David Hakohen

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David Hakohen (also haKohen or Ha-Kohen ) was a late thirteenth-century Hebrew liturgical poet from Avignon, who wrote from a Jewish perspective in the troubadouresque tradition. His most published work, "Silence and Praise" (Hishtaavi u-birkhi ), is in the form of a muwashshah, a prelude to prayer. Ironically, the ode pledges that the prayer will be silent. It has been translated into English. It opens like this: