In rabbinic tradition, authorship of Psalm 22 is attributed to Queen Esther from the Megillah.
As a result, this Psalm is often included in the liturgy of either Purim or Ta'anit Esther.
I spent some time with it today (Purim 5785), and ended up with a translation.
My commitment in this translation was to the meaning of the text and to communication. I chose those values over literal translation whenever they were in conflict.
(א) לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ עַל־אַיֶּ֥לֶת הַשַּׁ֗חַר מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃ (ב) אֵלִ֣י אֵ֭לִי לָמָ֣ה עֲזַבְתָּ֑נִי רָח֥וֹק מִֽ֝ישׁוּעָתִ֗י דִּבְרֵ֥י שַׁאֲגָתִֽי׃ (ג) אֱֽלֹהַ֗י אֶקְרָ֣א י֭וֹמָם וְלֹ֣א תַעֲנֶ֑ה וְ֝לַ֗יְלָה וְֽלֹא־דֻֽמִיָּ֥ה לִֽי׃ (ד) וְאַתָּ֥ה קָד֑וֹשׁ י֝וֹשֵׁ֗ב תְּהִלּ֥וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ה) בְּ֭ךָ בָּטְח֣וּ אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ בָּ֝טְח֗וּ וַֽתְּפַלְּטֵֽמוֹ׃ (ו) אֵלֶ֣יךָ זָעֲק֣וּ וְנִמְלָ֑טוּ בְּךָ֖ בָטְח֣וּ וְלֹא־בֽוֹשׁוּ׃ (ז) וְאָנֹכִ֣י תוֹלַ֣עַת וְלֹא־אִ֑ישׁ חֶרְפַּ֥ת אָ֝דָ֗ם וּבְז֥וּי עָֽם׃ (ח) כׇּל־רֹ֭אַי יַלְעִ֣גוּ לִ֑י יַפְטִ֥ירוּ בְ֝שָׂפָ֗ה יָנִ֥יעוּ רֹֽאשׁ׃ (ט) גֹּ֣ל אֶל־יְהֹוָ֣ה יְפַלְּטֵ֑הוּ יַ֝צִּילֵ֗הוּ כִּ֘י חָ֥פֵֽץ בּֽוֹ׃ (י) כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה גֹחִ֣י מִבָּ֑טֶן מַ֝בְטִיחִ֗י עַל־שְׁדֵ֥י אִמִּֽי׃ (יא) עָ֭לֶיךָ הׇשְׁלַ֣כְתִּי מֵרָ֑חֶם מִבֶּ֥טֶן אִ֝מִּ֗י אֵ֣לִי אָֽתָּה׃ (יב) אַל־תִּרְחַ֣ק מִ֭מֶּנִּי כִּי־צָרָ֣ה קְרוֹבָ֑ה כִּי־אֵ֥ין עוֹזֵֽר׃ (יג) סְ֭בָבוּנִי פָּרִ֣ים רַבִּ֑ים אַבִּירֵ֖י בָשָׁ֣ן כִּתְּרֽוּנִי׃ (יד) פָּצ֣וּ עָלַ֣י פִּיהֶ֑ם אַ֝רְיֵ֗ה טֹרֵ֥ף וְשֹׁאֵֽג׃ (טו) כַּמַּ֥יִם נִשְׁפַּכְתִּי֮ וְהִתְפָּֽרְד֗וּ כׇּֽל־עַצְמ֫וֹתָ֥י הָיָ֣ה לִ֭בִּי כַּדּוֹנָ֑ג נָ֝מֵ֗ס בְּת֣וֹךְ מֵעָֽי׃ (טז) יָ֘בֵ֤שׁ כַּחֶ֨רֶשׂ ׀ כֹּחִ֗י וּ֭לְשׁוֹנִי מֻדְבָּ֣ק מַלְקוֹחָ֑י וְֽלַעֲפַר־מָ֥וֶת תִּשְׁפְּתֵֽנִי׃ (יז) כִּ֥י סְבָב֗וּנִי כְּלָ֫בִ֥ים עֲדַ֣ת מְ֭רֵעִים הִקִּיפ֑וּנִי כָּ֝אֲרִ֗י יָדַ֥י וְרַגְלָֽי׃ (יח) אֲסַפֵּ֥ר כׇּל־עַצְמוֹתָ֑י הֵ֥מָּה יַ֝בִּ֗יטוּ יִרְאוּ־בִֽי׃ (יט) יְחַלְּק֣וּ בְגָדַ֣י לָהֶ֑ם וְעַל־לְ֝בוּשִׁ֗י יַפִּ֥ילוּ גוֹרָֽל׃ (כ) וְאַתָּ֣ה יְ֭הֹוָה אַל־תִּרְחָ֑ק אֱ֝יָלוּתִ֗י לְעֶזְרָ֥תִי חֽוּשָׁה׃ (כא) הַצִּ֣ילָה מֵחֶ֣רֶב נַפְשִׁ֑י מִיַּד־כֶּ֝֗לֶב יְחִידָתִֽי׃ (כב) ה֭וֹשִׁיעֵנִי מִפִּ֣י אַרְיֵ֑ה וּמִקַּרְנֵ֖י רֵמִ֣ים עֲנִיתָֽנִי׃ (כג) אֲסַפְּרָ֣ה שִׁמְךָ֣ לְאֶחָ֑י בְּת֖וֹךְ קָהָ֣ל אֲהַלְלֶֽךָּ׃ (כד) יִרְאֵ֤י יְהֹוָ֨ה ׀ הַֽלְל֗וּהוּ כׇּל־זֶ֣רַע יַעֲקֹ֣ב כַּבְּד֑וּהוּ וְג֥וּרוּ מִ֝מֶּ֗נּוּ כׇּל־זֶ֥רַע יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (כה) כִּ֤י לֹֽא־בָזָ֨ה וְלֹ֪א שִׁקַּ֡ץ עֱנ֬וּת עָנִ֗י וְלֹא־הִסְתִּ֣יר פָּנָ֣יו מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וּֽבְשַׁוְּע֖וֹ אֵלָ֣יו שָׁמֵֽעַ׃ (כו) מֵ֥אִתְּךָ֗ תְּֽהִלָּ֫תִ֥י בְּקָהָ֥ל רָ֑ב נְדָרַ֥י אֲ֝שַׁלֵּ֗ם נֶ֣גֶד יְרֵאָֽיו׃ (כז) יֹאכְל֬וּ עֲנָוִ֨ים ׀ וְיִשְׂבָּ֗עוּ יְהַֽלְל֣וּ יְ֭הֹוָה דֹּ֣רְשָׁ֑יו יְחִ֖י לְבַבְכֶ֣ם לָעַֽד׃ (כח) יִזְכְּר֤וּ ׀ וְיָשֻׁ֣בוּ אֶל־יְ֭הֹוָה כׇּל־אַפְסֵי־אָ֑רֶץ וְיִֽשְׁתַּחֲו֥וּ לְ֝פָנֶ֗יךָ כׇּֽל־מִשְׁפְּח֥וֹת גּוֹיִֽם׃ (כט) כִּ֣י לַ֭יהֹוָה הַמְּלוּכָ֑ה וּ֝מֹשֵׁ֗ל בַּגּוֹיִֽם׃ (ל) אָכְל֬וּ וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֨וּ ׀ כׇּֽל־דִּשְׁנֵי־אֶ֗רֶץ לְפָנָ֣יו יִ֭כְרְעוּ כׇּל־יוֹרְדֵ֣י עָפָ֑ר וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ לֹ֣א חִיָּֽה׃ (לא) זֶ֥רַע יַֽעַבְדֶ֑נּוּ יְסֻפַּ֖ר לַֽאדֹנָ֣י לַדּֽוֹר׃ (לב) יָ֭בֹאוּ וְיַגִּ֣ידוּ צִדְקָת֑וֹ לְעַ֥ם נ֝וֹלָ֗ד כִּ֣י עָשָֽׂה׃ {פ}
- A song to the doe I saw standing silently at dawn.
- Eli, Eli, Why have you left me? Why have you drawn back from being my savior, distanced Yourself from my roaring words.
- Elohai, though I cried out all day, and you did not answer me, I did not stay silent at night.
- Still, I know you, You are the holiness residing in our people’s songs.
- Our ancestors trusted You. They put their trust in You, and You saved them.
- They cried out to You, and You helped them escape, they put their trust in You and were not disappointed.
- Yet here I am, treated like a worm, less than a person, an embarrassment to humanity, despised amongst people.
- All those who see me make fun of me. They whisper when I go by and shake their heads.
- I know that if you turn to God, God will rescue and save you, God wants you.
- You guided me out of my mother’s womb, to the safety of her breast.
- Since I left my mother’s womb, I have been thrown on Your mercies, and You have been there for me, Eli.
- Do not be distant from me, not now, when troubles are close by and there is no one to help me.
- I am surrounded by rampaging bulls, mighty Bashan horses stampede all around me.
- They open their mouths to swallow me, like deadly roaring lions.
- I feel like spilled water, my sense of self dissolved, my heart melting like wax within me.
- What strength I have is brittle as dry clay, and my tongue cleaves to the top of my mouth, You have brought me to the verge of the of death and dust.
- I am surrounded by dogs, the evil crowd around me ripping into my arms and legs like lions.
- I am so transparent, all my bones are visible, and my harassers look to see them,
- They divide my clothes amongst themselves, they draw lots for my garments.
- But You, HVYH, do not distance Yourself from me. You are the source of my strength. Come, help me now.
- Save my soul from the sword, my only life from marauding dogs.
- Deliver me from the lion’s mouth, From the horns of mighty rams. I know You will answer me.
- And I will speak your name to my brethren, I will sing your praises in community.
- God-fearers – praise the lord! Descendants of Jacob – honor your God! Fear the lord, all descendants of Israel.
- For God does not despise or feel contempt for the suffering of the poor, nor hide Her face from them. When the poor cry out, God listens.
- Even my praise for You is a gift from You. I will present the offerings I promised You in front of a crowd, in the presence of God-fearers.
- That the humble may eat and be satisfied, and the God-seekers sing God’s praise. May there always be life in your hearts!
- May even the people from the ends of the earth remember, and turn back to You, may all the families of nations bow down to You.
- The kingdom is Yours, HVYH, and dominion over all nations.
- Those who eat and grow fat on the land bow down before HVYH, alongside the poor, kneeling in the dust, who do not have enough to keep themselves alive.
- The future generations who serve God will tell stories of Adonai for all generations.
- These generations will come and tell the children born to them, of God’s righteousness and all that God has done.