אֵיכָה יָשְׁבָה בָּדָד | Eikhah Yashvah Badad (O How She Sat Alone), a qinah by Nurit Hirschfeld-Skupinsky

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=57562

open_content_license: Fair Use Right (17 U.S. Code §107 - Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use)

Date: 2024-08-12

Last Updated: 2024-08-13

Categories: Tishah b'Av, Pogroms & Genocide, Slavery & Captivity, Terror

Tags: 2023-2024 Israel–Hamas war, 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., Prayers after acts of terrible violence, קינות Ḳinōt

Excerpt: The author of this qinah is a survivor of the slaughter in Kibbutz Nahal Oz. The qinah was first published in an article by Tamar Biala appearing in The Times of Israel, "O how she sat alone: New laments for a beloved land" on 4 August 2024, appended with the note: "These Lamentations will appear in Dirshuni: Contemporary Women’s Midrash Vol. 2." . . .

Content:
Source (Hebrew) Translation (English)
אֵיכָה יָשְׁבָה בָּדָד
נִיר עֹז רַבָּתִי דָּם.
שְׂדֵרוֹת הָיְתָה כְּאַלְמָנָה,
קִרְיָה הֲלוּמָה, וּמִי נֶאֱמָנָהּ?
O How She Sat Alone[1] A paraphrase of Lamentations 1:1 “O how she sat alone, the city full of people was like a widow.” 
Nir Oz,[2] A kibbutz in the Gaza envelope on the North West Negev, attacked on October 7, 2023. Sderot – a city in the Negev North East of Gaza, attacked on October 7, 2023.  full of blood
Sderot, was like a widow
A city stunned, and who is faithful to her?[3] A paraphrase of Isaiah 1:21 “How did she become a whore, the faithful city. Full with justice, righteousness used to rest in her, but now murderers.” 
אֵיכָה יָשְׁבָה בָּדָד
בַּמָּמָ”ד
מִשְׁפָּחָה, וְעוֹד אַחַת,
וְעוֹד, וְעוֹד אַחַת.
O How They Sat Alone
In the shelter room
One family, and another,
And another, and another one.
אֵיכָה יָשְׁבוּ בָּדָד
תַּצְפִּיתָנִיּוֹת רַבָּתִי עַיִן,
וְלֹא הָיְתָה הַקְשָׁבָה,
וִישׁוּעָה – אָיִן.
O How They Sat Alone
The many-eyed women at the observation posts
And there was no listening,
And deliverance – none.
אֵיכָה יָשְׁבוּ בָּדָד
צְעִירוֹת וּצְעִירִים
בְּמִסְתּוֹרֵי שׁוֹּחוֹת וְשִׂיחִים.
פָּסְקוּ רִקּוּדֵיהֶם,
וּמִי יְחַלְּצֵם?
O How They Sat Alone
Young women and young men
Hiding in pits and shrubs.
Their dancing halted,
And who will rescue them?
אֵיכָה יָשְׁבוּ בָּדָד
חֲטוּפוֹת וַחֲטוּפִים,
וַעֲדַיִן יוֹשְׁבִים:
120 גְּבָרִים, נָשִׁים, קְשִׁישִׁים וִילָדִים.
בָּכוֹ בּוֹכִים בַּלַּיְלָה,
דְּמָעוֹת עַל לְחָיֵיהֶם,
וְאֵין מְנַחֵם.
O How They Sat Alone
Captive women and captive men
And sitting there, still:
120 men, women, elders and children.
Crying, they are crying at night
Tears on their cheeks
And there is no one who comforts.[4] A paraphrase of Lamentations 1:2 “Crying she will cry at night, her tears on her cheek. No one comforts her of all those who love her…” 

The author of this qinah is a survivor of the slaughter in Kibbutz Nahal Oz. The qinah was first published in an article by Tamar Biala appearing in The Times of Israel, “O how she sat alone: New laments for a beloved land” on 4 August 2024, appended with the note: “These Lamentations will appear in Dirshuni: Contemporary Women’s Midrash Vol. 2.”

 

Notes

Notes
1 A paraphrase of Lamentations 1:1 “O how she sat alone, the city full of people was like a widow.”
2 A kibbutz in the Gaza envelope on the North West Negev, attacked on October 7, 2023. Sderot – a city in the Negev North East of Gaza, attacked on October 7, 2023.
3 A paraphrase of Isaiah 1:21 “How did she become a whore, the faithful city. Full with justice, righteousness used to rest in her, but now murderers.”
4 A paraphrase of Lamentations 1:2 “Crying she will cry at night, her tears on her cheek. No one comforts her of all those who love her…”

Contributor: Yehudah Mirsky (translation)

Co-authors:

Featured Image:
IDF Observation unit soldiers monitor the Israel- Gaza border (IDF)
Title: IDF Observation unit soldiers monitor the Israel- Gaza border (IDF)
Caption: IDF Observation unit soldiers monitor the Israel- Gaza border (IDF)