8. Ĕl̲uneṯṯu Nirāṭi (After the Bath)

Sung by women accompanying the bride as she leaves the house to the synagogue for the marriage ceremony. The language of this song is particularly obscure. It refers to a person or persons of unspecified gender - presumed in this performance context to be the bride - who gets up from a bath to go to the synagogue. Then someone - perhaps the groom or a messenger - is assisted in climbing onto a horse.

Text

You got up and bathed before going to the synagogue.
By tightening the grip a horse was mounted.
Without fail the information was sent.
A spiral ladder was provided to mount the horse.
The horse was mounted by clinging with the hands,
And then by grasping hold of the reins.
Oh may you never sin.
Oh may you shine like a beautiful lamp!