Los CL Salmas de David (The 150 Psalms of David)

David Abenatar Melo

1626

I adapted the above psalm to my situation, for the blessed Lord freed me from the Inquisition—although broken, I was released and free—where I saw eleven seeming penitents burned to death for heresy, may their blood be avenged.

In the hell of the cruel
Inquisition I was placed,
Among fierce lions of condemnation.
From there you redeemed me
And cured my misfortunes,
Solely because you saw me repentant.
I called out, you heard me
Promising to make amends
If you would rescue me from there,
You showed me your face,
Destroying my oppressors.
For I was nearly defeated
By them. You conquered them.
When in cruel torment
They bound me,
Hoping to have me kill my brother and my neighbor,
Chilled, breathless,
Suspended from a high place,
I asked him to untie my bonds.
I said he should write and make note,
For I would confess
Much more than he wanted.
I told him to speak, to ask,
And that whatever they asked, I would give.
But once I was lowered to the ground,
With a new heart, I called out to you.
The executioners come,
Thinking that with my own net
They have already trapped the fish.
They untied my yokes,
And spoke words to me,
And I always responded with silence, saying nothing.
I said that if I stay quiet
In stillness and glory,
I will never offend him in word or deed.
I shall make new use of him,
Holding in my memory
That which most honors him and benefits me.
Forever my heart
Will be steadfast in him,
Seeing how willingly
The God of truth
Turned my mountain into a fortress.
When I was most desperate
And a prisoner in irons, from there you raised me up.
You hid your face from me
During my long captivity,
Adonai, O my God, I was troubled . . .
In this, you responded to me,
Seeing my censure,
For I called out to you and you helped me.

Translated by
Steven
Capsuto
.

Credits

David Abenator Melo, Los CL. Psalmos de David: in lengua española, en varias rimas (Frankfurt: 1626). Excerpts published in: Harm den Boer, La Literatura Sefardí de Amsterdam (Alcalá de Henares: Universidad de Alcalá, 1995), 273–275 (Psalm 30).

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 5.

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Creator Bio

David Abenatar Melo

1569–1632

David Abenatar Melo was born in Fronteira, Alentejo, Portugal, arrested by the Inquisition and tortured, later repenting at an auto-da-fé, during which other purported Judaizers were burned at the stake. After his release, Melo fled to Amsterdam in 1612 and openly adopted the Jewish faith. He also played a role in publishing various prayer books in Spanish, including one for the High Holy Days (1617), another for the Sabbath (1618), and a Haggadah (1622). In 1624, he moved to Glückstadt and a year later to Hamburg. There he published his only known work, a Spanish verse translation (or paraphrase) of the book of Psalms. In his introduction, Melo describes the sufferings he endured at the hands of the Inquisition. Likewise, allusions to his tribulations appear in the work itself.

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