This sheet on Exodus 2 was written by Yakov Azriel for 929 and can also be found here
“When she [Yocheved, Moses’ mother] could no longer hide him, she took an ark made of papyrus for him, and lined it with clay and pitch; she placed the child inside and put it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile.” (Exodus 2:3)
Yocheved:
Lullaby,
Hush, don’t cry,
The reeds and water will shelter you;
Lullaby,
Hush, don’t cry,
My son, my
Little goat that Abba bought for two pennies.
No cat will scratch you,
No dog will bite you,
No stick will beat you.
The reeds and water will guard you,
I swear.
My son, may you grow to be a scholar,
The letters of the Torah —
The raisons and almonds you’ll eat;
Its verses — your milk,
Its words — your honey.
Lullaby,
Hush, don’t cry,
My son, my yingele.
How can I hide you?
How can I hold you?
The reeds and water have sworn
To watch over and guide you
To a haven.
Pharaoh’s daughter:
Lullaby,
Hush, don’t cry.
The reeds and water have sheltered you and brought you to me,
Little one.
No fire will burn you,
No ox will gore you,
No butcher, no angel of death will snatch you,
By the reeds and water I swear.
Little one,
My only one,
May you grow to learn wisdom,
To understand
Why the reeds whisper God’s praises as they bend in prayer,
Why the water purifies them with God’s grace,
Why He has given you
To me.
Lullaby,
Hush, don’t cry.
May I hold you?
May I have you?
My little one,
My little son,
By the reeds and water I swear
To watch over and guide you
To the heavens.
Yakov Azriel is an English language poet who lives in Israel
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