Cohen is still our elegist for the ages, even when his song spanned several cultural moments.
Then the elegist is here giving voice to the people's penitent confession and prayer.
And yet according to his custom throughout, the elegist attributes these calamities of his people to the anger of God.
The subsequent restoration of Israel shows that the fires to which the elegist here calls our attention were purgatorial.
It is to be noted that the elegist points to a definite occasion for the outpouring of the heart before God.
It has been suggested with probability that by the expression "the beauty of Israel" the elegist intended to indicate the temple.
