Zionides
Zionides are piyyutim that express the longing of the Jewish nation to see the hill of Zion and the city of Jerusalem shine again in all their former glory. They date back to immediately after the 587 BCE Siege of [Jerusalem (587 BC)|destruction of Solomon's Temple]. Since that period, Israel's poets, composers, and singers have recollected the imagined beauty of the Temple music. By far the greatest number of their works voice a desire to see the Jewish people, the city of Jerusalem, Mount Zion, and the Temple restored to their former grandeur.
Biblical songs
The earliest known expression of Zion songs in Jewish literature dates to approximately the fifth century BCE, encapsulated in the poignant lament of Psalm 137:1–3, which reflects the profound grief of the Israelites as they endure exile in a foreign land. In parallel, Psalm 86 emerges from this same historical context, capturing a sense of hope and anticipation for the end of captivity, heralding the eventual return of exiles who will then compose a new song celebrating Zion. Additionally, the fifth chapter of the Book of Lamentations is an elegiac piece that culminates in a yearning for divine redemption and restoration.Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages, Zionides from the pens of the greatest poets formed the chief comfort and consolation of the people. As early as the time of Ibn Gabirol songs of Zion were incorporated in the liturgy, partly as lamentations for Tisha B'Av and partly as tefillot and piyyutim. Notable lamentations for Zion which are sung on Tisha B'Av include: a song beginning with the words בליל זה יבכיון ויילילו בני and giving a vivid description of the destruction of Zion; the well-known song which begins with the words עוני שמרון קול תתן מצאוני, and in which Samaria and Jerusalem try to excel each other in the description of the misfortune which has fallen upon them; and, above all, the Eli Tzion with its refrain:Also notable are several strophes of the song Lekhah Dodi, which is sung in the Sabbath eve service.
The most important of Ibn Gabirol's Zionides are the poem beginning with the words:
and that beginning:
Judah ha-Levi was the author of the Zionide beginning. Among his most prominent Zion poems is Tziyyon ha-lo tishali :
Besides this song, which has been translated into nearly all European languages in prose and in verse, Judah wrote several shorter songs, chief of which are Libi baMizrah '''' and
Various authors
Among other medieval writers of this class may be mentioned Abraham ibn Ezra, who composed the Zionide '; Judah al-Ḥarizi, author of the song ; and Israel Najara, who wrote the song '.In more modern times Samuel David Luzzatto wrote:
Equally well known is Joseph Almanzi's
The most prominent Hebrew poets have written Zionides, among the number being M. S. Rabener, Micah Levisohn, Judah Loeb Gordon, S. Mandelkern, M. M. Dolitzky, and N. H. Imber.
Countless songs have been produced under the influence of Zionism: of these may be mentioned the song adopted by all the Zionists of the world as their national song, and beginning with the words "There, where a slender cedar kisses the clouds"; the song of the academic society Kadimah in Austria, "Knowest thou whence freedom comes"?;
the song of the united Zionists, "Sluchajcie bracia gueśni tij"; and "Hatikva", composed by N. H. Imber, which has the refrain: