יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהַי לָכוֹף אֶת יִצְרִי הָאַכְזָרִי וְהַסְתֵּר פָּנֶיךָ מֵחֲטָאַי וּמֵאֲשָׁמָי. אַל תַּעֲלֵנִי בַּחֲצִי יָמָי: May it please Thee, O Lord my God, To subdue my fierce desire. O hide Thy face from my sins and trespasses, Do not carry me off in the midst of my days,
עַד אָכִין צָרְכִּי. לְדַרְכִּי. Until I shall have prepared what is needful for my wa
וְצֵדָתִי. לְיוֹם נְסִיעָתִי. And provender for the day of my journeying,
כִּי אִם אֵצֵא מֵעוֹלָמְךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר בָּאתִי. וְאָשׁוּב עָרֹם לִמְקוֹמִי כַּאֲשֶׁר יָצָאתִי. For if I go out of my world as I came, And return to my place, naked as I came forth,
לָמָּה נִבְרֵאתִי. וְלִרְאוֹת עָמָל נִקְרֵאתִי: Wherefore was I created And called to see sorrow?
טוֹב לִי עוֹד אֲנִי שָׁם. מִצֵּאתִי לְהַגְדִּיל פֶּשַׁע וּלְהַרְבּוֹת אָשָׁם: Better were it I had remained where I was Than to have come hither to increase and multiply sin.
אָנָּא הָאֱלֹהִים בְּמִדַּת רַחֲמֶיךָ שָׁפְטֵנִי. אַל בְּאַפְּךָ פֶּן תַּמְעִיטֵנִי: I beseech Thee, O God, judge me by Thine attribute of mercy, And not by Thine anger lest Thou wither me.
כִּי מָה הָאָדָם כִּי תְדִינֵהוּ. וְהֶבֶל נִדָּף אֵיךְ בְּמִשְׁקָל תְּבִיאֵהוּ. For what is man that Thou shouldst judge him? And how shalt Thou weigh a drifting vapour?
וּבַעֲלוֹתוֹ בְּמֹאזְנֵי מִשְׁקָל. לֹא יִכְבַּד וְלֹא יֵקָל. וּמַה יִסְכָּן לְךָ לַעֲשׂוֹת לָרוּחַ מִשְׁקָל: When Thou placest it in the balance, It shall be neither heavy nor light, And what shall it profit Thee to weigh the air?
מִיּוֹם הֱיוֹתוֹ הוּא נִגָּשׂ וְנַעֲנֶה. נָגוּעַ מֻכֶּה אֱלֹהִים וּמְעֻנֶּה: From the day of his birth man is hard-pressed and harrowed, "Stricken, smitten of God and afflicted."
רֵאשִׁיתוֹ מוֹת נֶהְדָּף. וְאַחֲרִיתוֹ קַשׁ נִדָּף. His youth is chaff driven in the wind, And his latter end is flying straw,
וּבְחַיָּיו כְּעֵשֶׂב נִשְׁדָּף. וְהָאֱלֹהִים יְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת נִרְדָּף: And his life withereth like a herb, And God joineth in hunting him.
מִיּוֹם צֵאתוֹ מֵרֶחֶם אִמּוֹ. יָגוֹן לֵילוֹ וַאֲנָחָה יוֹמוֹ: From the day he cometh forth from his mother's womb His night is sorrow and his day is sighing.
אִם הַיּוֹם יָרוּם. מָחָר תּוֹלָעִים יָרֻם: If to-day he is exalted, To-morrow he shall crawl with worms.
הַמּוֹץ יִדְּפֶנּוּ. וְהַקּוֹץ יִגָּפֶנּוּ: A grain of chaff putteth him to flight, And a thorn woundeth him.
אִם יִשְׂבַּע יִרְשַׁע. וְאִם יִרְעַב עַל פַּת לֶחֶם יִפְשָׁע: If he is sated, he waxeth wicked, And if he is hungry, he sinneth for a loaf of bread.
לִרְדֹּף הָעֹשֶׁר קַלּוּ נְשָׁרָיו. וְיִשְׁכַּח הַמָּוֶת וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו: His steps are swift to pursue riches, But he forgetteth Death, who is after him.
בְּעֵת הַמֵּצַר יֶרֶב אֲמָרָיו. וְיַחֲלִיק דְּבָרָיו. At the time he is straitened, he multiplieth his promises, And scattereth his words,
וְיַרְבֶּה נְדָרָיו. וּבְצֵאתוֹ לַמֶּרְחָב יַחֵל דְּבָרָיו. And is profuse in vows, But when he is enlarged, He keepeth back his word
וְיִשְׁכַּח נְדָרָיו. וִיחַזֵּק בְּרִיחֵי שְׁעָרָיו. and forgetteth his vows, And strengtheneth the bars of his gates,
וְהַמָּוֶת בַּחֲדָרָיו: While Death is in his chambers,
וְיַרְבֶּה שׁוֹמְרִים מִכָּל עֵבֶר. וְהָאוֹרֵב יוֹשֵׁב לוֹ בַּחֶדֶר. And he increaseth guards in every quarter While the foe lieth ambushed in his very apartment.
וְהַזְּאֵב לֹא יַעְצְרֶנּוּ גָּדֵר. מִבֹּא אֶל הָעֵדֶר: As for the wolf, the fence shall not restrain it From coming to the flock.
בָּא וְלֹא יֵדַע לָמָּה. וְיִשְׂמַח וְלֹא יֵדַע בַּמָּה. וִיחִי וְלֹא יֵדַע כַּמָּה: Man entereth the world, And knoweth not why, And rejoiceth, And knoweth not wherefore, And liveth, And knoweth not how long.
בְּיַלְדוּתוֹ. הוֹלֵךְ בִּשְׁרִירוּתוֹ. In his childhood he walketh in his own stubbornness,
וְכַאֲשֶׁר תָּחֵל רוּחַ יְיָ לְפַעֲמוֹ. יִתְעוֹרֵר לֶאֱסֹף חַיִל וָהוֹן וְיִסַּע מִמְּקוֹמוֹ. And when the spirit of lust beginneth in its season To stir him up to gather power and wealth, Then he journeyeth from his place
לִרְכֹּב אֳנִיּוֹת. וְלִרְדֹּף בַּצִּיּוֹת. To ride in ships And to tread the deserts,
וּלְהָבִיא נַפְשׁוֹ בִּמְעוֹנוֹת אֲרָיוֹת. וְהִיא מִתְהַלֶּכֶת בֵּין הַחַיּוֹת: And to carry his life to dens of lions, Adventuring it among wild beasts;
וּבְחָשְׁבוֹ כִּי רַב הוֹדוֹ. וְכִי כַבִּיר מָצְאָה יָדוֹ: And when he imagineth that great is his glory And that mighty is the spoil of his hand,
בַּשָּׁלוֹם שׁוֹדֵד יְבוֹאֶנּוּ. וְעֵינָיו פָּקַח וְאֵינֶנּוּ: Quietly stealeth the spoiler upon him, And his eyes are opened and there is naught.
בְּכָל עֵת הוּא מְזֻמָּן לַתְּלָאוֹת. חוֹלְפוֹת וּבָאוֹת. At every moment he is destined to troubles, That pass and return,
וּבְכָל שָׁעוֹת מְאֹרָעוֹת: And at every hour evils,
בְּכָל הָרְגָעִים. לִפְגָעִים. And at every moment chances,
וּבְכָל הַיָּמִים. עָלָיו אֵימִים: And on every day terrors.
אִם רֶגַע יַעֲמֹד בְּשַׁלְוָה. פֶּתַע תְּבוֹאֵהוּ הֹוָה: If for an instant he stand in security, Suddenly disaster will come upon him,
אוֹ בְּמִלְחָמָה יָבֹא וְחֶרֶב תִּגָּפֵהוּ. אוֹ קֶשֶׁת נְחוּשָׁה תַּחְלְפֵהוּ: Either war shall come and the sword will smite him, Or the bow of brass transpierce him;
אוֹ יַקִּיפוּהוּ יְגוֹנִים. יִשְׁטְפוּהוּ מַיִם זֵידוֹנִים. Or sorrows will overpower him, Or the presumptuous billows flow over him,
אוֹ יִמְצָאוּהוּ חֳלָיִים רָעִים וְנֶאֱמָנִים: Or sickness and steadfast evils shall find him,
עַד יִהְיֶה לְמַשָּׂא עַל נַפְשׁוֹ. וְיִמְצָא מְרוֹרַת פְּתָנִים בְּדִבְשׁוֹ: Till he becometh a burden on his own soul, And shall find the gall of serpents in his honey.
וּבְעֵת כְּאֵבוֹ יִגְדַּל. שִׂכְלוֹ יִדַּל: And when his pain increaseth His glory decreaseth,
וּנְעָרִים יִתְקַלְּסוּ בוֹ. וְתַעֲלוּלִים יִמְשְׁלוּ בוֹ: And youths make mock of him, And infants rule him,
וְיִהְיֶה לְטֹרַח עַל יוֹצְאֵי מֵעָיו. וְיִתְנַכְּרוּ לוֹ כָּל יוֹדְעָיו: And he becometh a burden to the issue of his loins, And all who know him become estranged from him.
וּבְבֹא עִתּוֹ יֵצֵא מֵחֲצֵרָיו לַחֲצַר מָוֶת. וּמִצֵּל חֲדָרָיו לְצַלְמָוֶת: And when his hour hath come, he passeth from the courts of his house to the court of Death, And from the shadow of his chambers to the shadow of Death.
וְיִפְשַׁט רִקְמָה וְתוֹלָע. וְיִלְבַּשׁ רִמָּה וְתוֹלָע: And he shall strip off his broidery and his scarlet And shall put on corruption and the worm,
וְלֶעָפָר יִשְׁכַּב. וְיָשׁוּב אֶל יְסוֹדוֹ אֲשֶׁר מִמֶּנּוּ חֻצָּב: And lie down in the dust And return to the foundation from which he came.
וּלְאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר אֵלֶּה לוֹ מָתַי יִמְצָא עֵת תְּשׁוּבָה. לִרְחֹץ חֶלְאַת מְשׁוּבָה. And man, whom these things befall, When shall he find a time for repentance To scour away the rust of his perversion?
וְהַיּוֹם קָצֵר וְהַמְּלָאכָה מְרֻבָּה: For the day is short and the work manifold,
וְהַנּוֹגְשִׂים אָצִים. חָשִׁים וְרָצִים. And the task-masters irate, Hurrying and scurrying,
וְהַזְּמַן מִמֶּנּוּ שׂוֹחֵק. וּבַעַל הַבַּיִת דּוֹחֵק: And Time laughs at him And the Master of the House presses.
לָכֵן נָא אֱלֹהַי זְכוֹר אֵלֶּה הַתְּלָאוֹת. אֲשֶׁר עַל אָדָם בָּאוֹת: Therefore I beseech Thee, O my God, Remember the distresses that come upon man,
וְאִם אֲנִי הֲרֵעוֹתִי. אַתָּה תֵיטִיב אַחֲרִיתִי: And if I have done evil Do Thou me good at my latter end,
וְאַל תִּגְמֹל מִדָּה בְּמִדָּה. לְאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר עֲוֹנוֹתָיו בְּלִי מִדָּה. Nor requite measure for measure To man whose sins are measureless,
וּבְמוֹתוֹ יֵלֵךְ בְּלִי חֶמְדָּה: And whose death is a joyless departure.