Leonard Cohen - Who By Fire? Lyrics

And who by fire, who by water?
Who in the sunshine, who in the night time?
Who by high ordeal, who by common trial?
Who in your merry, merry month of May?
Who by very slow decay?
And who, who shall I say is calling?

And who in her lonely slip, who by barbiturate?
Who in these realms of love, who by something blunt?
And who by avalanche, who by powder?
Who for his greed, who for his hunger?
And who, who shall I say is calling?

And who by brave assent, who by accident?
Who in solitude, who in this mirror?
Who by his lady's command, who by his own hand?
Who in mortal chains, who in power?
And who, who shall I say is calling?

And who shall I say is calling?

And who by fire, who by water?
Who in the sunshine, who in the night time?
Who by high ordeal, who by common trial?
Who in your merry, merry month of May?
Who by very slow decay?
And who, who shall I say is calling?

Who shall I say is calling?

• Anonymous

  This song seems to be derived from the Un'taneh Tokef prayer of Jewish liturgy which says "Who shall live and who shall die? Who within the normal life span and who will not? Who by fire and who by water? Who by the violence of man and who by beast? Who by hunger or thirst? Why by disaster plague or execution? Who will rest and who willw ander? Who will bne suecure and who tormented? Who will become poor and who will become rich? Who will fail and who will become famous?
  Brian D. Fox
  Rabbi
  Menorah Synagogue,
  Manchester UK
  brian@menorah.org.uk