Ancient Poems of Zion after the Hurban (the Destruction)

How Long Will There Be Weeping in Zion? -- Anonymous

How long will there be weeping in Zion
And lamentation in Jerusalem?
Have mercy on Zion
And build anew the walls of Jerusalem.
. . . .
O Lord, be most zealous for Zion's honor,
And let your mercy shine upon the city once so full of people!

[translated by T. Carmi in T. Carmi, ed., The Penguin Book of Hebrew Verse (New York: Viking Press, 1981), pp 204-206] I substituted the word "zealous" for the word "jealous" in Carmi's translation. The anonymous poet lived after the Hurban (the destruction of the Second Temple). Carmi writes: "The earliest known post-biblical dirge on the destruction of the Temple... The poem is traditionally recited on the eve of the Ninth of Av."

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See what Karl Marx wrote on Jerusalem in his time. Coming soon.