To the Preeminent Musician

The Superintendent of Temple Services

To be performed to “Hind of the Dawning Light”

 

A Mizmor of David

(Psalm 22)

 

Eli,

Eli!

lamah a-zab-tani!

 

My EL,

My EL!

Why did You let me go?

Why did You desert me?

I am cast away,

Forsaken;

Why are You so distant, so remote?

You are my Yeshuah,

Why are You so far

From my cries of grief?

 

O, my ALOHIM,

From the rising of the sun

Until the going down thereof,

I cry aloud,

Weeping;

But You do not respond.

You do not answer tunefully.

Lailah—

The night terror—

Approaches!

I exist,

But not eased from pain,

I wait in silent anticipation.

 

Qodesh,

Eternal One,

YAHUWAH,

You Exist,

You inhabit

The tehilliym—

The praises

And the hymns of adoration,

Of Yashar’EL.

 

Our fathers threw their cares

Upon Your back:

They were carried to safety;

They were made secure;

You rescued them.

 

They gathered themselves,

They made a proclamation.

They called out

Unto the Power and the Authority.

They had confidence.

Their hope and their expectation

Did not fail.

 

‘Anoki tola—

I am a crimson maggot,

A grub worm,

Not a man,

I am scorned and despised

By ‘A-dam;

I am held in contempt

And considered worthless

By the people.

 

All who observe me

Stammer mockingly

In a foreign language.

They open their mouths wide,

And from their lips

Words burst forth

Like a spray of water.

They totter back and forth;

They stagger as drunkards.

Their leader and prince mocks:

“He commited all His concerns

Unto the Power and Authority

Of EL YAHUWAH!

Surely, He will snatch Him away

Like plunder,

Surely, He will bend Himself

Toward Him

And will rescue Him,

Since EL YAHUWAH favors Him.”

 

But You did cause Me to issue forth

From the inmost part,

From the womb of my mother;

As when I rested upon my mother’s breast,

You made Me secure,

I feared nothing.

I experienced Your authority.

 

When I was cast forth

From the place

Where I was conceived

And nurtured,

Even from thence,

You are my EL.

 

Do not be distant from me,

Apart from the whole;

Do not withdraw

As a stranger before my face.

My enemy draws near,

And I am in distress.

I have no one to come along beside me;

I have no Helper.

 

Ferocious bulls surround me,

Pacing,

Stamping,

Circling.

The great ones,

The chief nobles of Bashan,

Are crowned with impudence,

Encompass me about.

Their mouths gape at me.

They roar as a lion

Before fresh meat,

Ready to feed,

To tear into pieces.

My life is expended,

Poured out like water.

My bones are stretched,

Out of joint.

My midsection,

My internal organs,

My heart exists like wax,

Melted before the fire.

 

My strength,

My power and might,

Have withered like an earthen vessel,

Standing alone,

Discarded,

Having no value;

And my tongue

Sticks to the roof of my mouth.

You have put me here,

You have placed me

In the dust

Of the grave,

The abode of the dead.

 

They march around me,

This pack of dogs,

Barking,

Half-famished,

Without a master.

The gathering noise

Rushes at me.

This company of wrong-doers

Cleave together.

Circling,

Ready to wound,

To dig hands and feet.

They bargain for my mantle.

 

I recount my bones,

I scribe their number.

They, My enemies,

Look upon Me with pleasure;

Indeed, they enjoy the sight.

My covering cloth

They divide;

And, as for My splendid garment,

They cast down pebbles

To disperse.

 

But You, O YAHUWAH,

Do not be distant from me.

You are My Fortitude

And My Strength.

Be swift to help me.

 

Snatch Me away like plunder.

Rescue My nephesh–

The living, breathing essence

Of Self–

From the hands

Of these barkers:

Your yahid–

Your Only Begotten Son–

From the strength

Of dogs.

 

Yasha!

Save me from the mouth of the lion,

Answer tunefully–

Deliver me

From the horns

Of the wild bulls.

 

I will inscribe Your name

To my kindred;

I will recount

Your character

In the midst

Of the congregation

Of Yashar’EL.

HalleluYAH!

I will praise You!

 

Reverence YAHUWAH,

You who shine forth,

Fear Him,

With clear, brilliant sound:

Ellell!

HalleluYAH!

All you offspring of Ya’aqob!

Make heavy with honor

And fear before Him,

You who sojourn

In the ways of Yashar’EL!

 

For YAHUWAH has not despised,

Nor has HE made light of,

He has not counted as contaminated

The outcries and lamentation

Of the poor and afflicted,

The humble and wretched.

He has not hidden His face

From those who implore His Help.

When the poor ones cried

Unto EL YAHUWAH,

He paid attention.

He made proclamation.

 

My tephilliym–

My praises draw near to You–

In the great congregation

Of Yashar’EL

My voluntary gifts

I will make good,

I will perform what I have spoken

Before those who reverence You.

 

As water upon the parched land,

The poor and needy shall eat

And be satisfied.

HalleluYAH!

Praise YAHUWAH!

You shall enquire

Of Him,

You shall tread

His courts.

He Will Exist

In your heart

Perpetually.

 

Bring to remembrance

And turn back

Unto EL YAHUWAH.

From the extreme limits

Of ha’eretz–

The earth–

Stoop and bow down

Before His Faces,

You tribes of goyim,

You nations

Who walk outside His paths.

 

For the kingdom

And the dominion

Belong unto YAHUWAH;

All power and authority?

His.

The leadership and right-ruling?

His also—

Both of the people

Who walk in covenant

And the goyim,

Who do not.

 

All have eaten

And have grown fat.

They bow themselves down,

They cast themselves

Even unto the dust

Before His Faces,

And their nephesh

None can continue to exist.

 

A scattered seed will work,

They will become fatigued in service.

ADONAI will inscribe their numbers

And He will reckon

This time period

As a generation.

 

A generation shall come

And they will bring into sight

His correct path,

The Way of YAHUWAH.

Unto those who are brought forth.

He, the Self-Existent, Eternal One,

Shall accomplish it!