O
Lord, here before You is all my desire,1
Whether or not it escapes my lips.
I would seek Your favor, a moment, then die
If only You would grant my wish.
I’d commit my spirit into Your hands,2
And sleep. Such a sleep would delight.
Afar from You - in life I am dead,
But when I cleave close - in death I'm alive.3
In faith I know not how I might draw near You,
What worship to give, what words to try.
Instruct me, Lord, in Your ways. With guidance
Deliver me from the dungeon of lies.
While yet I have strength to bear affliction
Teach me and do not despise my plight,
Before I become to myself but a burden,
And what little I am weighs me down with time,
Before I must yield against my own will
And collapse as my cankered bones expire,
And come to the place my forefathers came to
And there by their place of rest find mine.
For across the face of this earth I am foreign,
While deep in her womb my true home lies.
My youth till now has done what it wanted.
When shall I provide for me and mine?
The world of pleasures He placed in my heart
Has kept me from keeping my end in mind.
How can I serve my Creator, while captive
To nature’s lust, and servant to desire?
When I know the rank worm will soon be my sister,4
How can I aspire to a rank on high?
And how can my heart rise merry today
Knowing not if a merry morrow will rise?
Night upon night, and day upon day
Have pledged to consume this flesh of mine.
They will scatter me half to spiriting wind
And return me half to dust for all time.
What more can I say? I’ve been hunted from boyhood
Through withering age by my enemy desire.
What is Time to me but Your will and favor?
And if not with You, then what am I?
Here I stand stripped naked of any virtue,
My only covering Your justice and kindness.
So what use this speaking? Why plead or aspire?
O Lord, here before You is all my desire.
Whether or not it escapes my lips.
I would seek Your favor, a moment, then die
If only You would grant my wish.
I’d commit my spirit into Your hands,2
And sleep. Such a sleep would delight.
Afar from You - in life I am dead,
But when I cleave close - in death I'm alive.3
In faith I know not how I might draw near You,
What worship to give, what words to try.
Instruct me, Lord, in Your ways. With guidance
Deliver me from the dungeon of lies.
While yet I have strength to bear affliction
Teach me and do not despise my plight,
Before I become to myself but a burden,
And what little I am weighs me down with time,
Before I must yield against my own will
And collapse as my cankered bones expire,
And come to the place my forefathers came to
And there by their place of rest find mine.
For across the face of this earth I am foreign,
While deep in her womb my true home lies.
My youth till now has done what it wanted.
When shall I provide for me and mine?
The world of pleasures He placed in my heart
Has kept me from keeping my end in mind.
How can I serve my Creator, while captive
To nature’s lust, and servant to desire?
When I know the rank worm will soon be my sister,4
How can I aspire to a rank on high?
And how can my heart rise merry today
Knowing not if a merry morrow will rise?
Night upon night, and day upon day
Have pledged to consume this flesh of mine.
They will scatter me half to spiriting wind
And return me half to dust for all time.
What more can I say? I’ve been hunted from boyhood
Through withering age by my enemy desire.
What is Time to me but Your will and favor?
And if not with You, then what am I?
Here I stand stripped naked of any virtue,
My only covering Your justice and kindness.
So what use this speaking? Why plead or aspire?
O Lord, here before You is all my desire.
Notes:
1- c.f. Psalms 38:10 Lord, all my desire is before Thee; and my sighing is not hid from Thee.
2- c.f. Psalms 31:6 Into Thy hand I commit my spirit; Thou hast redeemed me, O LORD, Thou God of truth.
3- c.f. Berakhoth 18a-b, where the wicked are called dead while living, and the virtuous called living while dead.
4. c.f. Job 17:14 If I have said to corruption: 'Thou art my father', to the worm: 'Thou art my mother, and my sister'
1- c.f. Psalms 38:10 Lord, all my desire is before Thee; and my sighing is not hid from Thee.
2- c.f. Psalms 31:6 Into Thy hand I commit my spirit; Thou hast redeemed me, O LORD, Thou God of truth.
3- c.f. Berakhoth 18a-b, where the wicked are called dead while living, and the virtuous called living while dead.
4. c.f. Job 17:14 If I have said to corruption: 'Thou art my father', to the worm: 'Thou art my mother, and my sister'
Signore, innanzi a Te il mio desiderio
Sia che sfugga alle mie labbra o no.
Cerco il Tuo favore un momento e muoio
Se solo garantisci la preghiera.
Metto il mio spirito nelle tue mani
E dormo. Un sonno che mi piacerà.
Lontano da te in vita sono morto,
ma se mi avvicino in morte vivo.
Insegnami Signore le tue vie. Guida
Liberami da prigioni del falso.
Ho ancora forza di sopportare dolore
Insegnami e non sprezzare preghiere.
Prima che diventi a me stesso peso
Poco che sono mi pesa nel tempo,
prima che contro la mia volontà
collassi al frantumarsi delle ossa
e venga dove vennero i miei avi
e presso il loro riposo trovi il mio
che sulla faccia della terra straniero
mentre abito il fondo del suo grembo.
Giovinezza mia fece quel che volle.
Quando provvederò per me e i miei?
Mondo di piacere Egli mise in cuore
Mi tenne dal tenere a mente fine.
Come servo il Creatore se prigione
Delle voglie e servo di desiderio?
Se so il verme sarà presto mia sorella
Come aspiro a un grado nell'altezza?
Come si può alzare allegro il cuore
Non sapendo se spunta un buon mattino?
Notte su notte e giorno dopo giorno
Dediti a consumare la mia carne.
Mi spargeranno metà al vento metà
Mi fanno tornar polvere per sempre.
Che posso dire? Cacciato dall'infanzia
A vetustà dal mio nemico il desiderio.
Cos'è il tempo per me se non il Tuo volere?
E se non con te cosa sono io?
Spogliato nudo di ogni virtù sto qui
Sola coperta Tua giustizia e bontà.
A che parlare? Perché aspirare?
Signore, innanzi a Te il mio desiderio.
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