We are in Elul and I am thinking about the upcoming High Holy Days, and one of my favorite Yom Kippur poems and melodies is on my mind. Last year I made an aborted attempt to translate it into English in such a way that it can still be sung to the melody I know. This year I'm making the attempt again.
Here's a more instrumental than usual rendition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfLkEjuGxpI
I have 2 verses translated (though they likely need editing) so far. Here's the first one (first in hebrew and transliterated, then in my english):
כִּי הִנֵּה כַחֹֽמֶר בְּיַד הַיּוֹצֶרֶת Ki hinei ka-ḥomer be-yad ha-yotzeres
בִּרְצוֹתָהּ מַרְחִיבָה וּבִרְצוֹתָהּ מְקַצֶּרֶת Birtsosah mar'ḥi'vah uvirtzosah mekatzeres
כֵּן אֲנַחְנוּ בְיָדֵך חֶסֶד נוֹצֶרֶת Ken anaḥnu be-yadeḥ ḥesed notseres
לַבְּרִית הַבִּיטִי וְאַל תִּפְנִי לַיֵּצֶר La-bris habiti ve-al tifni la-yeitzer
As the clay wet and formless in the potter's hand —
by her will to be thickened or by her will to be thinned —
So in your hands, O God, formless now we stand.
Please remember your covenant and forget our sin!
coming back to add: I know it's Tuesday but I got impatient lol