A Lonely Few Say
By Avraham Ben Yitzhak
Translated by A.Z. Foreman
Click here to hear me recite the Hebrew
"Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge"
-Psalms [19:2]
Day unto day leaves a dimmed sun, and leaves;
And night mourns for night all night long
And summer after summer is gathered up with fall's leaves
And the world in its sorrow gives song
And tomorrow we shall die with word no more in us
And shall stand at the gate at its closing, as on our last of days,1
And the heart rejoicing - for God has drawn us close-
Shall tremble in fear of betrayal and repent of its ways.
Day unto day bears a burning sun westward
And night after night lifts stars to atone.
On the lips of a lonely few, poetry pauses.
We part seven ways and return by the One.2
Notes:
1- An echo of a phrase from the prayer that concludes the Yom Kippur service- "Open for us the gate at the time of the closing of gates, unto which the day has turned"
2- An allusion to the invocation Shma Israel, wherein God is referred to as "the One."
The Original:
By Avraham Ben Yitzhak
Translated by A.Z. Foreman
Click here to hear me recite the Hebrew
"Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge"
-Psalms [19:2]
Day unto day leaves a dimmed sun, and leaves;
And night mourns for night all night long
And summer after summer is gathered up with fall's leaves
And the world in its sorrow gives song
And tomorrow we shall die with word no more in us
And shall stand at the gate at its closing, as on our last of days,1
And the heart rejoicing - for God has drawn us close-
Shall tremble in fear of betrayal and repent of its ways.
Day unto day bears a burning sun westward
And night after night lifts stars to atone.
On the lips of a lonely few, poetry pauses.
We part seven ways and return by the One.2
Notes:
1- An echo of a phrase from the prayer that concludes the Yom Kippur service- "Open for us the gate at the time of the closing of gates, unto which the day has turned"
2- An allusion to the invocation Shma Israel, wherein God is referred to as "the One."
The Original:
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This poem can work about as well either in Sephardic or in Ashkenazi pronunciation.
The Sephardic (which is what I use in the recording)
The Sephardic (which is what I use in the recording)
Bodedim Omrim
Avraham Ben Yits?ak
Yom leyom yan?il ��me� do?�xet
Vel�yla ?al l�yla yekonen
Vek�yits a?ar k�yits ye'asef ba�al�xet
Ve?olam mitsa?aro mitronen
Uma?ar namut ve'eyn hadiber b�nu
Uxyom tset�nu na?amod lifney ��?ar ?im ne?ila
Velev ki ya?aloz: hen elohim kerv�nu
Vihitne?am ve?arad mip�?ad hame?ila.
Yom leyom yisa ��me� bo?�ret
Vel�yla a?ar l�yla yi�pox koxavim,
?al siftey bodedim �ira ne?ets�ret:
be��va? draxim nitpaleg uve'a?ad �nu �avim.
Ashkenazi:
Boydedim �ymrim
Yoym leyoym y�nxil ��me� doy�xes
Vel�ylo al l�ylo yek�yneyn.
Vek�yits �xar k�yits yey�seyf ba�al�xes
Ve�ylom mits�roy yisr�yneyn.
Um�hor n�mus veyn had�beyr b�nu
Uxy�ym tseys�ynu n�moyd l�fney �aar im n�lo
Veleyv ki y�loyz: heyn el�yhim keyrv�nu
Vehisn�xom vex�rad mip�xad ham�lo.
Yoym leyoym y�so ��me� boy�res
Vel�ylo �xar l�ylo y�poyx koyx�vim,
al s�fsey boydedim ��ro neets�res
Be��va dr�xim nisp�leyg uv�xod �nu ��vim.
Ashkenazi:
Boydedim �ymrim
Yoym leyoym y�nxil ��me� doy�xes
Vel�ylo al l�ylo yek�yneyn.
Vek�yits �xar k�yits yey�seyf ba�al�xes
Ve�ylom mits�roy yisr�yneyn.
Um�hor n�mus veyn had�beyr b�nu
Uxy�ym tseys�ynu n�moyd l�fney �aar im n�lo
Veleyv ki y�loyz: heyn el�yhim keyrv�nu
Vehisn�xom vex�rad mip�xad ham�lo.
Yoym leyoym y�so ��me� boy�res
Vel�ylo �xar l�ylo y�poyx koyx�vim,
al s�fsey boydedim ��ro neets�res
Be��va dr�xim nisp�leyg uv�xod �nu ��vim.
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