This little poem poem is a subversion of the morning blessing
ברוך ×תה ×™×™ ××œ×”×™× ×• מלך ×”×¢×•×œ× ×©×œ× ×¢×©× ×™ ×שה Blessed art Thou Lord our God, King of the Universe, that hast not made me a woman. It is not the only such subversion in medieval Hebrew letters. Qalonymos ben Qalonymos has another, much longer one, in which he too expresses the wish to have been born a woman.
Love's Labor PangsTodros Abulafia (13th cent.)
Translated by A.Z. Foreman
On an Arab girl whom I'd love to have as a lover, whom I saw with other women kissing one another.
I've known love's labor pangs, but brought forth naught. I'm in the snares of her, an Arab fawn.My soul so longs for kisses from her mouthThat I long to turn myself into a femaleFor it is women that she'll woo and kissBut I am lost. For I was born a male. The Original:
ב×הבה חלתי
טודרוס ×בולעפיה
طدروس ابو العاÙية
על בת ערב ערבה לי ×הבתה, ובתוך עלמות ר×יתי ×ותה, משיקות ×שה על ×חותה.
בָּ×ַהֲבָה חַלְתִּי ×•Ö°×œÖ¹× ×™Ö¸×œÖ·×“Ö°×ªÖ¼Ö´×™,
וּבְפַח צְבִיָּה בַּת עֲרָב × Ö´×œÖ°×›Ö·Ö¼×“Ö°×ªÖ¼Ö´×™.
×œÖ´× Ö°×©×ֹק בְּפִיהָ ×ִוְּתָה × Ö·×¤Ö°×©×Ö´×™ עֲדֵי
לִהְיוֹת × Ö°×§Öµ×‘Ö¸×” בַעֲדָהּ חָמַדְתִּי —
×›Ö¼Ö´×™ ×”Ö·× Ö¼Ö°×§Öµ×‘×•Ö¹×ª ×”Ö´×™× ×žÖ°× Ö·×©×ֶּקֶת, וּבִש×Ö°Ö¾
בִיל ש×Ö¶×Ö²× Ö´×™ זָכָר, ×Ö²× Ö´×™ הִפְסַדְתִּי!
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