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Home  »  The Standard Book of Jewish Verse  »  Palms and Myrtles

Joseph Friedlander, comp. The Standard Book of Jewish Verse. 1917.

By Eleazar Kalir (Trans. Alice Lucas)

Palms and Myrtles

(Hymn for the First Day of Tabernacles)

THY praise, O Lord, will I proclaim

In hymns unto Thy glorious name;

O Thou Redeemer, Lord and King,

Redemption to Thy faithful bring!

Before thine altar they rejoice

With branch of palm and myrtle-stem,

To Thee they raise the prayerful voice—

Have mercy, save and prosper them.

May’st Thou in mercy manifold,

Dear unto Thee Thy people hold,

When at Thy gate they bend the knee,

And worship and acknowledge Thee

Do thou their hearts’ desire fulfil;

Rejoice with them in love this day,

Forgive their sins, and thoughts of ill,

And their transgressions cast away.

They overflow with prayer and praise.

To Him, who knows the future days.

Have mercy Thou, and hear the prayer

Of those who palms and myrtles bear.

Thee day and night they sanctify

And in perpetual song adore,

Like the heavenly host, they cry,

“Blessed art Thou for evermore.”