וְאַתָּה֙ שָׂ֣א קִינָ֔ה אֶל־נְשִׂיאֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ And you are to intone a dirge over the princes of Israel,
וְאָמַרְתָּ֗ מָ֤ה אִמְּךָ֙ לְבִיָּ֔א בֵּ֥ין אֲרָי֖וֹת רָבָ֑צָה בְּת֥וֹךְ כְּפִרִ֖ים רִבְּתָ֥ה גוּרֶֽיהָ׃ and say: What a lioness was your mother Among the lions! Crouching among the great beasts, She reared her cubs.
וַתַּ֛עַל אֶחָ֥ד מִגֻּרֶ֖יהָ כְּפִ֣יר הָיָ֑ה וַיִּלְמַ֥ד לִטְרָף־טֶ֖רֶף אָדָ֥ם אָכָֽל׃ She raised up one of her cubs, He became a great beast; He learned to hunt prey— He devoured men.
וַיִּשְׁמְע֥וּ אֵלָ֛יו גּוֹיִ֖ם בְּשַׁחְתָּ֣ם נִתְפָּ֑שׂ וַיְבִאֻ֥הוּ בַֽחַחִ֖ים אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ Nations heeded [the call] against him; He was caught in their snare. They dragged him off with hooks To the land of Egypt.
וַתֵּ֙רֶא֙ כִּ֣י נֽוֹחֲלָ֔ה אָבְדָ֖ה תִּקְוָתָ֑הּ וַתִּקַּ֛ח אֶחָ֥ד מִגֻּרֶ֖יהָ כְּפִ֥יר שָׂמָֽתְהוּ׃ When she saw herself frustrated, Her hope defeated, She took another of her cubs And set him up as a great beast.
וַיִּתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ בְּתוֹךְ־אֲרָי֖וֹת כְּפִ֣יר הָיָ֑ה וַיִּלְמַ֥ד לִטְרָף־טֶ֖רֶף אָדָ֥ם אָכָֽל׃ He stalked among the lions, He was a great beast; He learned to hunt prey— He devoured men.
וַיֵּ֙דַע֙ אַלְמְנוֹתָ֔יו וְעָרֵיהֶ֖ם הֶחֱרִ֑יב וַתֵּ֤שַׁם אֶ֙רֶץ֙ וּמְלֹאָ֔הּ מִקּ֖וֹל שַׁאֲגָתֽוֹ׃ He ravished their widows, Laid waste their cities; The land and all in it were appalled At the sound of his roaring.
וַיִּתְּנ֨וּ עָלָ֥יו גּוֹיִ֛ם סָבִ֖יב מִמְּדִינ֑וֹת וַֽיִּפְרְשׂ֥וּ עָלָ֛יו רִשְׁתָּ֖ם בְּשַׁחְתָּ֥ם נִתְפָּֽשׂ׃ Nations from the countries roundabout Arrayed themselves against him. They spread their net over him, He was caught in their snare.
וַֽיִּתְּנֻ֤הוּ בַסּוּגַר֙ בַּֽחַחִ֔ים וַיְבִאֻ֖הוּ אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֑ל יְבִאֻ֙הוּ֙ בַּמְּצֹד֔וֹת לְמַ֗עַן לֹא־יִשָּׁמַ֥ע קוֹל֛וֹ ע֖וֹד אֶל־הָרֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (פ) With hooks he was put in a cage, They carried him off to the king of Babylon And confined him in a fortress, So that never again should his roar be heard On the hills of Israel.
אִמְּךָ֥ כַגֶּ֛פֶן בְּדָמְךָ֖ עַל־מַ֣יִם שְׁתוּלָ֑ה פֹּֽרִיָּה֙ וַֽעֲנֵפָ֔ה הָיְתָ֖ה מִמַּ֥יִם רַבִּֽים׃ Your mother was like a vine in your blood, Planted beside streams, With luxuriant boughs and branches Thanks to abundant waters.
וַיִּֽהְיוּ־לָ֞הּ מַטּ֣וֹת עֹ֗ז אֶל־שִׁבְטֵי֙ מֹֽשְׁלִ֔ים וַתִּגְבַּ֥הּ קֽוֹמָת֖וֹ עַל־בֵּ֣ין עֲבֹתִ֑ים וַיֵּרָ֣א בְגָבְה֔וֹ בְּרֹ֖ב דָּלִיֹּתָֽיו׃ And she had a mighty rod Fit for a ruler’s scepter. It towered highest among the leafy trees, It was conspicuous by its height, By the abundance of its boughs.
וַתֻּתַּ֤שׁ בְּחֵמָה֙ לָאָ֣רֶץ הֻשְׁלָ֔כָה וְר֥וּחַ הַקָּדִ֖ים הוֹבִ֣ישׁ פִּרְיָ֑הּ הִתְפָּרְק֧וּ וְיָבֵ֛שׁוּ מַטֵּ֥ה עֻזָּ֖הּ אֵ֥שׁ אֲכָלָֽתְהוּ׃ But plucked up in a fury, She was hurled to the ground. The east wind withered her branches, They broke apart and dried up; And her mighty rod was consumed by fire.
וְעַתָּ֖ה שְׁתוּלָ֣ה בַמִּדְבָּ֑ר בְּאֶ֖רֶץ צִיָּ֥ה וְצָמָֽא׃ Now she is planted in the desert, In ground that is arid and parched.
וַתֵּצֵ֨א אֵ֜שׁ מִמַּטֵּ֤ה בַדֶּ֙יהָ֙ פִּרְיָ֣הּ אָכָ֔לָה וְלֹא־הָ֥יָה בָ֛הּ מַטֵּה־עֹ֖ז שֵׁ֣בֶט לִמְשׁ֑וֹל קִ֥ינָה הִ֖יא וַתְּהִ֥י לְקִינָֽה׃ (פ) Fire has issued from her twig-laden branch And has consumed her boughs, She is left without a mighty rod, A scepter to rule with. This is a dirge, and it has become a [familiar] dirge.