מִֽי־יִתֵּ֤ן רֹאשִׁי֙ מַ֔יִם וְעֵינִ֖י מְקֹ֣ור דִּמְעָ֑ה וְאֶבְכֶּה֙ יֹומָ֣ם וָלַ֔יְלָה אֵ֖ת חַֽלְלֵ֥י בַת־עַמִּֽי׃
Who would give my head water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people?
Morphology
- מִי־יִתֵּן (mi-yitten) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Interrogative + Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “Who would give”; Notes: Idiomatic expression of longing or impossibility.
- רֹאשִׁי (roʾshi) – Root: ראשׁ (roʾsh); Form: Noun masculine singular + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my head”; Notes: Refers metaphorically to the speaker’s whole being.
- מַיִם (mayim) – Root: Possibly related to מים (mayim); Form: Noun masculine dual (plurale tantum); Translation: “water”; Notes: Desired to express the abundance of tears.
- וְעֵינִי (ve-ʿeini) – Root: עין (ʿayin); Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “and my eyes”; Notes: Continues the poetic expression.
- מְקוֹר (mekor) – Root: קיר (qar); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “fountain”; Notes: Used figuratively for tear-flow.
- דִּמְעָה (dimʿah) – Root: דמע (damaʿ); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “tears”; Notes: Often used in contexts of mourning.
- וְאֶבְכֶּה (ve-evkeh) – Root: בכה (bakah); Form: Conjunction + Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “and I would weep”; Notes: Expresses continuous emotional mourning.
- יֹומָם (yomam) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Adverb; Translation: “daytime”; Notes: Indicates temporal extent of weeping.
- וָלַיְלָה (va-laylah) – Root: לילה (laylah); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and night”; Notes: Paired with יֹומָם for full duration.
- אֵת (ʾet) – Form: Direct object marker; Translation: [not translated]; Notes: Marks the direct object “the slain.”
- חַלְלֵי (ḥallelei) – Root: חלל (ḥalal); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “the slain of”; Notes: Refers to casualties of war or judgment.
- בַת־עַמִּי (bat-ʿammi) – Root: בת (bat), עם (ʿam); Form: Construct noun + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “daughter of my people”; Notes: Poetic term for the nation, Yisraʾel.