(ט) אֵלֶ֣יךָ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֶקְרָ֑א וְאֶל־אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י אֶתְחַנָּֽן׃ (י) מַה־בֶּ֥צַע בְּדָמִי֮ בְּרִדְתִּ֢י אֶ֫ל־שָׁ֥חַת הֲיוֹדְךָ֥ עָפָ֑ר הֲיַגִּ֥יד אֲמִתֶּֽךָ׃ (יא) שְׁמַע־יְהֹוָ֥ה וְחׇנֵּ֑נִי יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה הֱֽיֵה־עֹזֵ֥ר לִֽי׃
to my Lord I made appeal, (10) “What is to be gained from my death,
from my descent into the Pit?
Can dust praise You?
Can it declare Your faithfulness? (11) Hear, O LORD, and have mercy on me;
O LORD, be my help!”
create in me a steadfast spirit.
My eyes flow with tears:
Far from me is any comforter
Who might revive my spirit;
My children are forlorn,
For the foe has prevailed.
At the beginning of the watches,
Pour out your heart like water
In the presence of the Lord!
Lift up your hands to Him
For the life of your infants,
Who faint for hunger
At every street corner.
(א) עַ֥ל נַהֲר֨וֹת ׀ בָּבֶ֗ל שָׁ֣ם יָ֭שַׁבְנוּ גַּם־בָּכִ֑ינוּ בְּ֝זׇכְרֵ֗נוּ אֶת־צִיּֽוֹן׃ (ב) עַֽל־עֲרָבִ֥ים בְּתוֹכָ֑הּ תָּ֝לִ֗ינוּ כִּנֹּרוֹתֵֽינוּ׃ (ג) כִּ֤י שָׁ֨ם שְֽׁאֵל֪וּנוּ שׁוֹבֵ֡ינוּ דִּבְרֵי־שִׁ֭יר וְתוֹלָלֵ֣ינוּ שִׂמְחָ֑ה שִׁ֥ירוּ לָ֝֗נוּ מִשִּׁ֥יר צִיּֽוֹן׃ (ד) אֵ֗יךְ נָשִׁ֥יר אֶת־שִׁיר־יְהֹוָ֑ה עַ֝֗ל אַדְמַ֥ת נֵכָֽר׃ (ה) אִֽם־אֶשְׁכָּחֵ֥ךְ יְֽרוּשָׁלָ֗͏ִם תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח יְמִינִֽי׃ (ו) תִּדְבַּֽק־לְשׁוֹנִ֨י ׀ לְחִכִּי֮ אִם־לֹ֢א אֶ֫זְכְּרֵ֥כִי אִם־לֹ֣א אַ֭עֲלֶה אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלַ֑͏ִם עַ֝֗ל רֹ֣אשׁ שִׂמְחָתִֽי׃ (ז) זְכֹ֤ר יְהֹוָ֨ה ׀ לִבְנֵ֬י אֱד֗וֹם אֵת֮ י֤וֹם יְֽר֫וּשָׁלָ֥͏ִם הָ֭אֹ֣מְרִים עָ֤רוּ ׀ עָ֑רוּ עַ֝֗ד הַיְס֥וֹד בָּֽהּ׃ (ח) בַּת־בָּבֶ֗ל הַשְּׁד֫וּדָ֥ה אַשְׁרֵ֥י שֶׁיְשַׁלֶּם־לָ֑ךְ אֶת־גְּ֝מוּלֵ֗ךְ שֶׁגָּמַ֥לְתְּ לָֽנוּ׃ (ט) אַשְׁרֵ֤י ׀ שֶׁיֹּאחֵ֓ז וְנִפֵּ֬ץ אֶֽת־עֹ֝לָלַ֗יִךְ אֶל־הַסָּֽלַע׃ {פ}
(1) By the rivers of Babylon,
there we sat,
sat and wept,
as we thought of Zion. (2) There on the poplars
we hung up our lyres, (3) for our captors asked us there for songs,
our tormentors, for amusement:
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” (4) How can we sing a song of the LORD
on alien soil? (5) If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand wither; (6) let my tongue stick to my palate
if I cease to think of you,
if I do not keep Jerusalem in memory
even at my happiest hour.
(7) Remember, O LORD, against the Edomites
the day of Jerusalem’s fall;
how they cried, “Strip her, strip her
to her very foundations!” (8) Fair Babylon, you predator,
a blessing on him who repays you in kind
what you have inflicted on us; (9) a blessing on him who seizes your babies
and dashes them against the rocks!
(יט) אַתָּ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ לְעוֹלָ֣ם תֵּשֵׁ֔ב כִּסְאֲךָ֖ לְד֥וֹר וָדֽוֹר׃ (כ) לָ֤מָּה לָנֶ֙צַח֙ תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֔נוּ תַּֽעַזְבֵ֖נוּ לְאֹ֥רֶךְ יָמִֽים׃
Because of these our eyes are dimmed: (18) Because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate;
Jackals prowl over it.
(19) But You, O LORD, are enthroned forever,
Your throne endures through the ages. (20) Why have You forgotten us utterly,
Forsaken us for all time?
And let us come back;
Renew our days as of old!
Agree on action—it shall not succeed.
For with us is God!
May the Temple be rebuilt; the City of Tziyon replenished; there shall we sing a new song, with joyous singing ascend;
(מה) לְמִקְדָּשֵׁךְ תּוּב וּלְקֹדֶשׁ קֻדְשִׁין.
(מז) אֲתַר דִּי בֵיהּ יֶחֱדוּן רוּחִין וְנַפְשִׁין.
(מט) וִיזַמְּרוּן לָךְ שִׁירִין וְרַחֲשִׁין.
(נא) בִּירוּשַׁלֵם קַרְתָּא דְשׁוּפְרַיָּא.
To Your Sanctuary return and to the Holy of Holies, the place where spirits and souls will rejoice and utter songs and praises to You - in Jerusalem, city of beauty.