Or 17077

Small-format notebook, containing mostly religious Jewish poems, in Hebrew, Judeo-Arabic, and Judeo-Turkish. Complied by Hakham Ezra Reuben Dangoor (HED).

May be a draft in preparation for printing. If so, it would have been scribed no earlier than 1904, when HED opened his press. Contains a song with blessings to Sultan Abdülhamit II of the Ottoman Empire, whose reign ended in 1909. As such, this manuscript was probably not scribed after 1909.

Note: [a] not all of the poems occurring in the booklet are listed in its table of contents; [b] not all of the poems listed in the table of contents occur in the booklet; and [c] poems of the sort that occur in this booklet remained living works, the texts of which were fluid, with many variants. Furthermore, their living fluidity is such that some poems share several phrases or stanzas, but are fundamentally different works.

Folio 1v, outer (= right) column: Table of Contents, giving the opening words of 20 poems (not all of which ended up in this booklet - see note above): 1) Yeḥide ‘am segulah / יח[י]די עם סגולה = ‘The special ones of the treasured nation’; 2) Yir'at ha-el / יראת האל = ‘Awe of God’; 3) Eḳaḥ reshut / אקח רשות = ‘I request permission’; 4) Atsapeh Biat / אצפה ביאת = ‘I Anticipate the Advent of [the Messiah]’; 5) Aḥai Me-ayin / אחי מאיין = ‘My brothers, where [are you] from?’; 6) Yir'at ha-el / יראת האל = ‘Awe of God’; 7) Ashira na / אשירא נא = ‘Yea, let me sing!’; 8) A‘arokh Shirah / אערוך שירא = ‘I arrange a song (or: compose a poem)’; 9) Me'or ‘enai / מאור עיני = ‘The light of my eyes [is Elijah]’; 10) Ḳumi yonah / קומי יונה = ‘Arise, [ensnared] dove!’; 11) Merim le-roshi / מרים לראשי = Lift high my head’; 12) Shelamim rabim / שלמים רבים = ‘Abundant peace’; 13) Shalom lakhem / שלום לכם = ‘Peace unto you’; 14) Askari / עסכרי = ‘The soldiers’; 15) [האי פאדי ?אהם]; 16) Ya Alah ya rabuna / יה אלה יא רבנא = ‘O God, O our Lord!’; 17) Davah nafshi / דאבה נפשי = ‘My soul languishes’; 18) ‘Ezra sofer / עזרא סופר [או: סופיר] = ‘Ezra the Scribe’; 19) Ha-noten imre / הנותן אמרי = ‘He who conveys words of [beauty]; & 20) Haleli le-Yah haleli le-Yah / הללי ליה הללי ליה = ‘Praise the Lord, praise the Lord!’.

Folios 1v-2r: Poem number 1 from the table of contents, Yeḥide ‘am segulah / יחידי עם סגולה = ‘The special ones of the treasured nation’, by Rabbi Joseph Hayyim Shrem / יוסף חיים שרים, a contemporary and friend of HED. The poem forms the acrostic of Shrem’s name; the key to the acrostic is added by pencil, above the poem: סי' יוסף חי[י]ם שרים חזק. On [a] his life, [b] the composition of this poem in 1896, inspired by the generosity of the Jews of Kutaisi, Georgia in response to Shrem's collection on behalf of the rabbis of Jerusalem, and [c] his relationship with HED, whom he dubs ‘הע’ד הנאמן’ (= the trusty witness), ‘Ed being a play on HED’s initials, see the posthumous (5762 AM = 2001/2 CE) edition of Shrem’s רחשי לב: [a] from p. 13; [b] p. 20; and [c] p. 16, item 3, and notes 26 & 27, plus p. 55. HED included this poem in his full-size poetry notebook, too, manuscript Or 17078. On HED’s preparation of a note addressing Shrem’s question on HED’s chronology, see MS Or 17064 (2). On details of HED's assistance to Shrem's collection in Baghdad on behalf of the rabbis of Jerusalem, see manuscript Or 17043. For a full biography of Shrem, see Avraham Ben-Yaʿaḳov, ha-Shaliaḥ ha-noded:ʿal shaliaḥ Erets-Yiśraʾel ha-rav Yosef Ḥayim Shrem zatsal / השליח הנודד: על שליח ארץ-ישראל הרב יוסף חיים שרים זצ"ל (English title: Travelling envoy: Rabbi Joseph Haim Shrem), 2 volumes: 1982 & (Supplement) 1988; and on his relations with HED, see vol. 1, index, 'דנגור, עזרא ראובן'; and vol. 2, pp. 30-31, 105-108, 142 & 143.

Folio 2v: Poem number 2 from the table of contents, Yir'at ha-el / יראת האל = ‘Awe of God’. Several poems (including number 6 below) begin with these words. This one, the origin of which is unidentified, continues: יראת האל היא אוצרו, חי אלי, לכן הקשיבו לדברו, אמן, ועשו למאמרו, חי אלי, ניזכור ברית אברהם … = ‘Awe of God is his treasure house, my God lives, therefore hearken unto His words, amen, and carry out what He has said, my God lives, and remember the covenant of Abraham …’.

Folio 3r: Poem number 3 from the table of contents. In honour of Rabbi Meir Ba‘al ha-Nes, close to the version (thought to be) by Rabbi מסעוד ארוואח = Mas‘ud Arwaḥ(?) (18th century, Meknes, Morocco), published on p. 172 of גוזל, שגיא. לאילן ריח: לתנא האלוקי רבי מאיר בעל הנס זיע”א במשנתם של חכמי מרוקו. אשדוד: נר לשגיאת (ה’תשע”ו), from Rabbi ברוך דאבדא’s manuscript of poems. Davidson, Israel. אוצר השירה והפיוט (Thesaurus of Mediaeval Hebrew Poetry), vol. 1 (1924), no. 7366.

Folios 3v – 4r: Poem number 4 from the table of contents. Hebrew. Atsapeh bi’at mashiaḥ / אצפה ביאת משיח = ‘I anticipate the Advent of the Messiah’; Acrostic: Isaac / יצחק.

Folio 4r, bottom: Poem number 5 from the table of contents. Hebrew. Aḥai me-'ayin atem, me-erets tsevi ḳedoshah / אחי מאין אתם, מארץ צבי קדושה = ‘My brothers, where are you from? From the Holy Beautiful Land’. By Samuel Ezekiel Ezra / שמואל יחזקאל עזרא, twentieth century.

Folio 4v: Poem number 6 from the table of contents. Hebrew. ‘Awe of God is his storehouse / Therefore hearken unto his word’ יראת האל היא אוצרו לכן הקשיבו לדברו. Despite some similarly, this does not seem to be the poem referred to in Davidson, Thesaurus, vol. 2 (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society: 1929), p. 432, no. 3786. The acrostic of that poem is given as ישעיה; but that is not the acrostic of this poem.

Folio 5r-v: Poem number 7 from the table of contents. Hebrew. Ashira na / אשירא נא שבח האיי תנה, סתם משנה הוא רבי מאיר = ‘Yea, let me sing the praise of that teacher: unless otherwise specified, every mishnah is by Rabbi Meir’; Acrostic: ‘I am Samuel; be strong!’ / אני שמואל חזק.

Folios 5v – 6r: Poem number 8 from the table of contents. Hebrew. A‘arokh shirah / אערוך שירה ותהילה לאל צור נורה עלילה יקשיב תחנה ותפלה למלכנו ירום הודו = ‘I arrange a song (or: compose a poem) and praise to God, Rock, Awesome in Deed, Who hearkens to supplication and prayer; to our King, may His glory be uplifted.’

Folio 6v: Poem number 9 from the table of contents. Hebrew. Me'or ‘enai / מאור עיני הוא אלייה = ‘The light of my eye is Elijah’; Origin unknown, but forms the acrostic: Moses the Levite; Be strong! / משה הלוי חזק.

Folio 7r: Poem number 10 from the table of contents. Hebrew. Ḳumi yonah yeḳushah / קומי יונה יקושה = ‘Arise, ensnared dove!’. Despite some differences, HED’s version is closest to that by Rabbi Israel Najara, and forms the acrostic Israel / ישראל (see Davidson, Thesaurus of Mediaeval Hebrew Poetry, vol. 3, p. 348, number 216). However, HED’s version adds a refrain after each stanza; and HED’s second stanza begins yonah tse’i mi-kavel / יונה צאי מכבל = ‘Dove, go out of fetters’ rather than the similar-spelled and -sounding yonah tse’i mi-Bavel / יונה צאי מבבל = ‘Dove, go out of Babylon’ i.e. Baghdad, the place of HED’s residence.

Folio 7v: Poem number 11 from the table of contents. Hebrew. Merim le-roshi / מרים לראשי = ‘Lift high my head’. A comparable poem (Davidson, Thesaurus, vol. 3, p. 190, no. 2408) forms the acrostic: Mordechai; Be strong! / מרדכי חזק.

Folio 8r, top: Poem number 12 from the table of contents. Hebrew. Shelamim rabim / שלמים רבים = ‘Abundant Peace’. Although not flagged, the poem forms the acrostic Tzalaḥ / צאלח. Unlike most versions (see Davidson, Thesaurus, vol. 3, p. 478, no. 1312), which read ‘unto the daughter of nobles’ / לבת נדיבים, HED’s verson seems to read ‘unto the nobles’ / ליהנידיבים.

Folio 8r-v: Poem number 13 from the table of contents. Hebrew. Shalom lakhem bene ‘amim / שלום לכם בני עמים = ‘Peace Unto You, Sons of Nations’. Although not flagged, the poem forms the acrostic Shimon ben Nisim Hazak / שמעון בן נסים חזק = Simeon son of Nisim; Be strong!. (See Davidson, Thesaurus, vol. 3, p. 474, number 1236.)

Folio 9a, top: Poem number 14 from the table of contents. Judeo-Ottoman-Turkish. Askari / עסכרי = ‘The soldiers’, a soldiers’ song including blessings for the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Abdülhamit (II), who reigned 1876 – 1909.

[Poems 15 and 16 from the table of contents, the Judeo-Turkish Hay (or: Hey) padışahım /האי פאדי שאהם = ‘Alas (or: Yes) sultan of mine!’ and the Judeo-Arabic Ya Alah ya rabuna / יא אלה יא רבנא = ‘O God, O our Lord!’, seem to not have been included in this booklet. However, it is conceivable that the poem on folios 10v – 11r is the same as number 16 in the table of contents, inasmuch as both the title of poem 16 as well as the beginning of the stanzas of the poem on folios 10v – 11r begin with the Arabic vocative particle ya / יא (يا) = ‘O’, used here to call out to God referred to by various epithets.]

Folio 9r, bottom: Poem number 17 from the table of contents. Hebrew. Davah nafshi lekha ’el ne’ezar / דאבה נפשי לך אל נאזר = ‘My soul languishes for you, girded God’.

Folios 9v – 10r. Judeo-Arabic, although the title is in Hebrew, as is the opening word, which is immediately followed by a related Arabic word. “Mi Kamokha”: Meherah ’asra‘it (or: ’asra‘ith?) / מי כמוך: מהרה אסרעית' (או: אסרעית) = ‘Who is like unto Thee?’: Quickly I hurried’. Focus on the story of Purim (Feast of Esther) and the Jews’ salvation due to repentance.

Folios 10v – 11r. Judeo-Arabic. AlifMHW waḥed / אמהו וואחיד = ‘???? One’. The first stanza is a proclamation of divine unity. Each of the next nine stanzas begins by invoking God with the vocative particle ya / יא (يا) = ‘O’ followed by a divine epithet and then proclaiming Him God of the successive shepherds of Israel: Abrham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Aaron, Moses, David, Solomon, as well as the ancients, prophets, and kings. In conclusion are three stanzas proclaiming God’s control over all, superlativeness, and transcendence. (Is this TOC Poem 16, יא אלה יא רבנא?)

Folio 11r, towards bottom: pizmonim / פזמונים, i.e. rhymes.

Folios 11r bottom – 12r top: Poem number 18 from the table of contents. A song/poem in honour of our master Ezra the Scribe. ‘Ezra sofer ha-Torah, li-khvodo e‘ene shirah / עזרא סופר התורה לכבודו אענה שירה = ‘Ezra Scribe of the Torah, in his honour I declaim a poem/song’. Acrostic: ‘Ezra is what I am called; be strong!’ / עזרא זכרי חזק.

Folios 12r – 13v: Poem number 19 from the table of contents. A pleasant poem/song in honour of Ezra the Scribe of blessed memory. Ha-noten imre shefer / הנותן אמרי שפר = ‘He who conveys words of beauty’. ‘He who conveys words of beauty, our master the scribe, beloved and precious to God, he protects Israel … / שירה נאה לכבוד אדוננו עזרא הסופר ע”ה. הנותן אמרי שפר, אדוננו הסופר, אהוב ונחמד לאל, הוא מגן לישראל …

Folio 13v: Finished and completed, praise be to God, Creator of the world; let us be strengthened and strong. Finished / תם ונשלם שבח לאל בורא עולם, ונתחזק וחזק תם.

Folio 14r-v: Poem number 20 from the table of contents. Haleli le-Yah haleli le-Yah / הללי ליה הללי ליה = ‘Praise the Lord, praise the Lord!’.

[Additional poems, not listed in the table of contents:]

Folios 14v – 15r: Shir ha-shirim be-fi yesharim / שיר השירים בפי ישרים = ‘Song of songs in the mouth of the upright’. ‘Acrostic: Samuel, be strong!’ / שמואל חזק. Davidson, Thesaurus volume 3, page 460, number 950.

Folio 15r-v: Shir ḥadash be-yom mishteh / שיר חדש ביום משתה = ‘A new song on the Banquet Day’; ‘acrostic: Samuel, be strong!’ / שמואל חזק.

Folio 16r-v: Tsuri ‘oz (or: ‘uzi) / צורי עוז (או: עוזי) = ‘My mighty Rock’ (or: ‘My Rock, my Might’).

Folio 17r-v: ‘El ḥai ha-‘olam, ne‘elam ne‘elam me-'adam / אל חי העולם, נעלם נעלם מאדם = ‘God, life of the world, hidden, hidden from man’.

Folio 17v – 18r, top: ’Odeh la-'El ’adom ṿe-tsaḥ, be-kol shanah uve-lel pesaḥ / אודה לאל אדום וצח, בכל שנה ובליל פסח = ‘I thank the Lord, Ruddy and Dazzling, all year long and on the eve of Passover’; acrostic: Abraham, be strong! / אברהם חזק. (As presented here, the acrostic does not work. See the original by Rabbi Abraham Ḥamoyi אברהם שלום חי חמוי (1838-1836), in his בית שמחה, p. 141.)

Folio 18r-v: Yadkha galeh, dod, maḥamad ‘einai / ידך גלה, דוד מחמד עיני, די נדוד די = ‘Reveal Your arm, Beloved, precious of my eyes’. By Jacob Ḥay son of Judah Burla / יעקב חי בן יהודה בורלא, published in his Yagel Ya‘aḳov / יגל יעקב, page 30.

Folios 18v – 19v: Ḳoli ’eḳra ’adoni, shokhen bi-sheme me‘oni / קולי אקרא אדוני, שוכן בשמי מעוני = ‘[With] my voice I call my Master, Who dwells in the Heavenly Abode’; Acrostic: Holy Congregation of Rangoon, be Strong! / קהל קדוש רנגון חזק. (HED was chief rabbi of Rangoon, Burma (today known as Yangon, Myanmar), a satellite community of the Jewish community of Baghdad, from January 1894 – April 1895; see manuscript Or 17081.)

Folio 22v (the final page): ’eḳaḥ reshut ṿa-eśa nes, leshorer li-khevod hadar, hu rabi me’ir ba‘al ha-nes / אקח רשות ואשא נס, לשורר לכבוד הדר הוא, ר’ מאיר בעל הנס = ‘I take permission and lift a banner / to sing to the glorious honour, namely / Rabbi Meir the miracle-worker.

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