One of Hanukkah’s traditions is that, after saying special prayers and lighting the Hanukkah menorah, families sing Ma’oz Tzur — an ancient Hebrew liturgical poem usually translated as “Rock of Ages.”
A very loose 19th century English translation — “Rock of Ages let our song/Praise thy saving power” — is a familiar and lovely hymn, but it misses much of what the original is. (It’s also not the familiar “Rock of Ages/Cleft for me” hymn.)
In Hebrew, Ma’oz Tzur refers to God’s willingness to vanquish evil in this world — describing the various exiles the Jewish people have endured, along with God’s greatness for redeeming them from each of them. Its final verses pray for a restoration of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and for the dawning of the Redeemed Age.
Go here to listen to the music of the most common tune, and here’s a literal translation of the original (our comments are in italics):
O mighty stronghold of my salvation, to praise You is a delight.
Restore my House of Prayer [referring to the Holy Temple] and there we will bring a thanksgiving offering.
When You have prepared the slaughter for the barking foe,
Then I shall complete with a song of hymn the dedication of the Altar.
My soul had been sated with troubles, my strength has been consumed with grief.
They had embittered my life with hardship, with the calf-like kingdom’s bondage.
But with His great power He brought forth the treasured ones,
Pharaoh’s army and all his offspring Went down like a stone into the deep [referring to the destruction of the Egyptian army during the splitting of the sea].
To the holy abode of His word He brought me. But there, too, I had no rest
And an oppressor came and exiled me. For I had served aliens,
And had drunk benumbing wine. Scarcely had I departed
At Babylon’s end [referring to the first exile -- to Babylonia] Zerubabel came. At the end of seventy years I was saved.
To sever the towering cypress sought the Agagite, son of Hammedatha [referring to the evil Haman of the Purim story],
But it became a snare and a stumbling block to him and his arrogance was stilled.
The head of the Benjaminite [referring to Mordechai of the Purim story] You lifted and the enemy [Haman], his name You obliterated
His numerous progeny – his possessions -on the gallows You hanged [referring to Haman's sons, who were hanged].
Greeks gathered against me then in Hasmonean days [referring to Hanukkah].
They breached the walls of my towers and they defiled all the oils;
And from the one remnant of the flasks a miracle was wrought for the roses.
Men of insight – eight days established for song and jubilation.
Bare Your holy arm and hasten the End for salvation -
Avenge the vengeance of Your servants’ blood from the wicked nation.
For the triumph is too long delayed for us, and there is no end to days of evil,
Repel the Red One [referring to Esau, referring to evil dominators such as the Roman Empire and Spanish Inquisition] in the nethermost shadow and establish for us the seven shepherds.
What do you think?
3:02 pm
Glad to have the music but wish I could hear it in Hebrew. This seems the only place to write any comment at all, so I feel the need to add – you can serve Israel by joining Sar El volunteer soldiers. I served this year and still keep contact with my Madrich Nachshon who is a “lone soldier”.