְלָה׃	Holiness I will teach you; sages, incline your ears — remove water from your homes, for it is considered like night!	A holy deed I teach you, hear! Men of wisdom incline your ear! Keep your houses of water clear, ‘Tis as bad as the night.
חִׄזְׄקׄוּ נְבוֹנִים וַחֲכָמִים בִּזְכוּת נֹחַ אִישׁ תָּמִים אֲשֶׁר נָטַע כְּרָמִים לְשִׁכְרוּת בַּיּוֹם וּבַלָּיְלָה׃׃	Be strong, scholars and sages, in the merit of Noaḥ the upright man, who planted vineyards to get drunk by day and by night.	Summon courage men of lore For Noaḥ’s sake, the Righteous of yore, Who planted vineyards, unknown before, To drink by day and night.

By a 16th century paytan named Yitsḥaq, this is a Purim parody of the Havdalah (and Yom Kippur) piyyuṭ “HaMavdil,” found in Israel Davidson’s Parody in Jewish Literature (1907), pp. 36-37.

Source(s)

Notes

Notes
1	Who are required to abstain from wine
2	A pun on Jacob’s statement (in Gen. 32:4) upon returning home, “I have lived with Lavan” — whose name literally means “white.”
3	Printed: ירדה — emendation Davidson’s.
4	Printed: להם — emendation Davidson’s.

Israel Davidson • the Open Siddur Project ✍ פְּרוֺיֶקְט הַסִּדּוּר הַפָּתוּחַ

הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין־כִּפּוּר לְפוּרִים | HaMavdil bein Kippur l-Furim — a Purim parody of the Havdalah and Yom Kippur piyyuṭ “HaMavdil” (ca. 16th c.)

Source(s)