בִּמְתֵי מִסְפָּר | BiM'tei Mispar, a seliḥah for Taanit Esther by Meshullam ben Ḳalonymus (11th c.)

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=48922

open_content_license: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license

Date: 2023-02-16

Last Updated: 2023-02-19

Categories: Ta'anit Esther

Tags: 11th century C.E., 49th century A.M., acrostic, Acrostic signature, Acrostic translation, Alphabetic Acrostic, Cairo Geniza, סליחות seliḥot, פיוטים piyyutim

Excerpt: A reverse alphabetic acrostic seliḥah piyyut for Taanit Esther in Hebrew with English translation . . .


Content:
Source (Hebrew) Source (English)
בִּמְתֵי מִסְפָּר חִלִּֽינוּ פָנֶֽיךָ
לְשַׁוְעַת נְכֵאִים אַל תַּעְלֵם אׇזְנֶֽךָ
הַקְשֵׁב תְּחִנָּתָם מִשְּׁמֵי מְעוֹנֶֽךָ
כְּבִימֵי מוֹר וַהֲדַס הוֹשַֽׁעְתָּ בָנֶֽיךָ
Small of number, we plead before You:
do not hide Your ears from the call of the crushed!
Listen to their please from Your high heavens,
as in the days of Myrrh and Myrtle save Your children!
תְּהִלּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל אַתָּה יוֹשֵׁב
שַׁוְעָתָם מַאֲזִין וְרִנָּתָם קוֹשֵׁב
רִפְאוּת לְמַחַץ מַקְדִּים וּמְחַשֵּׁב
קְנוּיֶֽיךָ לְהֵיטִיב וְנָוֵיהֶם לְיַשֵּׁב
 
בִּמְתֵי מִסְפָּר חִלִּֽינוּ פָנֶֽיךָ…
Through the praise of Israel You are seated,
so their pleas You hear and listen to their calls.
Relieving even before the blow,
quick to be good to Yours to resettle their home.
 
Small of number, we plead before You…
צָר וְאוֹיֵב הִלְטִישׁ עֵינָיו
פִּיהוּ פָעַר לִשְׁאוֹף עָנָיו
עִשֵּׁת בְּשֶׁלּוֹ לְהַשְׁמִיד קְהַל הֲמוֹנָיו
סֶֽגֶל לְאַבֵּד חָרַת בְּנִשְׁתְּוָנָיו
 
בִּמְתֵי מִסְפָּר חִלִּֽינוּ פָנֶֽיךָ…
Challenge and foe, he stabbed forth his eyes,
projecting his mouth to swallow the humble.
Of himself he plotted to destroy the myriad community,
citing his intent to destroy the treasured one.
 
Small of number, we plead before You…
נוֹקֵם לְצָרִים וְנוֹטֵר לְאוֹיְבִים
מָדַֽדְתָּ מִדָּתָם כְּזָדוּ לַאֲהוּבִים
לוֹחֵם וְנִינָיו הוּתְלוּ מֻצְלָבִים
כְּבַחֲרֽוֹזֶת דָּגִים חוֹרְזוּ תְּחוּבִים
 
בִּמְתֵי מִסְפָּר חִלִּֽינוּ פָנֶֽיךָ…
Nemeses’ avenger and enemies’ watcher,
measuring with the measure they used for the beloved.
Left to hang were the fighter and his heirs,
killed like a string of fish hung up on a thread.
 
Small of number, we plead before You…
יוֹם אֲשֶׁר שִׂבְּרוּ צוֹרְרִים
טִבְחָה לָשִׁית בְּעַם נְצוּרִים
חֻלְּפָה הַדָּת וְנָפְלוּ פְגָרִים
זֻלְעֲפוּ זוֹעֲמוּ מוּבָסִים מֻגָרִים
 
בִּמְתֵי מִסְפָּר חִלִּֽינוּ פָנֶֽיךָ…
In the very day that the foes sought
to wreak carnage on the guarded people,
exchanged was the ruling, and the corpses fell
zealous rage they bore, trodden and washed away.
 
Small of number, we plead before You…
וּבְכֵן יִתְעַלֶּה שִׁמְךָ וְיִתְנַשֵּׂא
הוֹדְךָ שְׁמֵי שָׁמַֽיִם כִּסָּה
דַּכִּים בְּרוֹמִמְךָ נְתוּנִים לִמְשִׁסָּה
גֵּיא וַאֲפָסֶֽיהָ תְּהִלָּתְךָ מְכַסָּה
 
בִּמְתֵי מִסְפָּר חִלִּֽינוּ פָנֶֽיךָ…
Upwards and upwards may Your Name be exalted,
highest heavens are covered by Your splendor.
Downtrodden You lift, those given to plunder,
God, Your praise fills the valley to the very ends.
 
Small of number, we plead before You…
בִּינָה הֲגִינֵֽנוּ עַתָּה וּרְאֵה בַצָּר
בְּאַפְּךָ קוּמָה עַל צוֹרֵר הַצָּר
אָדוֹן קְרָאנוּךָ מִן הַמֵּצָר
אָנָּא הוֹצִיאֵֽנוּ לַמֶּרְחָב וְחַלְּצֵֽנוּ מִצָּר
 
בִּמְתֵי מִסְפָּר חִלִּֽינוּ פָנֶֽיךָ…
Bring our thoughst to mind now, and see our stress;
by Your rage rise up against the stressful oppressor.
Alas, Master, we call You from the straits;
as such, please release us and free us from stress.
 
Small of number, we plead before You…
מְאֹד תַּרְבֶּה לָֽנוּ מְחִילָה
שְׁמַע תְּפִלָּה וְהַעֲבֵר תִּפְלָה
לוֹחֲצֵֽינוּ יַשְׁלִֽימוּ אִתָּֽנוּ וַעֲוֺנוֹתֵֽינוּ תַשְׁלִיךְ בִּמְצוּלָה
מִמֶּֽנּוּ רַחֲמֶֽיךָ לֹא תִכְלָא
 
בִּמְתֵי מִסְפָּר חִלִּֽינוּ פָנֶֽיךָ…
Meet us with much abundant pardon.
Should our prayers be heard, pass the filth away.
Lambast our oppressors and fill them with horror.
Me? As for us, do not withhold compassion.
 
Small of number, we plead before You…

Source(s)

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Contributor: Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (translation)

Co-authors:

Featured Image:
Myrrhe
Title: Myrrhe
Caption: Myrrh from Oman, 2009 (credit: GeoTrinity, license: CC BY)