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By the Rivers of Babylon

for reed quintet

2023 • chamber music

nonesuch reed quintet

Completion Year

2023

Scored for

reed quintet

Duration

ca. 3' 30"

Source Text

Psalm 137:1-3

א עַל נַהֲרוֹת, בָּבֶל--שָׁם יָשַׁבְנוּ, גַּם-בָּכִינוּ: בְּזָכְרֵנוּ, אֶת-צִיּוֹן.
ב עַל-עֲרָבִים בְּתוֹכָהּ-- תָּלִינוּ, כִּנֹּרוֹתֵינוּ.
ג כִּי שָׁם שְׁאֵלוּנוּ שׁוֹבֵינוּ, דִּבְרֵי-שִׁיר-- וְתוֹלָלֵינוּ שִׂמְחָה:
שִׁירוּ לָנוּ, מִשִּׁיר צִיּוֹן.


By the rivers of Babylon,
There we sat and also wept,
When we remembered Zion.

Upon the willows in the midst of it
We hung our lyres.

For there our captors asked us about the words of a song,
And our tormentors asked joyfully, saying,
“Sing for us one of the songs of Zion.”