איכה
Lamentations
Five acrostics on the fall of Jerusalem. The alphabet is visible down the page.
The opening
אֵיכָה ׀ יָשְׁבָה בָדָד הָעִיר רַבָּתִי עָם הָיְתָה כְּאַלְמָנָה רַּבָּתִי בַגּוֹיִם שָׂרָתִי בַּמְּדִינוֹת הָיְתָה לָמַֽס׃ (ס)
How can it be that she sits in isolation the city teeming with people has become like a widow? Immense among nations, noble among provinces—she has become a payer of tribute.
בָּכוֹ תִבְכֶּה בַּלַּיְלָה וְדִמְעָתָהּ עַל לֶֽחֱיָהּ אֵֽין־לָהּ מְנַחֵם מִכָּל־אֹהֲבֶיהָ כָּל־רֵעֶיהָ בָּגְדוּ בָהּ הָיוּ לָהּ לְאֹיְבִֽים׃ (ס)
She weeps bitterly in the night, her tear on her cheek. No one consoles her, among all her lovers. All of her friends have betrayed her, they have become her enemies.
Translation
- The Metsudah Five Megillot, Lakewood, N.J., 2001Metsudah Publications, Lakewood N.J.A linear translation, made to be read beside the Hebrew.CC-BY
1405 words, about 11 minutes of reading.
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