Selected Poems (Engelse vertaling)

75 JEHUDAH HALEVI

40

TO RABBI SAMUEL HA-NAGID

Nahum 3,17. The chosen of crowns

For the chosen of crowned,

And the song of songs
For the prince of princes!

Set thou a watchman;
isa. 21,6. What he seeth let him tell:

He will see the chariot
Of Samuel the Prince;
Ex. 15,20. And timbrels and dances

Ranged round about him;

For every neck a chain
Ezek. 16,11. And on every hand a bracelet;

He goeth out in his thousands,
Num. 9,16. And so may he ever be—

To rescue the martyrs,
To loose the bound.

Thou art fairer
Ps. 45,3. Than the sons of men—

So art thou worthy
To be their prince.

Thy shadow is a canopy
isa. 4,5. Over all their glory,

jer. 29.7. Their peace is in thy peace,

And of thine honour is their honour;

In thy shadow they live
Among a nation that enslaveth them,