Songs of Exile/Hymn of Refuge
HYMN
OF
REFUGE
The Hymn of Refuge is taken, like the last hymn, from the closing service of the Day of Atonement, and it consists of the first stanza of a Selichah by Isaac ben Samuel and the first of a Selichah by Solomon ben Samuel. The date of the first poet is unknown, though he was probably one of those composers of Selichoth living between the tenth and the twelfth century. Solomon lived early in the thirteenth century. These two verses are sung to a beautiful old melody to which the Kol Nidrei poem, כי הנה כחומר, is also set.
Hymn of Refuge
THE shade of His hand shall cover us
(Under the wings of His presence);
He surely will pity, trying thus
The wrongful heart, to show the righteous way.
Arise, Lord, I beseech Thee:
My help! help now, I pray;
Lord, now let our crying reach Thee.
"Forgiven," He will let us hear
(He in His secret dwelling);
His hand shall bring salvation near
The people, poor and lowly and astray.
While we to Thee be crying,
Help wondrously we pray;
Lord, now be Thou replying.