Psalms 137

Name: Lashon
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תְּהִלִּים 137

9 verses · Hebrew with nikud, English alongside · tap 🔊 to hear a verse

עַ֥ל־נַהֲר֨וֹת ׀ בָּבֶ֗ל שָׁ֣ם יָ֭שַׁבְנוּ גַּם־בָּכִ֑ינוּ בְּ֝זׇכְרֵ֗נוּ אֶת־צִיּֽוֹן׃

al-naharot bavel sham yashavnu gam-bakhinu bezokhrenu et-tsiyyon

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat, sat and wept, as we thought of Zion.

עַֽל־עֲרָבִ֥ים בְּתוֹכָ֑הּ תָּ֝לִ֗ינוּ כִּנֹּרוֹתֵֽינוּ׃

al-aravim betokhah talinu kinnorotenu

There on the poplars we hung up our lyres,

כִּ֤י שָׁ֨ם שְֽׁאֵל֪וּנוּ שׁוֹבֵ֡ינוּ דִּבְרֵי־שִׁ֭יר וְתוֹלָלֵ֣ינוּ שִׂמְחָ֑ה שִׁ֥ירוּ לָ֝֗נוּ מִשִּׁ֥יר צִיּֽוֹן׃

ki sham she'elunu shovenu divre-shir vetolalenu simkhah shiru lanu mishir tsiyyon

for our captors asked us there for songs, our tormentors, for amusement: “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”

אֵ֗יךְ נָשִׁ֥יר אֶת־שִׁיר־יְהֹוָ֑ה עַ֝֗ל אַדְמַ֥ת נֵכָֽר׃

ekh nashir et-shir-Adonai al admat nekhar

How can we sing a song of GOD on alien soil?

אִֽם־אֶשְׁכָּחֵ֥ךְ יְֽרוּשָׁלָ֗͏ִם תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח יְמִינִֽי׃

im-eshkakhekh yerushalai͏m tishkakh yemini

If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither;

תִּדְבַּֽק־לְשׁוֹנִ֨י ׀ לְחִכִּי֮ אִם־לֹ֢א אֶ֫זְכְּרֵ֥כִי אִם־לֹ֣א אַ֭עֲלֶה אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלַ֑͏ִם עַ֝֗ל רֹ֣אשׁ שִׂמְחָתִֽי׃

tidbaq-leshoni lekhikki im-lo ezkerekhi im-lo a'aleh et-yerushalai͏m al rosh simkhati

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.

זְכֹ֤ר יְהֹוָ֨ה ׀ לִבְנֵ֬י אֱד֗וֹם אֵת֮ י֤וֹם יְֽר֫וּשָׁלָ֥͏ִם הָ֭אֹ֣מְרִים עָ֤רוּ ׀ עָ֑רוּ עַ֝֗ד הַיְס֥וֹד בָּֽהּ׃

zekhor Adonai livne edom et yom yerushalai͏m ha'omerim aru aru ad hayesod bah

Remember, O ETERNAL One, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem’s fall; how they cried, “Strip her, strip her to her very foundations!”

בַּת־בָּבֶ֗ל הַשְּׁד֫וּדָ֥ה אַשְׁרֵ֥י שֶׁיְשַׁלֶּם־לָ֑ךְ אֶת־גְּ֝מוּלֵ֗ךְ שֶׁגָּמַ֥לְתְּ לָֽנוּ׃

bat-bavel hashedudah ashre sheyshallem-lakh et-gemulekh sheggamalt lanu

Fair Babylon, you predator, a blessing on the one who repays you in kind what you have inflicted on us;

אַשְׁרֵ֤י ׀ שֶׁיֹּאחֵ֓ז וְנִפֵּ֬ץ אֶֽת־עֹלָלַ֗יִךְ אֶל־הַסָּֽלַע׃ {פ}

ashre sheyyokhez venippets et-olalayikh el-hassala

a blessing on the one who seizes your babies and dashes them against the rocks!

Hebrew text and English translation from Sefaria, under their Creative Commons licence.

Yaacov, native Jerusalemite

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