The Insomniac’s Prayer

A piece of Picasso’s Guernica

Dear friends, 

Monday night I found myself unable to sleep, sitting with this psalm. In the morning, when I woke up, I saw the terrible news about Israel’s renewed attacks. Then I understood why that psalm had appeared. The Hebrew is marvelous and I fail to give a sense of its beauty, but here’s an attempt at a translation of the fifth Psalm.

For the one who reminds us of eternity with the sound of the flute, a song by David

Give ear to my poem, Yhvh, take in my musings.

Hear the sound of yearning, my ruler and guide.  I direct my prayer to you.

At daybreak you can hear my voice,
Dawn after Dawn I prepare for you, and wait.

You have no interest in wickedness;
Evil cannot abide with you.

Those lawless clowns can’t stand your gaze, You hate those who sow chaos.

You lead liars back to their own nothingness,
Men of blood and trickery disgust you.

But I, in your infinite kindness, come home to you, surrender to the holy spaciousness: it makes me tremble.

Let your justice be my guide, your path the one I walk.

For in their mouths is no truth,
In their bodies corruption
Their throats are open graves
Holding slippery tongues 

Accuse them, judge
Make them fall from their positions of power
Let them collapse from the weight of their crimes
Because they have betrayed you.

Then the compassionate will rejoice. They’ll be singing in your sanctuary, laughing, celebrating love.

Source of being, blesser of the righteous:
Like the cold surrounds us, seeping into our bones, make good will encompass and fill the just.

Or in Hebrew:

לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ אֶֽל-הַנְּחִיל֗וֹת מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד: ב אֲמָרַ֖י הַאֲזִ֥ינָה | יְהוָ֗ה בִּ֣ינָה הֲגִֽיגִי: ג הַקְשִׁ֤יבָה | לְק֬וֹל שַׁוְעִ֗י מַלְכִּ֥י וֵאלֹהָ֑י כִּֽי-אֵ֝לֶ֗יךָ אֶתְפַּלָּֽל: ד יְֽהוָ֗ה בֹּ֖קֶר תִּשְׁמַ֣ע קוֹלִ֑י בֹּ֥קֶר אֶֽעֱרָךְ-לְ֝ךָ֗ וַאֲצַפֶּֽה: ה כִּ֤י | לֹ֤א אֵֽל-חָפֵ֘ץ רֶ֥שַׁע | אָ֑תָּה לֹ֖א יְגֻרְךָ֣ רָֽע: ו לֹֽא-יִתְיַצְּב֣וּ הֽ֭וֹלְלִים לְנֶ֣גֶד עֵינֶ֑יךָ שָׂ֝נֵ֗אתָ כָּל-פֹּ֥עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן: ז תְּאַבֵּד֮ דֹּבְרֵ֪י כָ֫זָ֥ב אִישׁ-דָּמִ֥ים וּמִרְמָ֗ה יְתָ֘עֵ֥ב | יְהוָֽה: ח וַאֲנִ֗י בְּרֹ֣ב חַ֭סְדְּךָ אָב֣וֹא בֵיתֶ֑ךָ אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥ה אֶל-הֵֽיכַל-קָ֝דְשְׁךָ֗ בְּיִרְאָתֶֽךָ: ט יְהוָ֤ה | נְחֵ֬נִי בְצִדְקָתֶ֗ךָ לְמַ֥עַן שׁוֹרְרָ֑י (הושר)  הַיְשַׁ֖ר לְפָנַ֣י דַּרְכֶּֽךָ: י כִּ֤י אֵ֪ין בְּפִ֡יהוּ נְכוֹנָה֮ קִרְבָּ֪ם הַ֫וּ֥וֹת קֶֽבֶר-פָּת֥וּחַ גְּרוֹנָ֑ם לְ֝שׁוֹנָ֗ם יַחֲלִֽיקוּן: יא הַֽאֲשִׁימֵ֨ם | אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים יִפְּלוּ֮ מִֽמֹּעֲצ֪וֹתֵ֫יהֶ֥ם בְּרֹ֣ב פִּ֭שְׁעֵיהֶם הַדִּיחֵ֑מוֹ כִּי-מָ֥רוּ בָֽךְ: יב וְיִשְׂמְח֨וּ כָל-ח֪וֹסֵי בָ֡ךְ לְעוֹלָ֣ם יְ֭רַנֵּנוּ וְתָסֵ֣ךְ עָלֵ֑ימוֹ וְֽיַעְלְצ֥וּ בְ֝ךָ֗ אֹהֲבֵ֥י שְׁמֶֽךָ: יג כִּֽי-אַתָּה֮ תְּבָרֵ֪ךְ צַ֫דִּ֥יק יְהוָ֑ה כַּ֝צִּנָּ֗ה רָצ֥וֹן תַּעְטְרֶֽנּוּ:

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Misha