Libi baMizrah
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Libi BaMizrah (Hebrew: לִבִּי בְמִזְרָח, lit. 'My heart is in the east') is a Hebrew poem by the Spanish-Jewish philosopher, physician, and poet Judah Halevi. It is one of the most prominent works of medieval Hebrew poetry in Spain. The poem expresses yearning for the Land of Israel and belongs to the group of "Songs of Zion," one of the most original categories in secular Hebrew poetry in Spain.
Poem
[edit]לִבִּי בְמִזְרָח וְאָנֹכִי בְּסוֹף מַעֲרָב / אֵיךְ אֶטְעֲמָה אֵת אֲשֶׁר אֹכַל וְאֵיךְ יֶעֱרָב
אֵיכָה אֲשַׁלֵּם נְדָרַי וֶאֱסָרַי, בְּעוֹד / צִיּוֹן בְּחֶבֶל אֱדוֹם וַאֲנִי בְּכֶבֶל עֲרָב
יֵקַל בְּעֵינַי עֲזֹב כָּל טוּב סְפָרַד, כְּמוֹ / יֵקַר בְּעֵינַי רְאוֹת עַפְרוֹת דְּבִיר נֶחֱרָב.
My heart is in the East but I am at the edge of the West
How can I savor what I eat, how find it sweet?
How can I fulfill my vows and obligations while
Zion is in Christendom's fetter and I am in the shackle of Islam?
It would be easy for me to leave behind all the opulence of Spain
It would be glorious for me to see the dust of the ruined Shrine![1]
Analysis
[edit]The poem incorporates references to prophetic texts and the Psalms, establishing a growing contrast between the poet's spiritual aspirations and the practical challenges—geographical, political, and personal—that hinder his pursuit.[2] The poem creates this contrast through a series of escalating oppositions.[3]
The motifs and images found in "Libi Bamizrach" are also present in other works by Halevi, such as "Siyyon halo tishali" ("O Zion, Will You Not Ask?").[2]
Legacy
[edit]The poem is among Halevi's most frequently read and translated works.[3]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Brann 2012, p. 273.
- ^ a b Brann 2012, pp. 273–274.
- ^ a b Brann 2012, p. 368.
Sources
[edit]- Brann, Ross (2012). "Judah Halevi". The Literature of Al-Andalus. The Cambridge History of Arabic Literature. Cambridge University Press. pp. 273–274. ISBN 9781139177870.
- Brann, Ross (2021). ""How Can My Heart Be in the East?" Intertextual Irony in Judah ha-Levi". Judaism and Islam: Boundaries, Communication and Interaction. Brill's Series in Jewish Studies. Vol. 21. Brill. pp. 365–379. ISBN 9789004453159.