Yehudah HaLevi -- Zion! Wilt Thou Not Ask?

Here's another Yehudah haLevi poem of Zion. Part of this rather long poem, dealing with Hebron , is already up on this site. HaLevi was one of the great poets of Zion of the Middle Ages, if not the greatest. Nina Salaman, in her translation of HaLevi, called this poem as above in the title here.
David Goldstein in his translation gave a different title, "Longing for Zion." I prefer Nina Salaman's title.

from Zion! Wilt Thou Not Ask? ? ציון ! הלא תשאלי


Zion, will you not ask after your imprisoned ones,
The remnant of your flocks, who seek your peace?
From west and east, and north and south,
From far and near, take greetings, from all sides,
And peace from the captive of desire, whose tears fall
Like Hermon's dew, while he longs to shed them on your hills.
I am a jackal mourning your affliction, and when I dream
Of the return of your captives I am a lyre accompanying your songs.
. . . . [translation by David Goldstein, Penguin edition]

The poem is much longer. This part will suffice for now. Shabbat Shalom.

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Coming: More poems of Zion; George Antonius, the Arab Nationalist as British Imperialist; Amin el-Husseini, Hitler's favorite Arab, etc.