the sweet instruments, shiver’d and broken, That once in the Temple delighted his ear, The Ram’s-horn alone has he kept, as a token, And sobs out his soul on it once in the year.

Instead of the harp and the viol and cymbal, Instead of the lyre, the guitar and the flute, He has but the dry, wither’d Ram’s-horn, the symbol Of gloom and despondence; the rest all are mute.

He laughs, or he breaks into song, but soon after, Tho’ fain would he take in man’s gladness a part, One hears, low resounding athwart the gay laughter, The Suppliant’s psalm, and it pierces the heart.

I asked of my Muse, had she any objection To laughing with me,—not a word for reply! You see, it is Sfēré, our time for dejection,— And can a Jew laugh when the rule is to cry?

 Measuring the Graves

First old Minna, bent and lowly, Eyes with weeping nearly blind; Pessyeh-Tsvaitel, slowly, slowly, With the yarn creeps on behind.

On the holy book of Minna Fall the tear-drops—scarce a word (For the heart is moved within her) Of her praying can be heard.

“Mighty Lord, whose sovereign pleasure Made all worlds and men of dust, I, Thy humble handmaid, measure, God, the dwellings of the just.

“Speechless here the ground they cumber, Where the pious, gracious God, Where Thy heart’s beloved slumber Underneath the quiet sod.

“They who sing in jubilation, Lord, before Thy holy seat, Each one from his habitation, Through the dream for ever sweet.

“From the yarn with which I measure, Pessyeh-Tsvaitel, filled with awe, Wicks will make, to search the treasure, Nightly, of Thy holy Law.

Praying still, by faith sustained: ’Thou with whom the holy dwell, Scorn not Jacob’s prayer unfeigned, Mark the tears of Israel!’”

 The First Bath of Ablution

The wind is keen, the frost is dread, Toward the icy water, By aunt and mother forth is led The fisher’s lovely daughter.

“Dive in, dive in, my child, with haste! There’s naught whereon to ponder, The time, dear heart, we must not waste: The sun has set out yonder.

“God’s mercy, child, is great and sure: Fear not but He will show it! Leap in,—leap out! and you are pure,— 

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