Abie Rotenberg - Rabbi Akiva lyrics

He was a forty year old man, Akiva was his name No scholar, he no saint, a shepherd by his trade But one day he went down to the riverside, he saw a crevice stones from the waters tide, And he felt the strength he had inside, he knew then that it's not too late, to reach the sky So he left his wife, and went, to study by the wise, And they watched his knowledge grow, and the brilliance in his eye. For twelve long years he learnt the law, and his mind grew strong, his sprit soared. When he came home, as he stood by the door, he heard his wife say "I'd gladly give, a dozen more" From far and wide, they came to him, the people of his nation For he had become the leader of his generation But the Romans came with an iron hand, and the study of torah, it was banned Yet of his people, he did demand, "Don't leave the waters of your faith, you'll be like a fish on land" So they tortured him with combs of steel, payment for his crime, But through his pain, he taught us all, a legend for all time With his students by his side, his eyes were closed, his head held high, Without a sound, without a cry, "Hashem Echad" was on his lips – that's how he died.