Al-n’harot Bavel,
Sham yashavnu gam-bachinu,
b’zachraynu et-Tziyon

By the rivers of Babylon,
there we sat, and we wept,
when we remembered Zion. (Psalm 137:1)
[Click (or tap) to see the entire Psalm 137 in Hebrew and English (JPS 1985).]

The experience of exile can illuminate and magnify the power of our longing. Zion represents the mind-state of belonging, safety, connection and the realization that we are at home in God. In exile we feel disconnected from the wholeness of life, and we mourn the loss of meaning that comes from that alienation. In remembering Zion, we receive the Divine promise of returning to the inner truth of our interconnection with all of Creation, remembering that we are home.

To hear the chants, use the audio players. To download a chant, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

• The Experience of Exile (Hebrew)  
• The Experience of Exile (English #1)  
• The Experience of Exile (English #2)  
• The Experience of Exile (mix)  

To download the PDF file for this chant, click The Experience of Exile PDF.