Discovering that time is short, the task long, and the Taskmaster demanding (Avot 2:15), small wonder that we arrange a blare of trumpets, a blast of the shofar, to awaken us to the passage of that precious, finite, irreversible measure of our lives.
According to Maimonides, the message of the shofar is precisely this:
Awake, O you sleepers, awake from your sleep!
O you slumberers, awake from your slumber!
Hence only we mortals, aware of our perishing, proclaim the passage of time; only we mortals, ringing bells, and sounding alarms, startle ourselves awake.
Happy, indeed, are those who comprehend in wakefulness the shofar’s sound.
From Mahzor Lev Shalem, pg. 95
(טו) מִן הַמֵּצַר קָרָֽאתִי יָהּ עָנָֽנִי בַּמֶּרְחַב יָהּ:
(יז) קוֹלִי שָׁמָֽעְתָּ אַל תַּעְלֵּם אָזְנְךָ לְרַוְחָתִי לְשַׁוְעָתִי:
(יח) רֹאשׁ דְּבָרְךָ אֱמֶת וּלְעוֹלָם כָּל מִשְׁפַּט צִדְקֶֽךָ:
(יט) עֲרוֹב עַבְדְּךָ לְטוֹב אַל יַעַשְׁקֻֽנִי זֵדִים:
(כ) שָׂשׂ אָנֹכִי עַל אִמְרָתֶֽךָ כְּמוֹצֵא שָׁלָל רָב:
(כא) טוּב טַֽעַם וָדַֽעַת לַמְּדֵֽנִי כִּי בְמִצְוֹתֶֽיךָ הֶאֱמָֽנְתִּי:
(כב) נִדְבוֹת פִּי רְצֵה נָא ה' וּמִשְׁפָּטֶֽיךָ לַמְּדֵֽנִי:
(15) From the narrowness I called to Yah, who answered me with the Divine spaciousness.
Min ha-meitzar karati Yah,
anani va-merchav Yah
(17) You have heard my voice; do not shut Your ear to my relief, to my cry.
Koli shamata,
al taleim ozn'kha l'ravchati l'shavati.
(18) The beginning of Your word is truth and forever are all Your righteous mandates.
Rosh d'var'kha emet,
u-l'olam kol mishpat tzidkecha.
(19) Be surety for Your servant for good let me not be oppressed by insolent sinners.
Arov avd'kha l'tov,
al ya'ashkuni zeidim.
(20) I am happy with Your word like one who finds great gain.
Sas anochi al imratekha,
k'motzei halal rav.
(21) Good Torah reasoning and knowledge teach me for in Your commandments I have believed.
Tuv ta-am va-da'at lam'deini,
ki v'mitzvotekha he'emanti.
(22) [With] the offerings of my mouth be pleased, I beseech You, Eternal One; and Your mandates, teach me.
Nidvot pri r'tzeih na Adonai,
u-v'mishpatekha lam'deni.
Bountiful are You, Eternal One, our God, Sovereign of the Universe who sanctified us with God's commandments and commanded us to hear the sound of the shofar.
(כו) בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹקֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהֶחֱיָֽנוּ וְקִיְּמָֽנוּ וְהִגִּיעָֽנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּֽה:
(26) Bountiful are You, Eternal One, our God, Sovereign of the Universe who has kept us alive and sustained us and brought us to this season.
(כז) תקיעה. שׁברים תרועה. תקיעה
(כח) תקיעה. שׁברים תרועה. תקיעה
(כט) תקיעה. שׁברים תרועה. תקיעה
(לא) תקיעה. שׁברים. תקיעה:
(לב) תקיעה. שׁברים. תקיעה:
(לג) תקיעה. שׁברים. תקיעה:
(לה) תקיעה. תרועה. תקיעה:
(לו) תקיעה. תרועה. תקיעה:
(לז) תקיעה. תרועה. תקיעה גדוֹלה:
(מא) אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם יוֹדְעֵי תְרוּעָה. ה' בְּאוֹר פָּנֶֽיךָ יְהַלֵּכוּן:
(מב) בְּשִׁמְךָ יְגִילוּן כָּל הַיּוֹם, וּבְצִדְקָתְךָ יָרֽוּמוּ:
(מג) כִּי תִּפְאֶֽרֶת עֻזָּֽמוֹ אָֽתָּה, וּבִרְצוֹנְךָ תָּרוּם קַרְנֵֽנוּ:
(מד) אַשְׁרֵי יוֹשְׁבֵי בֵיתֶֽךָ עוֹד יְהַלְלֽוּךָ סֶּֽלָה:
(41) Fortunate is the people that intimately know the call of teruah, Eternal One, in the light of Your Presence, they walk
(42) In Your Name they exult all the day and through Your righteousness, they are uplifted.
(43) For the glory of their might is You, and through Your favor, our horn is exalted.
(44) Fortunate are those who dwell in Your house; may they continue to praise You, Selah.