א׳
עַ֥ל נַהֲר֨וֹת ׀ בָּבֶ֗ל שָׁ֣ם יָ֭שַׁבְנוּ גַּם־בָּכִ֑ינוּ בְּ֝זָכְרֵ֗נוּ אֶת־צִיּֽוֹן׃
1
By the rivers of Babylon,
there we sat,
sat and wept,
as we thought of Zion.
1
By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept, When we remembered Zion.
עַל נַהֲרוֹת בָּבֶל שָׁם יָשַׁבְנוּ. כְּשֶׁיָּרַדְנוּ לַגּוֹלָה, וּשְׁאָלָם נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר שֶׁיָּשִׁירוּ לוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיוּ מְשׁוֹרְרִין עַל הַדּוּכָן (פסיקתא רבתי לא):
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat when we went down into exile, and Nebuchadnezzar asked them to sing for him as they used to sing on the stage.
ב׳
עַֽל־עֲרָבִ֥ים בְּתוֹכָ֑הּ תָּ֝לִ֗ינוּ כִּנֹּרוֹתֵֽינוּ׃
2
There on the poplars
we hung up our lyres,
2
Upon the willows in the midst thereof We hanged up our harps.
עַל עֲרָבִים. עַרְבֵי נַחַל (ויקרא כג:מ):
On willows Willows of the brook.
ג׳
כִּ֤י שָׁ֨ם שְֽׁאֵל֪וּנוּ שׁוֹבֵ֡ינוּ דִּבְרֵי־שִׁ֭יר וְתוֹלָלֵ֣ינוּ שִׂמְחָ֑ה שִׁ֥ירוּ לָ֝֗נוּ מִשִּׁ֥יר צִיּֽוֹן׃
3
for our captors asked us there for songs,
our tormentors, for amusement:
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”
3
For there they that led us captive asked of us words of song, And our tormentors asked of us mirth: ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion.'
וְתוֹלָלֵינוּ שִׂמְחָה. מִינֵי כְּלֵי זֶמֶר עַל שֵׁם שֶׁהֵם תּוֹלִין (שֶׁתּוֹלִין) אוֹתָם, כָּךְ פֵּרְשׁוּ מְנַחֵם, וְתוֹלָלֵינוּ שִׂמְחָה וְתוֹלָלֵינוּ שֶׁל שִׂמְחָה. וְיֵשׁ לִפְתֹּר תּוֹלָלֵינוּ אוֹיְבֵינוּ שֶׁהֵם מְהוֹלְלִים וּמְשַׁטִּים בָּנוּ לְשׁוֹן ״וּמְהוֹלְלַי בִּי נִשְׁבָּעוּ״ (תהלים קב:ט):
and our tormentors mirth Heb. ותוללינו, kinds of musical instruments that they hang up. This is how Menachem interpreted it (p. 184): וְתוֹלָלֵינוּ שמחה, and our musical instruments of joy. וְתוֹלָלֵינוּ can also be interpreted as: our enemies who would scorn and mock and joke with us, an expression of (102: 9): “those who scorn me (מהוללי) swear by me.”
ד׳
אֵ֗יךְ נָשִׁ֥יר אֶת־שִׁיר־יְהוָ֑ה עַ֝֗ל אַדְמַ֥ת נֵכָֽר׃
4
How can we sing a song of the LORD
on alien soil?
4
How shall we sing the LORD’S song In a foreign land?
ה׳
אִֽם־אֶשְׁכָּחֵ֥ךְ יְֽרוּשָׁלִָ֗ם תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח יְמִינִֽי׃
5
If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand wither;
5
If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, Let my right hand forget her cunning.
אִם אֶשְׁכָּחֵךְ יְרוּשָׁלִָם. כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹמֶרֶת כֵּן:
If I forget you, O Jerusalem The congregation of Israel says this.
ו׳
תִּדְבַּ֥ק־לְשׁוֹנִ֨י ׀ לְחִכִּי֮ אִם־לֹ֪א אֶ֫זְכְּרֵ֥כִי אִם־לֹ֣א אַ֭עֲלֶה אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֑ם עַ֝֗ל רֹ֣אשׁ שִׂמְחָתִֽי׃
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.
6
Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, If I remember thee not; If I set not Jerusalem Above my chiefest joy.
אִם לֹא אַעֲלֶה אֶת יְרוּשָׁלִַם. אֶת זִכְרוֹן אֵבֶל חֻרְבָּנָהּ אַעֲלֶה לְהַזְכִּירוֹ בְּרֹאשׁ כָּל שִׂמְחָתִי (בבא בתרא ס:):
If I do not bring up Jerusalem The remembrance of the mourning of its destruction I shall bring up to mention at the head of every joyous occasion of mine.
ז׳
זְכֹ֤ר יְהוָ֨ה ׀ לִבְנֵ֬י אֱד֗וֹם אֵת֮ י֤וֹם יְֽרוּשָׁ֫לִָ֥ם הָ֭אֹ֣מְרִים עָ֤רוּ ׀ עָ֑רוּ עַ֝֗ד הַיְס֥וֹד בָּֽהּ׃
7
Remember, O LORD, against the Edomites
the day of Jerusalem’s fall;
how they cried, “Strip her, strip her
to her very foundations!”
7
Remember, O LORD, against the children of Edom The day of Jerusalem; Who said: 'Rase it, rase it, Even to the foundation thereof.'
עָרוּ עָרוּ. לְשׁוֹן חֻרְבָּן, וְכֵן ״חוֹמוֹת בָּבֶל הָרְחָבָה עַרְעֵר תִּתְעַרְעָר״ (ירמיה נא:נח), וְכֵן ״עָרוֹת יְסוֹד״ (חבקוק ג:יג). וְאֵינוֹ נוֹפֵל אֶלָּא עַל דָּבָר שֶׁעוֹקְרִין שָׁרָשָׁיו מֵהָאָרֶץ:
Raze it Heb. עָרוּ is an expression of destruction, and so (Jer. 51:58): “The broad walls of Babylon shall be overthrown (תתערער),” and so (Hab. 3:13): “baring (ערות) the foundation.” It is used only for something whose roots are uprooted from the ground.
ח׳
בַּת־בָּבֶ֗ל הַשְּׁד֫וּדָ֥ה אַשְׁרֵ֥י שֶׁיְשַׁלֶּם־לָ֑ךְ אֶת־גְּ֝מוּלֵ֗ךְ שֶׁגָּמַ֥לְתְּ לָֽנוּ׃
8
Fair Babylon, you predator,
a blessing on him who repays you in kind
what you have inflicted on us;
8
O daughter of Babylon, that art to be destroyed; Happy shall he be, that repayeth thee As thou hast served us.
ט׳
אַשְׁרֵ֤י ׀ שֶׁיֹּאחֵ֓ז וְנִפֵּ֬ץ אֶֽת־עֹ֝לָלַ֗יִךְ אֶל־הַסָּֽלַע׃
9
a blessing on him who seizes your babies
and dashes them against the rocks!
9
Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones Against the rock.