Zemiroth Israel [religious poetry]

NAJARA, ISRAEL.

Giovanni di Gara

Venice

1599

Divisional title-pages. Snatches of poetry in manuscript.

Vinograd, Venice 872; Habermann, di Gara 188; Mehlman 1282.

First appearance of Ya-h Ribon Olam (f. 7r), one of the most popular Sabbath Zemiroth. Najara was the first poet to compose and organize his piyutim according to the Near Eastern “maqam” style of musical composition. Born in Damascus c. 1555, his compositions are distinguished by their deep religiosity, references to Jewish suffering and yearning for redemption. Najara learned much from the great Jewish poets of the Spanish-Arabic period, yet nonetheless, frequently employed his own original forms and themes. Despite the wide circulation of his poetry, particularly among oriental communities, Najara’s occasional imitation of foreign styles and use of eroticized terminology was attacked by Menachem di Lonzano and especially Chaim Vital who indeed forbade the singing of Najara’s songs entirely. See I. Zinberg, The Jewish Center of Culture in the Ottoman Empire (1974) pp. 94-106; Carmilly-Weinberger pp. 217-8; EJ, XII cols. 798-9.