אֲזַלַת יוֹכֶֽבֶד | Azalat Yokheved, a lamentation on the death of Mosheh (SYAP 42a, ca. 7th c.) • the Open Siddur Project

Tags: 45th century A.M., 7th century C.E., Aramaic, Mosheh Rabbenu, mourning, Nusaḥ Erets Yisrael, פיוטים piyyuṭim, קינות Ḳinōt

Excerpt: 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. . . .

Content:

In the old Erets Yisrael rite, one aspect of the Simḥat Torah service was communal mourning for Moshe’s death, and multiple piyyutim in both Hebrew and Aramaic have been preserved as evidence of this custom. Considering the events of Simḥat Torah last year, perhaps it’s worth bringing that custom back. Presented here is the third of three Aramaic-language Byzantine-era lamentations for the death of Moshe (SYAP 40-42), written to be recited as part of the Simḥat Torah service. The third piyyut, 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 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.

Source (Aramaic)	Translation (English)
אֲזַלַת יוֹכֶֽבֶד מְפַיְּיסָת לְמִצְרַיִֽם מִצְרַיִֽם מִצְרַֽיִם דִּילְמָא חֲמִית לִי לְמֹשֶׁה בְּחַיִּיךְ יוֹכֶֽבֶד לָא חֲמִיתִי יָתֵיהּ מִן־יוֹמָא דִּקְטַל בִּי כׇּל־בּוּכְרָא׃	Yokheved went, entreating Egypt: “Egypt, Egypt! Have you seen my Moshe?” “By your life, Yokheved, I have not seen him Since the day he killed all my firstborn.”
אֲזַלַת יוֹכֶֽבֶד מְפַיְּיסָת לְנִילוּס נִילוּס נִילוּס דִּילְמָא חֲמִית לִי לְמֹשֶׁה בְּחַיִּיךְ יוֹכֶֽבֶד לָא חֲמִיתִי יָתֵיהּ מִן־יוֹמָא דַּעֲבַד בִּי מֵימִי לִדְמָא׃	Yokheved went, entreating the Nile: “Nile, Nile! Have you seen my Moshe?” “By your life, Yokheved, I have not seen him Since the day he made my water into blood.”
אֲזַלַת יוֹכֶֽבֶד מְפַיְּיסָת לְיַמָּא יַמָּא יַמָּא דִּילְמָא חֲמִית לִי לְמֹשֶׁה בְּחַיִּיךְ יוֹכֶֽבֶד לָא חֲמִיתִי יָתֵיהּ מִן־יוֹמָא דְּאַעְבַּר בִּי תְּרֵין עֲשַׂר שִׁבְטִין׃	Yokheved went, entreating the sea: “Sea, Sea! Have you seen my Moshe?” “By your life, Yokheved, I have not seen him Since the day he passed through me twelve tribes.”
אֲזַלַת יוֹכֶֽבֶד מְפַיְּיסָת לְמַדְבְּרָא מַדְבְּרָא מַדְבְּרָא דִּילְמָא חֲמִית לִי לְמֹשֶׁה בְּחַיִּיךְ יוֹכֶֽבֶד לָא חֲמִיתִי יָתֵיהּ מִן־יוֹמָא דְּאַנְחֵת עֲלַי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מַנָּא׃	Yokheved went, entreating the wilderness: “Wilderness, Wilderness! Have you seen my Moshe?” “By your life, Yokheved, I have not seen him Since the day he made manna descend upon me.”
אֲזַלַת יוֹכֶֽבֶד מְפַיְּיסָת לְסִינַי סִינַי סִינַי דִּילְמָא חֲמִית לִי לְמֹשֶׁה בְּחַיִּיךְ יוֹכֶֽבֶד לָא חֲמִיתִי יָתֵיהּ מִן־יוֹמָא דְּאַנְחֵת עֲלַי תְּרֵין לוּחֵי קְיָימָא׃	Yokheved went, entreating Sinai: “Sinai, Sinai! Have you seen my Moshe?” “By your life, Yokheved, I have not seen him Since the day he made two tablets descend upon me.”
אֲזַלַת יוֹכֶֽבֶד מְפַיְּיסָת לְכֵיפָא כֵּיפָא כֵּיפָא דִּילְמָא חֲמִית לִי לְמֹשֶׁה בְּחַיִּיךְ יוֹכֶֽבֶד לָא חֲמִיתִי יָתֵיהּ מִן־יוֹמָא דִּמְחָא עֲלַי תְּרֵין שַׁרְבִיטִין׃	Yokheved went, entreating the rock: “Rock, Rock! Have you seen my Moshe?” “By your life, Yokheved, I have not seen him Since the day he struck me with a staff twice.”

Featured Image:

Title: 1280px-Signorelli,_Luca_-_Moses’s_Testament_and_Death_-_1481-82
Caption: "Testament and Death of Moses" (1482) by Luca Signorelli