Ari Lesser – Hanukkah 5776 – Maoz Tzur

An original Translation of a Hanukkah classic
Maoz Tzur
By Ari Lesser
29, Kislev 5776
O Mighty Rock of my salvation
Praising You is a pleasant thing
Let my house of prayer see restoration
And we’ll bring there a thanksgiving offering.
At the time when you finish slaughtering
Those foes who never stop barking
At the culmination, of the dedication
Of the altar, I’ll play music and sing
Of troubles, my soul had quite enough
By grief, my strength was worn to the bone
They embittered my life with work that was tough
As a slave serving the Egyptian Throne
But by the great hand of G-d alone
He brought His treasured people home
Pharaoh's army and his whole family
Sank down into the deep like a stone
Though, I came to His Holy Sanctuary
Even there I found no peace of mind
Oppressors came and they exiled me
A punishment for my idolatrous crimes
I became drunk on poisoned wine
But I’d scarcely left, when what did I find?
Babylon was done, Zerubavel had come
I was saved in just seventy years time
The Agagite son of Hammedasa tried
To chop down the lofty cypress tree
But he was silenced by his own pride
A trap and snare it turned out to be
Benyamin’s head, you raised in glory
But you wiped out the name of the enemy
With his many sons, and his possessions
He was hanged on the gallows for all to see
Against me gathered a force Greeks
Back in the days of the Hasmoneans
The walls of my tower they breached
And defiled all the oil with contamination
Of the pure jars there remained just one
But for rosy ones a miracle was done
Those who understood, established for good
Eight days of song and celebration
Bare the arm of Your Holiness
Let the time draw near for salvation
Avenge the blood of Your servants
That was spilled by that wicked nation.
We’ve long awaited salvation
These awful days never seem to end
Let Edom be tossed, with that shady cross
And raise our seven shepherds once again