4 Comments

"We need this prayer to be answered. Now."

Has this supernatural ever answered? Is there one?

Expand full comment

Haunting and beautiful. Thank you for bringing us things we otherwise might not know about. You do such important work.

Expand full comment

The word “איכה” = How? Is the word that begins almost every chapter of the Book of Lamentations. This kinah, which can be translated as a dirge or elegy, echoes that same construct.

Thank you so much for bringing this haunting poem/kinah to our collective consciousness.

Expand full comment

Haunting Kinat Be’eri

Lyrics in Hebrew

Lyrics

אֵיכָה בְּאֵרִי / הָפְכָה לְקִבְרִי

וְיוֹם מְאוֹרִי / הָפַךְ שְׁחוֹרִי

וְהֻשְׁחַת כָּל פְּרִי / וְנֶהְפַּךְ שִׁירִי

עֵינִי נוֹבְעָה מַיִם / מֵעֹמֶק שִׁבְרִי

אֵיכָה תּוֹרָה / עֲרוּכָה וּסְדוּרָה

וְכָל פְּאֵרָהּ / לֹא עָמַד לְעֶזְרָה

וּבְיוֹם הֲדָרָהּ / הֻשְׁחַת תָּאֳרִי

עֵינִי נוֹבְעָה מַיִם / מֵעֹמֶק שִׁבְרִי

אֵיכָה יִשְׂרָאֵל / בְּיוֹם קְרוֹא אֵל

וְחַיִּים שׁוֹאֵל / וּמְהוּמָה קִבֵּל

זָקֵן וְעוֹלֵל / בְּדַם מִתְגּוֹלֵל

וְחַגּוֹ חִלֵּל / אוֹיֵב אַכְזָרִי

עֵינִי נוֹבְעָה מַיִם / מֵעֹמֶק שִׁבְרִי

אֵיכָה אִמָּהוֹת / וִילָדוֹת וּנְעָרוֹת

בִּשְׁבִי מוּלָכוֹת / כְּבִימֵי פְרָעוֹת

וְנִפְרְצוּ גִּדְרוֹת / צֹאן יְשָׁרוֹת

וּפָסְקוּ מְחוֹלוֹת / וּנְגִינוֹת מְשׁוֹרְרִי

עֵינִי נוֹבְעָה מַיִם / מֵעֹמֶק שִׁבְרִי

וְאֵיכָה אֶתְמַהּ / בּוֹרֵא רוּמָה

עַד אָן אֻמָּה / תִּהְיֶה מְהוּמָה

עַד אָן קוֹמָה / תֻּשְׁפַּל אֲדָמָה

וְעַתָּה קוּמָה / לְהָאִיר נֵרִי

וּבְעֵין רַחֲמֶיךָ / תְּרַפֵּא שִׁבְרִי

וְעֵינִי הַנּוֹבַעַת / תַּשְׁקֶה בְּאֵרִי

Translation from Google Translate

Lyrics

How is my fire / turned into my grave

And a Maori day / turned black

And every fruit was washed / and my song was turned

My eyes spring from water / from the depths of my heart

How is the Torah / edited and arranged

And every beauty / did not stand for help

And on the day of exclusion / destruction of your titles

My eyes spring from water / from the depths of my heart

How is Israel / on a day called to God

And life he asks / and chaos he received

Old and old / with blood flowing

And his feast was violated / a cruel enemy

My eyes spring from water / from the depths of my heart

How are mothers / girls and teenagers

In the captivity of kingdoms / like wild beasts

And fences were broken / straight sheep

and pasku mholot / and musical instruments poets

My eyes spring from water / from the depths of my heart

And how will I die / Creator of Ruma

Until there is no nation / there will be a riot

Until there is no height / the earth will be brought low

And now it rises / to light candles

and in the eye of your mercy / heal my brokenness

And my emanating eyes / will drink in my fire

Expand full comment