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tag: 45th century A.M. Sorted Chronologically (old to new). Sort most recent first? This is the piyyut “Az Haytah Ḥanayat Sukō (Of yore, abode His dwelling place,)” a qerovah piyyut by Elazar Kalir for the first day of Sukkot, published in Adler and Davis’s Maḥzor for Sukkot, Avodat Ḥag ha-Sukkot (1908), pp. 212. Categories: Tags: Contributor(s): This is the piyyut “Kehoshata Elim (Savior of mighty ones…)” by Eleazar Kalir for the hoshanot on the second day of Sukkot, published in Adler and Davis’s Maḥzor for Sukkot, Avodat Ḥag ha-Sukkot (1908), pp. 144-145. Categories: Tags: Contributor(s): “Alelai Li” is a ḳinah recited on the morning of Tisha bAv. It was written by HaKalir around the 7th century. According to the Koren Mesorat HaRav Kinot, it is number 17 of 50. The title is the refrain of the poem and is an onomatopoeic whimper (try saying it aloud, focusing on the alliteration). It is difficult to translate the opening word “im” which means “if” or “should”. This is an allusion to Job 10:15, “If I have done evil, then woe unto me.” I have decided to translate the ḳinah not in the conditional tense (which would render “If these horrible things happened, then woe is me!”) but as a lament upon memory; however, the former would be a more accurate (if not more awkward in English) translation. Adding to the awkwardness of the poem’s language is the feminine conditional verb that each line has after the word “im”. I have maintained this strange verb tense and placement in my translation by using the English progressive tense. The ḳinah ends with a collection in lines in a different meter suggesting that the Holy One (and the paytan himself) is angered that the Jewish people announce their sufferings but not their transgressions. Categories: Tags: Contributor(s): Many communities recite a series of poems interwoven with the Amidah on Purim. These poems, known as the “krovets,” were written by Elazar b. Rabbi Kalir, the greatest of the early paytanim. But lesser known than the krovets for Purim are the krovets for Tisha b’Av, written as well by Elazar b. Rabbi Kalir. A fine example of Elazar’s intricate poetry, the krovets for Tisha b’Av is rife with Biblical citations, finally culminating with the prayer for Jerusalem. Each stanza begins with five tightly rhymed lines beginning with a constant א followed by a quintuple half-acrostic on the second letter, then a poetic volta on the word אֵיכָה, followed by a Biblical citation, a verse starting with the last word in the citation, a letter from Elazar’s name, and a final Biblical citation. The krovets for Tisha b’Av is meant to be part of the morning service, tied into the cantorial repetition for Tisha b’Av. Categories: Tags: 45th century A.M., 7th century C.E., acrostic, Acrostic signature, Alphabetic Acrostic, עמידה amidah, קרובות ḳerovot, פיוטים piyyuṭim, Public Amidah, קינות Ḳinōt Contributor(s): Qallir’s reshut for the Ṭal service on the first day of Pesaḥ. Also included is an acrostic English translation, as well as the catena of verses found in manuscripts but missing from most modern printings Categories: Tags: 45th century A.M., 7th century C.E., phonetic alphabetic acrostic translation, Alphabetic Acrostic, מוריד הטל morid hatal, Prayers for Precipitation, רשויות reshuyot, water cycle Contributor(s): אֶקְחָה בָּרִאשׁוֹן | Ekḥah Barishon — a silluq piyyuṭ for the first day of Sukkot by Elazar haKalirElazar haKalir’s qedushtah piyyut for the first day of Sukkot. Categories: Tags: Contributor(s): The complete qedushta cycle (colloquially called “yotzros,” although it is not technically yotzrot but rather qerovot) for Shabbat Sheqalim by Qallir, including all the catenae of verses and repeated refrains often skipped in Ashkenazi practice. Alphabetical texts are translated with alphabetical acrostics. Categories: Tags: 45th century A.M., 7th century C.E., acrostic, phonetic alphabetic acrostic translation, Alphabetic Acrostic, עמידה amidah, four special parashot, ההיכלות ויורדי המרכבה haHeikhalot v'Yordei haMerkavah, קרובות ḳerovot, פיוטים piyyuṭim, Public Amidah, שבת שקלים Shabbat Sh'qalim Contributor(s): A zulat (a piyyut to be inserted before “Ezrat Avotenu” in the morning liturgy) attributed to Qallir, to be recited on Shabbat haḤodesh. Categories: Tags: 45th century A.M., 7th century C.E., acrostic, Alphabetic Acrostic, four special parashot, פיוטים piyyuṭim, rhyming translation, שבת החודש Shabbat haḤodesh, יוצרות yotsrot, זולת zulat Contributor(s): The complete qedushta cycle for Shabbat Zakhor by Qallir, including all the catenae of verses and repeated refrains often skipped in Ashkenazi practice. Alphabetical texts are translated with alphabetical acrostics. Categories: Tags: 45th century A.M., 7th century C.E., acrostic, Alphabetic Acrostic, alphabetic acrostic translation, עמידה amidah, four special parashot, קרובות ḳerovot, פיוטים piyyuṭim, pre-Purim, Problematic prayers, Public Amidah, שבת זכור Shabbat Zakhor Contributor(s): The complete qedushta cycle for Shabbat HaḤodesh by Qallir, including all the catenae of verses, repeated refrains, and additional rahitin often skipped in Ashkenazi practice. Alphabetical texts are translated with alphabetical acrostics. Categories: Tags: 45th century A.M., 7th century C.E., acrostic, Alphabetic Acrostic, alphabetic acrostic translation, עמידה amidah, four special parashot, קרובות ḳerovot, liberation, פיוטים piyyuṭim, Public Amidah, שבת החודש Shabbat haḤodesh Contributor(s): The poetic genre known as ḳerovot, brief poems woven throughout the repetition of the weekday Amidah, is nowadays most closely associated with Elazar haḲalir’s Purim “Ḳrovetz“, a majestically interwoven piece of piyyut if ever there was one. This is the traditional Ashkenazi qerovot added to the Musaf repetition for Shabbat HaḤodesh, alongside a gender-neutral translation first made in 2022 but being posted here now. Categories: Tags: 45th century A.M., 7th century C.E., acrostic, Alphabetic Acrostic, עמידה amidah, four special parashot, קרובות ḳerovot, פיוטים piyyuṭim, Public Amidah, שבת החודש Shabbat haḤodesh Contributor(s): This piyyut, Tanun Shvaḥeih (Tell the Praise), the eighth in a series of Aramaic piyyutim from the seventh day of Pesaḥ, is meant to be recited as an introduction to the Targum of Exodus 15:18, the famous verse “Adonai yimlokh l-‘olam va-‘ed.” The English translation preserves the Hebrew acrostic of the Aramaic. This piyyut, Man K’vatakh (Who is Like You), the seventh in a series of Aramaic piyyutim from the seventh day of Pesaḥ, is meant to be recited as an introduction to the Targum of the verse that includes “Mi Khamokha.” The English translation preserves the Hebrew acrostic of the Aramaic. Categories: Tags: 45th century A.M., 7th century C.E., acrostic, phonetic alphabetic acrostic translation, Alphabetic Acrostic, Aramaic, פיוטים piyyuṭim, שירת הים Shirat haYam, תרגום targum Contributor(s): This piyyut, Amar Oyev (The Enemy Said), the sixth in a series of Aramaic piyyutim from the seventh day of Pesaḥ, is meant to be recited as an introduction to the targum of Exodus 15, verse 9. Categories: Tags: 45th century A.M., 7th century C.E., acrostic, phonetic alphabetic acrostic translation, Alphabetic Acrostic, Aramaic, פיוטים piyyuṭim, שירת הים Shirat haYam, תרגום targum Contributor(s): This piyyut, “Joseph Overpowered,” was originally written in the Byzantine era as an introduction to the seventh commandment, the commandment against adultery. It tells a midrashic elaboration of the story of Potiphar’s wife’s attempt and failure to seduce Joseph. It’s honestly a bit racier than one would expect from a liturgical text, with quite a few double entendres on the topic of sexuality. Like the two prior piyyutim — Amar Yitzḥak and Itgabar — it begins in medias res. Categories: Tags: 45th century A.M., 7th century C.E., acrostic, phonetic alphabetic acrostic translation, Alphabetic Acrostic, Aramaic, Decalogue, פיוטים piyyuṭim, sexual attraction, sexual conduct, תרגום targum, Yosef cycle Contributor(s): This piyyut, “Amar Yitsḥaq,” was originally written as an introduction to the fifth commandment, the commandment of honoring your father and mother. In the eyes of the payṭan, the quintessential example of honoring your father is an incredibly morbid one — Isaac, encouraging his father to go through with it on the altar and begging him to strike true, so that the sacrifice isn’t rendered unfit! It incorporates midrashic narratives about Isaac’s total willingness to go through with the sacrifice, as well as his longing for his mother in the process. To our modern eyes it is quite a disturbing work! But it’s worth remembering that there were many cases in medieval Europe of Jewish parents so desperate and terrified on account of the Crusades that they killed their own children rather than have them submit to baptism. Perhaps this poem provided those who heard such horrific stories some comfort. Categories: Tags: 45th century A.M., 7th century C.E., acrostic, phonetic alphabetic acrostic translation, Alphabetic Acrostic, Aqédat Yitsḥaq, Aramaic, Decalogue, martyrdom, פיוטים piyyuṭim, self-sacrifice, תרגום targum, יצחק Yitsḥaq Contributor(s): This piyyut, “Itgabar,” was originally written as an introduction to the sixth commandment, the commandment of not murdering. It is a poetic retelling of the death of Joab in I Kings 2:28-34. Joab, the leader of David’s armies, was a notoriously violent man, the slaughterer of Abner and Amasa. He died in a correspondingly violent way, struck down by Benaiah son of Jehoiada within the Tabernacle itself. Surprisingly enough, this poem frames Solomon as an unjust and cruel ruler, treating Joab’s death as a tragedy rather than the quid-pro-quo consequence it is portrayed as in Kings. In this location, it almost goes so far as to calling Solomon himself a murderer. Categories: Tags: 45th century A.M., 7th century C.E., acrostic, phonetic alphabetic acrostic translation, Alphabetic Acrostic, Aramaic, bloodshed, Decalogue, murder, פיוטים piyyuṭim, תרגום targum, ultraviolence Contributor(s): Amar Kiris l-Moshe, is a midrashic narrative of Moshe going to Adam to ask why he cursed humanity with death. It’s been translated preserving the acrostic and monorhyme scheme. Taken from Sokoloff and Yahalom’s “Jewish Palestinian Aramaic Poetry from Late Antiquity,” it is presented here vocalized with an original translation. Categories: Tags: 45th century A.M., 7th century C.E., acrostic, phonetic alphabetic acrostic translation, Alphabetic Acrostic, Aramaic, Mosheh Rabbenu, mourning, Nusaḥ Erets Yisrael, פיוטים piyyuṭim, קינות Ḳinōt Contributor(s): Azalat Bekhita, is probably incomplete, extending only to ḥeth in known manuscripts. It features multiple people, places, and things important in Moshe’s life taking turns to eulogize him. It’s been translated preserving the acrostic and monorhyme scheme. Taken from Sokoloff and Yahalom’s Jewish Palestinian Aramaic Poetry from Late Antiquity (2018), it is presented here vocalized with an original translation. Categories: Tags: 45th century A.M., 7th century C.E., acrostic, phonetic alphabetic acrostic translation, Alphabetic Acrostic, Aramaic, Mosheh Rabbenu, mourning, Nusaḥ Erets Yisrael, פיוטים piyyuṭim, קינות Ḳinōt Contributor(s): Azalat Yokheved is part of a whole genre of midrashic works suggesting Yokheved lived to see her son die — a concept even found in the Ethiopian literature. With repeated refrains, it emphasizes the desperate search of a mother trying to find her son, retracing all her steps and desperately asking everyone she can. But just as Moshe’s journey to the Promised Land ends without a conclusion, so too Yokheved never finds her Moshe. It’s been translated preserving monorhyme scheme. Taken from Sokoloff and Yahalom’s Jewish Palestinian Aramaic Poetry from Late Antiquity (2018), it is presented here vocalized with an original translation. | ||
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