[Solitary invocation — almost whispered] Lamnatze’ach al shoshanim. LeDavid. [Unmetered lament — long silences] Hoshi’eni, Elohim, ki va’u mayim ad nafesh. Tava’ti biven metzulah, ve’ein ma’amad. Bati vema’amakei mayim, veshibolet shetafatni. Yaga’ti vekor’i, nichar geroni. Kalu einai meyachel l’Elohai. [Voice weakening and beginning to fracture] Rabu misa’arot roshi son’ai chinam. Atzmu matzmitai, oyevai sheker. Asher lo gazalti— az ashiv. [Nearly spoken] Elohim, atah yada’ta le’ivalti. Ve’ashmotai mimcha lo nichchadu. Ki alecha nasati cherpah. Kistah kelimah fanai. Muzar hayiti le’echai, venochri livnei imi. Ki kin’at beitkha achalatni. Vecherpot chorfecha naflu alai. [Distant mourners — barely audible sustained voices] Va’ani tefilati lecha, Adonai— et ratzon. Elohim, berov chasdecha, aneni be’emet yishecha. Hatzileni mitit, ve’al etba’ah. Inatzlah mison’ai umima’amakei mayim. [Desperate prayer — still no pulse] Aneni, Adonai, ki tov chasdecha. Kerov rachamecha, penei elai. Ve’al taster panecha me’avdecha. Ki tzar li— maher aneni! [Voice collapsing inward] Atah yada’ta cherpati, uvoshti uchlimati. Negdecha kol tzorerai. Cherpah shavrah libi, va’anushah. Va’akaveh lanud— va’ayin. Velamenachamim— velo matzati. Vayitnu bivruti rosh. Velitzma’i yashkuni chometz. [Bitter feverish recitation — restrained, not triumphant] Yehi shulchanam lifneihem lefach, velishlomim lemokesh. Tichshachnah eineihem mer’ot, umotneihem tamid ham’ad. Shefoch aleihem za’amecha. Vacharon apecha yasigem. Tehi tiratam neshamah. Be’oholeihem al yehi yoshev. Yimachu misefer chayim. Ve’im tzadikim al yikatevu. [Silence] Va’ani— ani vecho’ev. Yeshu’atecha, Elohim, tesagveni. [Fragile exhausted praise — the suffering does not resolve] Ahalelah shem Elohim bashir. Va’agadlenu vetodah. Ra’u anavim— yismachu. Dorshei Elohim, vichi levavchem. Ki shome’a el evyonim Adonai. Ve’et asirav lo vazah. [Distant mourners return — faint unison] Yehaleluhu shamayim va’aretz, yamim vechol romes bam. Ki Elohim yoshia Tziyon, veyivneh arei Yehudah. Veyashvu sham virishuhah. Vezera avadav yinchaluhah. Ve’ohavei shemo yishkenu vah. [Final whisper — alone] Hoshi’eni, Elohim. Ki va’u mayim— ad nafesh.
