אֲדָר in the Fiddle’s Fire (Dublin Purim Night)

Verse 1 — Rain & Return Rain on the Liffey, slick cobblestone, Peat fire crackle in timber and stone, Masks hung crooked on polished oak, Someone’s crown already broke. I just got back from Haifa shore, From yeshiva books and ancient lore, Now I’m home where the stout runs thick, And the fiddles bow fast and quick. Granddad’s photo by the bar, Came here once from lands afar, Now I stand where he once stood — Same old joy in Irish wood. Chorus Raise it high, don’t think too much, Tonight the world’s a friendly touch. משנכנס אֲדָר מרבין בשמחה — And the fiddle makes it so. Round the table, spin the floor, Rain outside, but not no more. משנכנס אֲדָר מרבין בשמחה — Let the whole pub glow. Verse 2 — Cultural Weaving It starts as a reel from County Clare, Then bends like a freilach mid-air, Bodhrán thumps and clarinet cries, Same old tears in different skies. Guinness foam on hamantaschen crumbs, Someone bangs on spoons and drums, A lad in a Mordechai beard Says, “Faith survives — we’re still here.” I laugh and tell them where I’ve been — Jerusalem stones, Judean wind, But Dublin rain feels just as right On Shushan Purim night. Pre-Chorus — Harbor Echo I was just in Harbor of שמחה, Salt still clinging to my coat, Came across the restless sea With songs my teachers wrote. Now I pour them into this room, Let them rise with peat-fire bloom — From Haifa docks to Dublin door, Joy survived the ocean’s roar. Chorus — Bigger Raise it high, let glasses ring, Hear the fiddler lean and sing. משנכנס אֲדָר מרבין בשמחה — And the rafters shake. From Shushan’s tale to Irish ale, From exile’s wind to homely hail, משנכנס אֲדָר מרבין בשמחה — For heaven’s sake! Verse 3 — Humor & Hardship We’ve had our share of kings and laws, Of sealed decrees and holy cause, Of famine ships and border lines, And stubborn hope between the times. Life’s unfair — that much is true, Storms come in from out the blue, But I leave the worrying upstairs — Tonight we dance, He handles cares. A bride and groom near the dartboard stand, New gold ring on trembling hand, First Purim laugh as man and wife — Bless the stubborn pulse of life. Bridge — Minor Key Moment Fiddle slows to a minor bend, Like memory calling old friend, For nights when choice was stripped away And tyrants tried to end the day. But life was written otherwise, Morning came to shocked surprise, Death was ink, but Heaven tore The page and wrote one more. Then SNAP — back into reel and cheer, “We’re still alive and still have beer!” Final Chorus — Full Pub Explosion Raise it high, stomp the floor, Joy has crossed from shore to shore. משנכנס אֲדָר מרבין בשמחה — Say it loud and clear! From Dublin rain to desert sun, From grandfather to grandson, משנכנס אֲדָר מרבין בשמחה — Another year! Spin the room or spin my head, Laugh at what the tyrants said, Mask the sorrow, lift the bar — That’s the month we are. Outro — Warm Fade Rain still tapping on the pane, Fiddle humming soft refrain, I kiss the mezuzah by the door, And step back into Dublin’s roar. Granddad’s smile in stout-dark foam, Israel in my Irish home, And somewhere in the bow’s last spark — אֲדָר leaves its mark.