מָעוֹז צָרוֹת | A Fortress of Troubles, a qinah for Tishah b'Av by Aryeh Baruch • the Open Siddur Project

Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., lamentation, nine days, Three Weeks of Mourning, מעוז צור Maoz Tsur, קינות Ḳinnot

Excerpt: This qinah purposely follows the structure of, and borrows phrases from, the text of Ma'oz Tzur. It was inspired by, of all things, a "Ruin a song by changing the first three words" Facebook post – someone had responded to it with "Ma'oz Tzarot…" and the rest all but wrote it itself. . . .

Content:

This qinah purposely follows the structure of, and borrows phrases from, the text of Ma’oz Tsur. It was inspired by, of all things, a “Ruin a song by changing the first three words” Facebook post – someone had responded to it with “Ma’oz Tsarot…” and the rest all but wrote it itself.

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
מָעוֹז צָרוֹת יֵשׁ לָנוּ כִּי דִּינֵנוּ גָּמַרְתָּנוּ שָׂרַפְתָּ בֵּית תְּפִלָּתִי וְשָׁם תּוֹדָה זִבַּחָנוּ מָתַי תָּכִין מַטְבֵּחַ מִצָּר רוֹצֵחָנוּ עַכשָׁיו אֶגְמֹר בְּקִינָה מִזְמוֹר חוּרבָּן מִּזְבְּחוֹתֵינוּ	We have [but] a fortress of troubles, for our judgment you have concluded upon us, You burned the House of our prayers, and there we brought Thanksgiving-offerings. When will you prepare a slaughter for the enemy that murders us? Now I complete a keening song – the ruination of our Altars^[1] Can be understood as referring to the First and Second Batei Mikdash, or to the two Altars contained therein (the outer Copper and the inner Golden).
רָעוֹת מְבַעֵר נַפְשִׁי בְּיָגוֹן שׁוֹאַת אֵירוֹפָּה חַיַּי חָרְבוּ בְהַשְׁמָדָתִי בְּשִׁעְבּוּד מַלְכוּת יְמַּח־שְׁמָהּ וּבְיָדְךָ הַגְּדוֹלָה הִסְתִּיר אֶת הַסְּגֻלָּה גוֹיֵי עַמְּךָ עִם חֶלקֵי תּוֹרָתְךָ יָרְדוּ כְּלֶהָבָה בִּמְצוּלָה	Troubles incinerated my soul in agony – the Annihilation of Europe, My life they ruined with my destruction, the subjugation of that kingdom, may its name be wiped out. And Your great hand – You concealed the sign [of salvation from us]! [Entire] nations of Your people, with [their] portions of Your Torah – they descended like a flaming torch into the depths.
דָבָר קָדְשׁוֹ גָּנְבוּנִי וְכָּך שָׁם לֹא שָׁקַטְתִּי וּבָא נוֹגֵשׂ וְהִגְלַנִי כִּי בְּשָׁלוֹם נִמְצֵאתִי סְפָרַי עִם בָּנַי שָׂרְפוּנִי כִּמְעַט שֶׁעָבַרְתִּי בְּיָד אֶדוֹם כְּגֵיהִינֹּם לְאַלְפַּיִם שָׁנָה שָׁבַרְתִּי	His holy Word they stole from me, and thus there^[2] In the lands of Edom/Rome. I found no respite And an oppressor would come and exile me, because with peace I was found My books with children – they burnt me,^[3] As by destroying the books and murdering the children, all legacy is lost, it is as if one is already dead. when I had hardly arrived^[4] In the new land to which we were exiled in turn. By the hand of Edom – like Gehinom – for two thousand years I shattered.
כְּרוֹת קוֹמַת בְּרוֹשׁ בִּקֵּשׁ בֶּן אָחִי כְּבֶּן הַמְּדָתָא וְנִהְיָתָה לִי לְפַח וּלְמוֹקֵשׁ וְשַׁלְוָתִי נִשְׁבָּתָה רֹאשׁ אוֹיֵב נִשֵּׂאתָ וְשֵׁם עַמְּךָ בָּצַצְתָּ כָּל בָּנַי וְקִנְיָנַי בְּאַרְצֵי קֶדֶם הִגְלֵיתָ	To cut off the towering cypress – so sought the son of my brother, (who was) like the son of Hamdata And it became to me a snare and a trap, and my serenity You stilled. You raised enemy’s head, and the name of Your nation You dragged through the mud. All of my children and properties in the eastern lands – You exiled.
אֶדוֹמִים נִקְבְּצוּ עָלַי אֲזַי בִּימֵי תַּנָּאִים וּפָרְצוּ תַּלְמִידֵי תּוֹרָתִי וְטִמְּאוּ כָּל הַשְׁבוּיִים וּמֵחֻרְבָּן אוֹר בְּסֹעֲר הִצִּילוּ שְׁאֵרִית לַשּׁוֹשַׁנִּים בְּנֵי בִינָה סִדְרֵי מִשְׁנָה זָרְקוּ אוּד לְעָתִידִים	The Romans^[5] Lit. Edom gathered against me, then in the days of the Tannaim, They pierced through the students of my Torah, and defiled all of the captives. And from the destruction of light, in the tempest, they saved a remnant for the Rose, Understanding ones – the orders of Mishna, they cast a firebrand^[6] Referencing the אוּד מֻצָּל מֵאֵשׁ of Zechariah 3:2. for the futures.
אֵיפֹה זְרוֹעַ קָדְשֶׁךָ וְמָתַי קֵץ הַיְשׁוּעָה שׁוֹפְכִים דָּם עֲבָדֶיךָ נִפְּלוּ לְאֻמָּה הָרְשָׁעָה כִּי אָרְכָה הַשָּׁעָה וְאֵין קֵץ לִימֵי הָרָעָה כִּי אִם מָאֹס מְאַסְתָּנוּ הֲשִׁיבֵנוּ אֵלֶיךָ וְנָשׁוּבָה	Where is Your holy arm, and when is the End of Salvation? They spill the blood of Your servants, we have been made to fall before an evil nation. For the hours drag on, and there is no end to these evil days… Even if you are utterly disgusted with us – but return us to You and we will return!^[7] Paraphrased Eichah 5:21-22.

Notes[+]

Notes
1	Can be understood as referring to the First and Second Batei Mikdash, or to the two Altars contained therein (the outer Copper and the inner Golden).
2	In the lands of Edom/Rome.
3	As by destroying the books and murdering the children, all legacy is lost, it is as if one is already dead.
4	In the new land to which we were exiled in turn.
5	Lit. Edom
6	Referencing the אוּד מֻצָּל מֵאֵשׁ of Zechariah 3:2.
7	Paraphrased Eichah 5:21-22.

Featured Image:

Title: Fortress in Pskov with the reflection in the river (yulenochekk)
Caption: Fortress in Pskov with the reflection in the river (yulenochekk)