Whispering Willow

Whispering Willow was inspired by the second verse of Va Pensiero, the opening chorus from the 3rd act of Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi, the opera currently playing here at the Union Avenue Opera. The chorus, below, was inspired by Psalm 137 which recalls the Hebrews’ captivity in Babylon during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzer.
Golden harp of the prophetic wise men,
why hang so silently from the willows?
Rekindle the memories in our hearts,
tell us about the times gone by!
Remembering the fate of Jerusalem
play us a sad lament
or else be inspired by the Lord
to fortify us to endure our suffering!
Psalm 137: 1-4 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion. Upon the willows in the midst of it we hung our harps. For there our captors demanded of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?
Whispering Willow softly speaks of the grace God bestowed on the Hebrews when he brought them back to Israel.
Psalm 126: 1-6 When the Lord brought back the captives of Zion we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad. Restore our fortunes O Lord like streams in the Negeb: He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.