Aramaic Targum to Lamentations Chapter 4
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אֵיכְדֵין (כָּהָה) עֲמָא דְהַב בֵּית מוּקְדְּשָׁא אִשְׁתַּנֵּי זִיו פַּלְטִין בְּחִיר מִשְׁתַּדְיָן מַרְגָלָאוָן קָדִּישִׁין בְּרֵישׁ כָּל מְחוֹזִין:
How the goldof the Temple has dimmed, the choice gold leaf has changed! The sacred jewels are scattered at the head of every street.
בְּנֵי צִיּוֹן יַקִּירִין דִמְתִילִין אִיקוּנֵיהוֹן לִדְּהַב טָב אֵיכְדֵין הֲווּ עַמְּמִין מְסַאֲבִין מָחֲתִין יַתְנוֹן מִלְקָבֵיל (ס"א בְּלִיקָבֵיל) עַרְסֵיהוֹן וּמִסְתַּכְּלִין בְּהוֹן בְּגִין דְּיֵלְדוּן נְשֵׁיהוֹן בְּנִין שַׁפָּרַיָּא כְּשׁוּפְרֵיהוֹן וְאִתְחַשְׁבוּ לְלָגִינִין דַחֲסַף עוֹבָדֵי יְדֵי פַחֲרָא:
The precious sons of Zion which were comparablein their appearance to that of fine **gold,**how the unclean people brought them down near to their beds and stare at them, so that their wives might bear sons as beautiful as they and they are considered as clay vessels the work of the hands of the potter.
אַף בְּנָתָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל מְפַנְקְתָא לִבְנֵי עַמְמַיָּא דְדַמְיָּן לְחוּרְמָנָא טַלְעָן תְּדֵיהֶן וְרַבֵּי כְּנִשְׁתָּא דְעַמִּי מְסִירִין לְאַכְזְרָאִין וְאִמְהוֹן סַפְדָן עֲלֵיהוֹן כְּנַעֲמַיָּא בְּמַדְבְּרָא:
Eventhe pampered daughters of Israel untie their breaststo the nations who are like the basilisk. And the young men of the Congregation of my peopleare handed over to cruel menand their mothers mourn over them like ostriches in the desert.
אַדְבֵּיק לְשֵׁן עוּלֵימָא לְמוֹרִיגֵהּ בִצְחוּתָא טַלְיָא תְבָעוּ לַחְמָא מוֹשִׁיט לֵית לְהוֹן:
The tongue of the youth clings to his palate from thirst. Children ask for bread, but there is no one who offers it to them.
דַהֲווֹ רְגִילִין לְמֵיכַל תַּפְנוּקִין אִשְׁתְּמָמוּ בְּמָחוֹזִין דְאִתְרַבִּיאוּ עַל צְבַע זָהֳרִין גַפִיפוּ קִקְלָאתָן:
Those whoused to eat delicacies were desolate in the markets. Those who were reared inthe color crimson embrace dunghills.
וּסְגִיַּת חוֹבַת כְּנִשְׁתָּא דְעַמִּי מִן חוֹבַת סְדוֹם דְאִתְהַפְּכַת כְּשַׁעֲתָא וְלָא שְׁרִיאוּ בָהּ נְבִיאַיָּא לְאִתְנַבָּאָה לְאַהַדְרוּתָהּ בִּתְיוּבְתָּא:
The sin of the Congregation of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom that was overthrown in a moment. And noprophets were left in herto prophesy, to turn her back in repentance.
הֲווּ בְרִירָן נְזִירָהָא יַתִּיר מִתַּלְגָא שַׁעֲעוּ יַתִּיר מִן חֲלָבָאִ סַמִּיקוּ חֵיזוּ יַתִּיר מִן יוֹהֲרִין (ס"א מִזְהוֹרִין) וּכְשַׁבְזִיזָא פַּרְצוּפֵיהוֹן:
Her Nazarites were purer than snow, smoother than milk. Their appearance was ruddier than crimson and their faceslike sapphires.
חָשַׁךְ מִן אוּכְמָתָא דְגָלוּתָא רֵיוְהוֹן לָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעוּ בְּמָחוֹזִין אֲדַק מַשְׁכֵיהוֹן עַל גַרְמֵיהוֹן פְּרִיךְ הֲוָה כְּקֵיסָא:
Their appearance was darker than the blacknessof the exile; they were not recognized in the markets. Their skin clung to their bones; brittle as a twig.
מַעֲלֵי הֲווֹ קְטִילֵי סַיְיפָא יַתִּיר מִן קְטִילֵי כְפַן דִקְטִילֵי סַיְיפָא דָיְיבִין כַּד אִינוּן מְבַזְעִין כְּרֵיסֵיהוֹן מִן מָה דַאֲכַלוּ מֵעֲלַל חַקְלָא וּנְפִיחֵי כַפְנָא פָּרִיק כְּרֵיסֵיהוֹן מִן מֵיכְלָא:
**Better were those who were slain by the sword than those who were slain by hunger,**for those slain by the sword perished when piercedin their bellies because they ate of **the gleanings of the field;**and those who were bloated from hunger; their bellies burst from food.
יְדֵי נְשַׁיָּא דַהֲוָן מְרַחֲמִין עַל מִסְכֵּנִין בְּשִׁילוּ עוּלֵימֵיהוֹן הֲווֹ לְמִסְעַד לְהוֹן בְּיוֹם תְּבַר כַּפְנָא דִי אִתְבְּרַת כְּנִשְׁתָּא דְעַמִּי:
The hands of womenwho were mercifultowards the poor boiled their young, they became sustenance for them whenthe day of famine **broke,**when the Congregation of my peoplewas destroyed.
סַף יְיָ יָת חֵימְתֵיהּ שְׁדָא עַל יְרוּשְׁלֵם יָת תְּקוֹף רוּגְזֵיהּ וְאַסֵּיק בְּאוּר לַפִּיד אֶשָּׁתָא בְּצִיּוֹן וְאַכְלַת אַשְׁוָתָהָא:
The Lord has finished his anger; he has poured out hisfierce wrathupon Jerusalem and he has brought up araging fire in Zion, and it consumed her foundations.
לָא הֲווֹ מְהֵימְנִין מַלְכְּוַת אַרְעָא וְכָל דְיָירֵי תֵבֵל אֲרוּם יֵעוּל נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר רַשִּׁיעָא וּנְבוּזַרְאֲדָן בְּעֵיל דְבָבָא לְנִכְסָא עַמָּא בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּתַרְעַיָּא דִירוּשְׁלֵם:
The kingdoms of the earth did not believe, nor did those who dwell in the world, thatthe wicked Nebuchadnezzar and Nebuzaradanthe enemy would enterto slaughter the people of the House of Israel in the gates of Jerusalem.
עֲנַת מִדַּת הַדִּין וְכֵן אֲמָרַת לָא הֲוָת כָּל דָּא אֱלָהֵן מֵחוֹבַת נְבִיאָהָא דְמִנְבְּאָן לָהּ נְבִיאוּת שִׁיקְרָא וּמֵעַוְיַת כַּהֲנָהָא דְאַסִּיקוּ קְטוֹרֶת בּוּסְמִין לְטַעֲוָתָא וְאִינוּן גָרְמוּ לְאִתְשַׁד בְּגַוָהּ דַּם זַכָּאִין:
The Attribute of Justice spoke up and said, “All this would not have happened but for the sins of her prophetswho prophesied to her false prophesies and the iniquity of her priestswho offered up burning incense to idols. They themselves caused the blood of the innocent to be shed in her midst.”
אִיתְטַלְטְלוּ עִוְרִין בְּמָחוֹזִין אִטַּנְפוּ בְדַם קְטוֹלִין בְּחַרְבָּא וְעַל דְלָא הֲווֹ יָכְלִין לְמֶחְמֵי קְרִיבוּ בִּלְבוּשֵׁיהוֹן:
The blind wandered about in the markets, defiled with the bloodof those slain by the sword and since they could notsee they touched their clothes.
זוּרוּ מִמְסַאֲבָא קְרוּ עַמְמַיָּא זוּרוּ זוּרוּ לָא תִקְרְבוּ בְהוֹן אֲרוּם אִתְקוֹטְטוּ אַף אִתְטַלְטְלוּ אֲמָרוּ בְּמֶהֱוֵיהוֹן בְּשַׁלְוַתְהוֹן דְבֵינֵי עַמְמַיָּא לָא יוֹסִיפוּן לְמֵידָר:
“Turn away from the unclean!” criedthe nations, **“Turn away, turn away! Do not touch them!” For they quarreled, indeed they wandered. They said,**when they were peacefully established among the nations, “They shall not continue to dwell here.”
מִן קֳדָם אַפֵּי יְיָ אִתְפְּלִיגוּ לָא יוֹסִיף לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בְּהוֹן בְּגִין כֵּן אוּמַיָּא רְשִׁיעַיָּא אַפֵּי כַהֲנַיָּא לָא סַבָּרוּ וְעִלַּוֵי סָבַיָּא לָא חָסוּ:
They were dispersedfrom before **the face of the Lord, he no longer regarded them.**Therefore the wicked peoples did not respect the priests nor did they spare the elders.
עוֹד סַפְאָן עֵינָנָא לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא לְסַיְיעָנָא דַהֲוֵינָא מְתִינָן לְנוּכְרָאֵי דְאִתְהַפִּיךְ לָנָא לְחַבַּלּוּ בְּסְכוּתָנָא דְאִסְתְּכֵינָא לְנוּכְרָאֵי דְאִנּוּן עַמָּא דְלָא יִפְרוֹק:
Our eyes still fail to see our helpwhich we expected to come from the Romans, but which turned to naught for us. In hope we watched for theEdomites who were a nation that could not save.
הִינוּן צָדִין שְׁבִילָנָא מִלְמֵיהַךְ לְרוֹחֲצָן בִּפְלָטְיָיתָנָא אָמַרְנָא קָרֵב סוֹפָנָא אִתְמְלִיאוּ יוֹמָנָא אֲרוּם מְטָא סוֹפָנָא:
They prowled our paths so that we could not walksafely **in our open places.**We said, “Our end is near; our days are fulfilled,” for our end had come.
קְלִילִין הֲווּ רָדְפָנָא יַתִּיר מִנִּשְׁרֵי שְׁמַיָּא עַל טוּרַיָּא אַדְלִיקוּ יָתָנָא בְמַדְבָּרָא כַּמָּנוּ לָנָא:
Our pursuers were swifterthan the eagles of the heavens; unto the mountains they chased us, in the desert they lay in wait for us.
מַלְכָּא יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ דַהֲוָה חָבִיב לָנָא כְּנִשְׁמַת רוּחַ חַיִּין דִבְאַפָּנָא וַהֲוָה מִתְרַבֵּי בִמְשַׁח רְבוּתָא דַייָ אִתְחַד בְּמֵיצַד חִבּוּלֵיהוֹן דְמִצְרָאֵי דַהֲוֵינָא אָמְרִין עֲלוֹהִי בִּטְלַל זְכוּתֵיהּ נְחֵי בֵינֵי עַמְמַיָּא:
King Josiah, who was as dear to us as the breath of the spiritof life in our nostrilsand was anointed with the anointingoil of the Lord, was entrappedin Egypt’s snareof corruption. It was he of whom we said, “In the shadowof his merit we will live among the nations.”
חָדִיאִי וּבְדִיחִי בְּרַתָּא דֶאֱדוֹם דְיַתְבָא בְאַרְעָא דְעוּץ (בת"ק הגירסא חָדִיאִי וּבְדוֹחִי קַרְתָּא דְמִתְבַּנְיָא בְּאַרַע אַרְמֵנִיאָה) בְּסַגִּיאִין אוֹכְלוֹסִין דְמִן עַמָּא נוּכְרָאֵי אוֹף עָלַיךְ עָתִיד לְמֵיתֵי פּוּרְעֲנוּתָא וִיצַדְיָין יָתִיךְ פַּרְסֵי וּתְעִבַּר עָלַיִךְ כַּס דִלְווָט תִּרְוִי וְתִתְרוֹקְנִי:
Rejoice and be of good cheerConstantinople, city ofwicked Edom, which isbuilt in the land of Armenia with crowds from the people of Edom. Retribution is about to come upon **even you,**and the Parkevi will destroy you and the accursed cup shall passto you and you shall become drunk and exposed.
וּבָתַר כֵּן יְשַׁלֵּם עִוְיָתָךְ כְּנִשְׁתָּא דְצִיּוֹן וְתִתְפָּרְקִין עַל יְדֵי דְמַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא וְאֵלִיָּהוּ כַהֲנָא רַבָּא וְלָא יוֹסִף יְיָ תּוּב לְאַגְלוּתָךְ וּבְהַהִיא זִימְנָא אַסְעַר עִוְיָתָךְ בְּרַתָא דֶאֱדוֹם דְמִתְבַּנְיָא דִמְלֵאָה אוֹכְלוֹסִין וְיֵיתוּן פַּרְסָאֵי וִיעִקוּן לָךְ וְיִצְדוּן יָתָךְ אֲרוּם אִתְפַּרְסֵם קֳדָם יְיָ עַל חוֹבוֹתָיִךְ:
And after this your iniquity will be finished, O Congregation of Zion andyou will be freed by the hands of the King Messiah and Elijah he High Priest and **the Lord will no longer exile you.**And at that time **I will punish your iniquities,**wicked Rome, built in Italy and filled with crowds **of Edomites.**And the Persians will come and oppress you and destroy you because your sins have been made knownbefore the Lord.