Post by @GeePawHill@mastodon.social

I am not really a Torah or Bible person, but I did look this one up. I think the next line after the part in the song is the big about wanting to take the children of our enemies and dash their heads against the rocks

Which put a whole 'nother perspective on the song for me. One many people would have been familiar with, and would be hearing unspoken

GeePawHill

@GeePawHill@mastodon.social 26 min. ago

@NilaJones What we had was some obstreperous persons, who happened to live in our near middle east, I ain't sayin' where, and an imperial force of tremendous power.

And, after some considerable exasperation, the imperial power said, "fuck all y'all, everyone who's anyone must leave your home and come to my city under my direct supervision".

They were made "slaves". But. Not. Like, you know, not our kinda slaves. The rules in Babylon were rather different than the rules in Virginia.

NilaJones

@NilaJones@zeroes.ca 18 min. ago

@GeePawHill

Okay I went to look it up

https://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.137.2?lang=bi

By the rivers of Babylon,
there we sat,
sat and wept,
as we thought of Zion.
עַֽל־עֲרָבִ֥ים בְּתוֹכָ֑הּ תָּ֝לִ֗ינוּ כִּנֹּרוֹתֵֽינוּ׃
There on the poplars
we hung up our lyres,
כִּ֤י שָׁ֨ם שְֽׁאֵל֪וּנוּ שׁוֹבֵ֡ינוּ דִּבְרֵי־שִׁ֭יר וְתוֹלָלֵ֣ינוּ שִׂמְחָ֑ה שִׁ֥ירוּ לָ֝֗נוּ מִשִּׁ֥יר צִיּֽוֹן׃
for our captors asked us there for songs,
our tormentors, for amusement:
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”
אֵ֗יךְ נָשִׁ֥יר אֶת־שִׁיר־יְהֹוָ֑ה עַ֝֗ל אַדְמַ֥ת נֵכָֽר׃
How can we sing a song of GOD
on alien soil?
אִֽם־אֶשְׁכָּחֵ֥ךְ יְֽרוּשָׁלָ֗͏ִם תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח יְמִינִֽי׃
If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand wither;
תִּדְבַּֽק־לְשׁוֹנִ֨י ׀ לְחִכִּי֮ אִם־לֹ֢א אֶ֫זְכְּרֵ֥כִי אִם־לֹ֣א אַ֭עֲלֶה אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלַ֑͏ִם עַ֝֗ל רֹ֣אשׁ שִׂמְחָתִֽי׃
let my tongue stick to my palate
if I cease to think of you,
if I do not keep Jerusalem in memory
even at my happiest hour.
זְכֹ֤ר יְהֹוָ֨ה ׀ לִבְנֵ֬י אֱד֗וֹם אֵת֮ י֤וֹם יְֽר֫וּשָׁלָ֥͏ִם הָ֭אֹ֣מְרִים עָ֤רוּ ׀ עָ֑רוּ עַ֝֗ד הַיְס֥וֹד בָּֽהּ׃
Remember, O ETERNAL One, against the Edomites
the day of Jerusalem’s fall;
how they cried, “Strip her, strip her
to her very foundations!”
בַּת־בָּבֶ֗ל הַשְּׁד֫וּדָ֥ה אַשְׁרֵ֥י שֶׁיְשַׁלֶּם־לָ֑ךְ אֶת־גְּ֝מוּלֵ֗ךְ שֶׁגָּמַ֥לְתְּ לָֽנוּ׃
Fair Babylon, you predator,
a blessing on the one who repays you in kind
what you have inflicted on us;
אַשְׁרֵ֤י ׀ שֶׁיֹּאחֵ֓ז וְנִפֵּ֬ץ אֶֽת־עֹלָלַ֗יִךְ אֶל־הַסָּֽלַע׃ {פ}
a blessing on the one who seizes your babies
and dashes them against the rocks