שיר מזמור לפורים | Shir Mizmor l'Purim, an anti-Prohibition drinking song for Purim by Rabbi Sabato Morais (1889)

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=45592

Date: 2022-07-11

Last Updated: 2025-03-27

Categories: Purim

Tags: 19th century C.E., 57th century A.M., American Jewry of the United States, Philadelphia, Prohibition in the United States, זמירות zemirot

Excerpt: This "Shir Mizmor l'Purim" by Rabbi Sabato Morais (we think) was first published in The Jewish Exponent on 15 March 1889. It was preserved by Rabbi Sabato Morais in his ledger, an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. . . .

Content:

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
שיר מזמור לפורים	Shir Mizmor l’Purim
פּוּרִים פּוּרִים! בָּרוּךְ תִּהְיֶה מַשִּׁיב רוּחַ פִּגְרֵי מֵתִים. זָכוּר לַטּוֹב! שִׁמְךָ תִּחְיֶה בְּלֵב אוֹהֲבֵי הַשּׁוֹתִים. הַמּוֹעֲדִים כֻּלָּם יִתַּֽמּוּ מִתּוֹךְ הָעָם מֹשֶׁה גָּאַל לְסוֹף יָמִים בַּחוּץ יֻשַּֽׂמוּ לִשְׁלוֹמְךָ לְבַד נִשְׁאַל	Purim, Purim, be thou blesséd! Thou can’st stay the parting soul— Honored mayest thou live forever In their hearts who love the bowl! Cease shall holy day and high day From their midst, whom Moses saved— At time’s end. But thee to ransom We again would be enslaved!
כִּי כֵן נִגְזַר בִּזְמַן קַדְמוֹן בִּתְלוּת הָמָן עֲלֵי הָעֵץ “לִזְכֹּר הַנֵּס קָרְאוּ הָמוֹן לְהִשְׁתַּכֵּר עֲדִי אֵין קֵץ” אַל תִּפְחֲדוּ בְּהֶֽעֱרִים סוֹד רָאשֵׁי כַּת ה־פְּרוֹהִיבִּֽישׁוֹן בִּמְסִלּוֹתָם יִרְבֶּה הַשֹּׁד לֹא יַאֲרִֽיכוּ עוֹד לָשׁוֹן!	T’was of old decreed, when Haman Dangled from the lofty trunk, “Yearly to recall this wonder, Let the crowd get jolly drunk!” Fear not when the Prohibition Leaders meet, the tongue to wag, Wait till after the election, They’ll not be so apt to brag.
לִשְׁנַת מִשֶּׁנִּכְנַס אֲדָר מַׄרְׄבִּׄיׄןׄ בְּׄשִׂׄמְׄחָׄהׄ לְפַׄקׄ	Adar Sheni 12th 5649

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This “Shir Mizmor l’Purim” by Rabbi Sabato Morais (we think) was first published in The Jewish Exponent on 15 March 1889. It was preserved by Rabbi Sabato Morais in his ledger, an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.) Vocalization thanks to Isaac Gantwerk Mayer.

Source(s)

Shir Mizmor l’Purim (Sabato Morais, Jewish Exponent 15 March 1889)

 

Contributor: Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (translation)

Co-authors:

• 
  Name: Sabato Morais
  Bio: Rabbi Sabato Morais (שבתאי מוראיס; April 13, 1823 – November 11, 1897) was an Italian-American rabbi, leader of Mikveh Israel Synagogue in Philadelphia, pioneer of Italian Jewish Studies in America, and in 1886, co-founder (with Henry Pereira Mendes) of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America to preserve the knowledge and practice of traditional, historical rabbinic Judaism in the United States.
  Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabato_Morais
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/sabato-morais
• 
  Name: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)
  Bio: 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.)
  Website: https://aharon.varady.net
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/aharon-varady-transcription
• 
  Name: Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (translation)
  Bio: 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 authors his own original works and transcribes Hebrew and Aramaic text, adding niqqud and t'amim as needed.) 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.
  Website: https://igmjewishcreativeworks.com
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/isaac-gantwerk-mayer-translation

Featured Image:

Title: rabbi, prohibition (Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life)
Caption: rabbi, prohibition (Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life)