Emek ha-Shirim
עמק השירים / יודעי לעט בינה בזה הספר / גם שוררים שם נא-ספו חוברו / כל תו-פסי קסת באמרי שפר / לשיר זמירותם אשר נהדרו / כל שיר יחובר נ-חשב כאפר / תחת לרגליהם אשר יקרו / אלה בהוד ידמו בניב לחרס / המה מאד ידמו כנבלי חרש / ביום א‘ י″ו לחדש מנחם שנת התצ″ד / אלה דברי דוד בן אברהם / צעיר הפיטנים עבד אברם.
Collection of Hebrew poetry and riddles, copied by David Franco Mendes and Isaac Cohen Belinfante. Amsterdam, c. 1780.
Contents:
p. [1]: Hebrew laudatory poem for David Franco Mendes by Joseph [Shiprut de Gabay] on a paper leaf of 23,1 x 17,6 cm.
p. [2, 3, 6, 7, 10,] 72, 74, 86, 94, 128, 166-181, 200, 201: Blank.
p. [4, 5]: Hebrew laudatory poem for David Franco Mendes by Isaac ben Eliah Cohen Belinfante, dated 1753.
p. [8], 11-18: Hebrew poem by Joseph Shiprut de Gabay.
p. [9]: Title.
p. 1-7: Several Hebrew poems by Solomon de Oliveira.
p. 8-18: Hebrew poems by Yehiel Foa.
p. 19, 20: Hebrew poems by Joseph ben David Lopes.
p. 21-27: Several liturgical poems recited in the Sephardic synagogue of Amsterdam.
p. 2-30: Hebrew poem by Samson da Costa.
p. 31-49, 9-92, 107-112: Several anonymous Hebrew poems.
p. 34: Verses of the Portuguese poet Luís Vaz de Camões, “Vida Pastoril”; “Outava 15 e 16 de Luis de Camões sobre o desconcerto do mundo”.
p. 36: Chant 1, Out. 88 of the Lusíadas by Camões and Chant 2, out. 27 of the same.
p. 38: Lusíadas Chant. 4, out. 28.
p. 50-52, 54, 58: Portuguese outavas and Cantos 16, 40 and 88 of the Lusiadas by Luis de Camões with Hebrew translation of Moses Hayim Luzzatto.
p. 53: Nuptial poem for Aaron Cohen and Rahel by Samuel Rodrigues Mendes.
p. 55: Hebrew poem by David Henriques Bueno and Aaron da Costa Abendana.
p. 56-58: Hebrew poem by David ben Raphael Meldola, dated 1744.
p. 59, 60: Two laudatory poems for William IV of Orange, one Hebrew and one French, by Elyasiv Nethanel Sarphati.
p. 61-70: Hebrew laudatory poem by Jesurun Oliveira and Samson da Costa Isaac Cohen Belinfante, Elisa Navi and Solomon de Oliveira. Between p. 62 and 63 on vellum 1 of 15,9 x 10,3 cm. Hebrew poem dated 1751 in square vocalised writing.
p. 71- 5: Hebrew poem for Abraham Cohen by David Franco Mendes.
p. 86: Portuguese translation of a collection of riddles by David Franco Mendes.
p. 87, 88, 117-125: Hebrew poems by Moses Hayim Luzzatto.
p. 93-104: Elegy on the death of Judah Brill, Rabbi of Mantua by Cohen Modon, 1722.
p. 105, 106: Hebrew poems by Moses Jesurun Oliveira and Raphael Joseph of Treves.
p. 111-113: Printed in Spanish Esplicazion del enigma en español with Hebrew annotations.
p. 113-115: Laudatory poem for Gedaliah ben Moses Cazes by Moses Hayim Luzzatto. p.116: Nuptial poem for Abraham Israel and Sarah Lopes, 1776.
p. 114: “Outava 1ª da Harmonia do Mundo” by Miguel or Daniel Levi de Barros.
p. 126: Title:
לחיך ינעם מכל טעם / חידה נאה שרת טעם / ובספר זה יראה הוזה / חלב ארש בטל מזה / ימצא עידות הנחמדות / חקרי לבות אנשי מידות / נכתב ביו‘ א‘ : י″ח/ לחדש מנחם / שנת התצד / קורא ידיד אם תשאל לשמי / דוד וחפשי הוא ובן אברם / ובעוד נשמח בי בתוך / עמי עבור ליוצרי ל–אדונירם.
p. 127-155: Collection of riddles by David Franco Mendes a.o.
p. 156-165, 182-189: Printed riddles by the same, pasted upon the pages.
Hebrew, Italian and Portuguese / Paper and some vellum / 19,6 x 15,4 cm. / [10] + 201 pp. (first 4 and last 11 ff. blank) / Variety of lines to a page / Sephardic cursive and some square writing in 2 hands, some current writing by David Franco Mendes, p. 61-70, 92, 105, 106, 117-125 by Isaac Cohen Belinfante / Title written in engraved ornamental frame, coloured by hand, on p. 71 and 93 engraved title with text written in frame, p. 126 title riddles written in engraved frame coloured by hand / On p. 130 and between pp. 135, 136 illustrations, engravings cut out, pasted upon the pages and coloured by hand.
Fuks 275. Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.