כִּֽי־עָ֤לָה מָ֨וֶת֙ בְּחַלֹּונֵ֔ינוּ בָּ֖א בְּאַרְמְנֹותֵ֑ינוּ לְהַכְרִ֤ית עֹולָל֙ מִח֔וּץ בַּחוּרִ֖ים מֵרְחֹבֹֽות׃
For death has come up through our windows, it has entered into our palaces, to cut off the infant from the outside, the young men from the streets.
Morphology
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces the reason for lament or judgment.
- עָלָה (ʿalah) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has come up”; Notes: Refers to death rising as an invader.
- מָוֶת (mavet) – Root: מות (mavet); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “death”; Notes: Personified as a force invading the city.
- בְּחַלֹּונֵינוּ (be-ḥallonenu) – Root: חלון (ḥallon); Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “through our windows”; Notes: Symbolizes vulnerability and breach of safety.
- בָּא (ba) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has entered”; Notes: Parallel to “come up,” describing penetration of homes.
- בְּאַרְמְנֹותֵינוּ (be-armenoteinu) – Root: ארמון (armon); Form: Preposition + plural noun with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “into our palaces”; Notes: Even the elite dwellings are not spared.
- לְהַכְרִית (le-hakhrīt) – Root: כרת (karat); Form: Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to cut off”; Notes: Causative form expressing purpose of death’s entry.
- עֹולָל (ʿolal) – Root: עול (ʿul); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “infant”; Notes: Symbol of innocence and helplessness.
- מִחוּץ (mi-ḥuts) – Root: חוץ (ḥuts); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from the outside”; Notes: Refers to open areas outside the home, typically unsafe.
- בַּחוּרִים (ba-ḥurim) – Root: בחר (baḥar); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the young men”; Notes: Denotes those in the prime of life, now vulnerable.
- מֵרְחֹבֹות (me-reḥovot) – Root: רחב (raḥav); Form: Preposition + plural noun feminine; Translation: “from the streets”; Notes: Public spaces now scenes of slaughter or absence.