אֲרוּם תַּמָן שַׁיְלוּ יָתָנָא בַּבְלָאֵי דִשְׁבוֹי יָתָנָא לְמֵימַר מִלִין דְשִׁירַיָא וּבָזְזָנָא עַל עֲסַק חֶדְוָא אָמְרִין שְׁבַחוּ לָנָא מִן שִׁירָתָא דַהֲוֵיתוּן אָמְרִין בְּצִיוֹן.
1. and our tormentors | וְתוֹלָלֵינוּ – As this word appears only here, its meaning is debated. Many assume that it is somewhat parallel to the "captors" of the first clause, who request not just song, but also rejoicing. Thus, Hoil Moshe relates the noun to the root "תלל", to mock or toy with. The anonymous northern French commentary suggests: "those who lord over us", with the noun being related to the adjective "תלול", lofty, while Malbim writes: "our plunderers", reading "תוֹלָלֵינוּ" as "שוללינו", with the "ת" and "ש" switching as they do between Hebrew and Aramaic. Cf. Rashi that perhaps this is a term for any instrument which is sometimes hung; as such, the captors ask for song and instruments of joy. Finally, R. Moshe ibn Chiquitilla connects the noun to the root "ילל", to howl, understanding that the captors were mockingly trying to change the nation's howls of grief into joy. Whatever the definition, it is likely that the word was chosen as a play on the word "תָּלִינוּ" of the previous verse.