by Steve Hausman Adar the 14th day is near It means that Purim is almost here But if in Jerusalem you'll be Then it's the 15th for you and me In synagogue we tell the tale Of Haman's evil and the Jews' travail On Purim day we have to eat A festive meal that can't be beat Eat the meat and drink the wine It's Se'udat Purim in its prime At the meal we'll sing a song And parodies we'll play along We'll drink the wine until we burst And can't tell Mordechai from Haman cursed Until we can't tell Mordechai from Haman This is what I'm really claimin' Purim is a feast of plenty You drink until you can't tell one from many Share our plenty with the poor That's our dictum now for sure Give shelakhmones to each other For every sister and every brother The Megillat Esther do we read Telling of her famous deed How did Purim get it's name From "pur," the work for lots, it came King Ahasuerus did abide In Shushan town by the river side Yes, in Shushan that fortress town Dwelt Ahasuerus of renown Banquets he gave very many The tables laden down with plenty King Ahasuerus ruled the land With Queen Vashti by his hand But Vashti one day, though she was his treasure Gave this mighty king much displeasure He banished her from his sight His courtiers ran from him in fright He sought a new queen far and wide To come to live there by his side Many women did he spy But only Esther caught his eye Her Uncle Mordechai stood by the gate To try to see his niece's fate And there he heard plots against the king And told Esther of everything And when Esther heard of the horrid plan She to the king quickly ran Thus Esther did the plotters foil Their plan against the king to spoil But then Haman the king did elevate For Jews this was not a cause to celebrate Haman, you see, the Jews did hate Them he only wished to denigrate Now Esther she did have a plan To ensnare this evil, wicked man She prepared a feast for the king Who did not suspect a thing And with her bold and witty chatter Haman she did quickly flatter He thought he was an honored guest So proudly he did puff his chest She asked advice on how to serve Honors to a man who them did deserve A man who did serve the king well And did in the town of Shushan dwell And Haman, thinking it was he Responded with a bit of glee Well, "ride that man through the town And with clothes him richly gown" Thus was Mordechai so rewarded And the first plot of Haman thwarted But madder still did Haman get The Jews so sorely he wished to beset He wished to keep everyone in his thrall And the Jews he wished to kill them all But Esther with a listening ear Did of this evil plot soon hear This latest threat made Esther cry To think her people they would die And when the king he saw her woe He asked her what made it so He learned the cause was Haman's deed And ordered punishment with deliberate speed Thus Haman paid with his life For causing the Jews so much strife So spin the grager at Haman's name He was the one from who troubles came Let's celebrate our foe's demise By drinking wine and eating pies Or maybe snack on a hamentashen And do some other little noshin' Think of the queen whose name was Esther Who saved her people from disaster Read each year the whole megillah You will get a real big thrilla' Now you have heard Queen Esther's tale Where the plot of Haman did surely fail And once Purim is finally over It's almost time for Passover Copyright © 1998 Steve Hausman