יָשַׁ֙בְתִּי֙ בַּלְּבָנֹ֔ון מִקַּנְתִּי֙ בָּֽאֲרָזִ֑ים מַה־נֵּחַנְתְּ֙ בְּבֹא־לָ֣ךְ חֲבָלִ֔ים חִ֖יל כַּיֹּלֵדָֽה׃
I dwelled in the Levanon, I nested among the cedars. How you have been pitied when pangs come upon you, anguish like a woman giving birth!
Morphology
- יָשַׁ֙בְתִּי֙ (yashavti) – Root: ישׁב; Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I dwelled”; Notes: Indicates a settled habitation in the past.
- בַּלְּבָנֹ֔ון (ba-l’vanon) – Root: לְבָנוֹן; Form: Preposition + definite proper noun; Translation: “in the Levanon”; Notes: A poetic term often associated with grandeur and the palace/temple.
- מִקַּנְתִּי֙ (miqqan’ti) – Root: קנן; Form: Piel perfect 1st person singular with prefixed mem; Translation: “I nested”; Notes: Emphasizes a place of safety and stability.
- בָּֽאֲרָזִ֑ים (ba-ʾarazim) – Root: אֶרֶז; Form: Preposition + definite plural noun; Translation: “among the cedars”; Notes: Cedars symbolize strength and majesty, especially in Levanon.
- מַה־נֵּחַנְתְּ֙ (mah-neḥant) – Root: חנן; Form: Interrogative + Nifal perfect 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “how you have been pitied”; Notes: Implies irony or rhetorical lament over a fall from splendor.
- בְּבֹא־לָ֣ךְ (be-voʾ lakh) – Root: בוא; Form: Preposition + infinitive construct + 2nd person feminine singular pronoun; Translation: “when there came to you”; Notes: Marks the onset of distress.
- חֲבָלִ֔ים (ḥavalim) – Root: חבל; Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “pangs”; Notes: Often refers to labor pains or metaphorical anguish.
- חִ֖יל (ḥil) – Root: חול; Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “anguish” or “trembling”; Notes: Related to fear or the trauma of labor.
- כַּיֹּלֵדָֽה (ka-yoledah) – Root: ילד; Form: Preposition + feminine participle; Translation: “like a woman giving birth”; Notes: Conveys intense physical and emotional distress.