קְבֵלְתָּא דְּלִבָּאִי | Qevelta de-Liba'i (My Heart's Lament), by Asher Hillel Burstein • the Open Siddur Project

Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., Aramaic, heartbreak, lamentation, זמירות zemirot

Excerpt: Qevelta de-Liba'i ("My Heart's Lament") is a melancholy song I wrote in Targumic Judeo-Aramaic in 2010. This piece is an existential peek into an old man's private moment. He looks in the mirror and waxes wistful, longing for his bygone youth. . . .

Content:

Qevelta de-Liba’i (“My Heart’s Lament”) is a melancholy song I wrote in Targumic Judeo-Aramaic in 2010. This piece is an existential peek into an old man’s private moment. He looks in the mirror and waxes wistful, longing for his bygone youth.

Source (Judeo-Aramaic)	Translation (English)
אֵימָא לִי טַלְיָא, אֵימָא אֵימָא לִי טַלְיָא. מִי חֲזֵיתָא אַפַּי יוֹמָא דֵּין? מִי חֲזֵיתָא אַפַּי? אִינְּהוּ אִיעֲצִיבוּ לַחֲדָא אֲרֵי בְּחַרְתְּ אַחֲרִינָא. וְיָתִי, וְיָתִי תָּרֵיכְתְּ מִלִבָּךְ.	Tell me, boy, tell me Tell me, boy. Have you seen my face today? Have you seen my face? It has become very sad Because you have chosen another. And me, and me You have driven from your heart.
אֵימָא לִי טַלְיָא, אֵימָא אֵימָא לִי טַלְיָא. שְׁבַקְתְּ יָתִי יְחִידַי בְּעָלְמָא שְׁבַקְתְּ יָתִי יְחִידַי. וּזְמַר דִּילִי הֲוָה לִילָלָא עֵינִי זַלְגָּת דִּמְעָן. בְּרַם לִמְחַר יְקוּם לִי נְהוֹר וְעֲתִיד שִׁמְשָׁא לְאַנְהָרָא.	Tell me, boy, tell me Tell me, boy. You have left me alone in the world You have left me alone. And my song has become a lament My eye sheds tears. But tomorrow a light will rise for me And the sun will yet shine.

Source (Judeo-Aramaic)

Translation (English)

אֵימָא לִי טַלְיָא, אֵימָא
אֵימָא לִי טַלְיָא.
מִי חֲזֵיתָא אַפַּי יוֹמָא דֵּין?
מִי חֲזֵיתָא אַפַּי?
אִינְּהוּ אִיעֲצִיבוּ לַחֲדָא
אֲרֵי בְּחַרְתְּ אַחֲרִינָא.
וְיָתִי, וְיָתִי
תָּרֵיכְתְּ מִלִבָּךְ.

Tell me, boy, tell me
Tell me, boy.
Have you seen my face today?
Have you seen my face?
It has become very sad
Because you have chosen another.
And me, and me
You have driven from your heart.

אֵימָא לִי טַלְיָא, אֵימָא
אֵימָא לִי טַלְיָא.
שְׁבַקְתְּ יָתִי יְחִידַי בְּעָלְמָא
שְׁבַקְתְּ יָתִי יְחִידַי.
וּזְמַר דִּילִי הֲוָה לִילָלָא
עֵינִי זַלְגָּת דִּמְעָן.
בְּרַם לִמְחַר יְקוּם לִי נְהוֹר
וְעֲתִיד שִׁמְשָׁא לְאַנְהָרָא.

Tell me, boy, tell me
Tell me, boy.
You have left me alone in the world
You have left me alone.
And my song has become a lament
My eye sheds tears.
But tomorrow a light will rise for me
And the sun will yet shine.

Qevelta de-Liba’i (“My Heart’s Lament”) was written by Asher Hillel Burstein in Targumic Judeo-Aramaic in 2010.