מָעוֹז צוּר יְשׁוּעָתִי לְךָ נָאֶה לְשַׁבֵּחַ. O Fortress, Rock of my salvation, unto thee it is becoming to give praise:
תִּכּוֹן בֵּית תְּפִלָּתִי וְשָׁם תּוֹדָה נְזַבֵּחַ. let my house of prayer be restored, and I will there offer thee thanksgivings
לְעֵת תָּכִין מַטְבֵּחַ מִצָּר הַמְנַבֵּחַ. when thou shalt have prepared a slaughter of the blaspheming foe,
אָז אֶגְמוֹר בְּשִׁיר מִזְמוֹר חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ. I will complete with song and psalm the dedication of the altar.
רָעוֹת שָׂבְעָה נַפְשִׁי בְּיָגוֹן כֹּחִי כִּלָה. Full sated was my soul with ills, my strength was spent with sorrow;
חַיַּי מָרְרוּ בְּקוֹשִׁי בְּשִׁעְבּוּד מַלְכוּת עֶגְלָה. they embittered my life by hardship during my subjection to the dominion of Egypt,*The kingdom of the heifer," see Jeremiah 46:20.
וּבְיָדוֹ הַגְּדוֹלָה הוֹצִיא אֶת הַסְּגֻלָּה. but God with his great power brought forth the chosen race,
חֵיל פַּרְעֹה וְכָל זַרְעוֹ יָרְדוּ כְאֶבֶן בִּמְצוּלָה. while the host of Pharaoh and all his seed sank like a stone into the deep.
דְּבִיר קָדְשׁוֹ הֱבִיאַנִי וְגַם שָׁם לֹא שָׁקַטְתִּי. To his holy oracle he brought me, yet there also I found no peace,
וּבָא נוֹגֵשׂ וְהִגְלַנִי. כִּי זָרִים עָבַדְתִּי. for the oppressor came and led me captive, because I had served strange gods:
וְיֵין רַעַל מָסַכְתִּי כִּמְעַט שֶׁעָבַרְתִּי. I had to quaff the wine of bewilderment; well nigh had I perished,
קֵץ בָּבֶל, זְרֻבָּבֶל, לְקֵץ שִׁבְעִים נוֹשָׁעְתִּי. when Babylon's end drew near; through Zerubbabel I was saved after seventy years.
כְּרוֹת קוֹמַת בְּרוֹשׁ, בִּקֵּשׁ אֲגָגִי בֶּן הַמְּדָתָא. The Agagite (Haman), the son of Hammedatha, sought to cut down the lofty fir tree (Mordecai)*See Talmud Babli, Tr. Megillah, 10b.;
וְנִהְיָתָה לוֹ לְפַח וּלְמוֹקֵשׁ וְגַאֲוָתוֹ נִשְׁבָּתָה. but his design became a snare to himself, and his pride was brought to an end.
רֹאשׁ יְמִינִי נִשֵּׂאתָ וְאוֹיֵב שְׁמוֹ מָחִיתָ. The head of the Benjamite thou didst exalt, but the enemy's name thou Midst blot out:
רֹב בָּנָיו וְקִנְיָנָיו עַל הָעֵץ תָּלִיתָ. the many sons he had gotten thou didst hang upon the gallows.
יְוָנִים נִקְבְּצוּ עָלַי אֲזַי בִּימֵי חַשְׁמַנִּים. The Grecians were gathered against me in the days of the Hasmoneans;
וּפָרְצוּ חוֹמוֹת מִגְדָּלַי וְטִמְּאוּ כָּל הַשְּׁמָנִים. they broke down the walls of my towers, and defiled all the oils;
וּמִנּוֹתַר קַנְקַנִּים נַעֲשָׂה נֵס לַשּׁוֹשַׁנִּים. but from one of the last remaining flasks a miracle was wrought for thy beloved*Likened to a lily in Song of Solomon 2:2.,
בְּנֵי בִינָה יְמֵי שְׁמוֹנָה קָבְעוּ שִׁיר וּרְנָנִים. and their men of understanding appointed these eight days for song and praises.
חֲשׂוֹף זְרוֹעַ קָדְשֶׁךָ וְקָרֵב קֵץ הַיְשׁוּעָה. Bare Your holy arm and hasten the End of salvation –
נְקֹם נִקְמַת דַּם עֲבָדֶיךָ מֵאֻמָּה הָרְשָׁעָה. Avenge the vengeance of Your servants’ blood from the wicked nation.
כִּי אָרְכָה לָנוּ הַשָּׁעָה וְאֵין קֵץ לִימֵי הָרָעָה. For the time has delayed and there is no end to the days of evil,
דְּחֵה אַדְמוֹן בְּצֵל צַלְמוֹן, הָקֵם לָנוּ רוֹעֶה שִׁבְעָה. Push away the Red One in the lowest shadow and establish for us the seven shepherds.