ANNA BE-KORENU

ANNA BE-KORENU (Heb. אָנָּא בְּקָרְאֵנוּ), a seliḥah in the Sephardi rite, recited on the eve of the day of atonement . It was composed by David b. Eleazar ibn paquda (12th century). The prayer, its eight stanzas spelling the acrostic David Ḥazak ("David, be strong\!"), consists of a plaintive theme developed by the cantor and punctuated frequently by the congregation singing either "Hear, O Lord\!" or "Pardon, O Lord\!" The chorus, from which the name is derived, reads, "To the voice of our supplication when we call Thee, Hear, O Lord\! Through Thy mercy, the sins caused by our selfish ambition, Pardon, O Lord\!"