A Poem for Sukkos / Sukkot / סוכות

Note:  this online version is written with Ashkenazi pronunciation because that’s how I say it.  You can download either pronunciation as a printable PDF here:  Ashkenaz or Sefard.

I also have a printable Sukkot/Sukkos copywork sheet available here.

We didn’t have an esrog, no, we didn’t have an esrog,

With Sukkos drawing near

We had the other minim three,

But no esrog had we here.

Our esrog was growing, yes, our esrog was growing,

High up in an esrog-tree

We had to wait for it to turn

As yellow as it could be.

We had a lulav, yes, we had a lulav,

And hadassim, three, two, one,

With two aravos, waving proud,

But our esrog simply wasn’t done.

Our esrog was special, yes, our esrog was special,

Grown from esrog seeds

Planted years ago when Sukkos went out,

Watered and cared for its needs.

We built a sukkah, yes, we built a sukkah

Topped in branches green and steady,

We decorated it so fine,

But our esrog was still not ready.

We cooked a meal, yes, we cooked a meal,

For yom tov, delicious and hot.

But we all felt glum because we knew

An esrog we still had not.

Our esrog was hanging, yes, our esrog was hanging,

Among branches stiff and spiny

But we had to wait some more until

Our esrog was yellow and shiny.

It was erev Sukkos, yes, erev Sukkos

When we noticed the blazing-bright gleam

Our esrog was ready for us at last,

So we went out as a team.

Our esrog was waiting, yes, our esrog was waiting

As we climbed up carefully.

We plucked that esrog growing high

Way up in our esrog-tree.

And our esrog was perfect, yes, our esrog was perfect

To hold in just one hand

We turned it over and knew for sure:

Best esrog in the land!

We bundled it up, yes, we bundled it up,

Four minim upon the shelves.

Happy and proud and satisfied

We’d done it all ourselves.

But then we remembered, yes, then we remembered,

We hadn’t quite been alone

Without Hashem to care for it, too,

Our esrog would never have grown.

So we gathered our esrog, yes, we gathered our esrog,

And the other three minim, too.

And said shehecheyanu, to admit to Hashem,

“We wouldn’t be here without you.”

Photos from by Avi Kolko from A Trip to the Pardes here.

Illustrations from the Jewish Magazine here.