(יב) ארבע אש ממים
חקק וחצב בה כסא הכבוד
שרפים ואופנים וחיות הקודש ומלאכי השרת
ומשלשתן יסד מעונו
שנאמר עושה מלאכיו רוחות משרתיו אש לוהט:
(12) Four—He carved Fire from Water,
and with it He hewed the Throne of the Glory,
and the Wheels, and the Fiery Serpents, and the Holy Creatures, and the Ministering Angels.
And from the three of them He founded His Abode,
as is said, “He makes the winds His angels and burning fire His ministers”.
(יב) ארבע אש ממים
חקק וחצב בה כסא הכבוד
וכל צבא מרום
שכך כתוב
עשה מלכיו רוחות
משרתיו אש לוהט:
(12) Four—Fire from Water.
He engraved and carved in Her
the Throne of the Glory
and all the heavenly hosts,
for so it is written:
He makes the winds of His messengers,
and flaming fire His ministers.
Translation by Rabbi Jill Hammer
by Mark Strand
for Ros Krauss
as it gets cold and gray falls from the air
that you will go on
walking, hearing
the same tune no matter where
you find yourself—
inside the dome of dark
or under the cracking white
of the moon's gaze in a valley of snow.
Tonight as it gets cold
tell yourself
what you know which is nothing
but the tune your bones play
as you keep going. And you will be able
for once to lie down under the small fire
of winter stars.
And if it happens that you cannot
go on or turn back
and you find yourself
where you will be at the end,
tell yourself
in that final flowing of cold through your limbs
that you love what you are.