Blow the trumpets in the new moon,
Sing in the spring time for life’s song,
Swing into spring, let’s celebrate,
Spring in the New Year, let’s cultivate,
Remember the past over the pass, 
Remember to pass over the task,
 And eat those bitter herbs, 

Own the confession, 
Circumcise the heart, 
Taste the affliction, 
Past to pass, 
Prepare the unleavened bread, 
Water the soul, 
Lamb the meat, 
Pray to the east, 
And drink those bitter herbs, 

Slaves, own your cotton, 
Slaves, own your terms of endearment, 
Slaves, own your jazz, hip-hop, rock and roll, 
Slaves, own your calypso, reggae, gospel and your soul, 
Slaves own your captivity, 
Slaves, own your Biblical identity, 
And eat those bitter herbs, 

Sodom and Gomorrah, own your fire, 
Egypt, own your plagues, 
Babylon, own the handwriting wall, 
Rome, own your burning fall, 
America, own your racist reprisal, 
Israelites, own your Bible, 
Ishmael, own your fatal seal for your slave trading zeal, 
Edom, own your hell Obadiah revealed, 
And drink those bitter herbs, 

Goldenseal, 
wormwood,
horehound, 
and yarrow, 
Cleanliness ensues the straight and narrow, 

Own the confession,
Circumcise the heart, 
Taste the affliction, 
Past to pass, 
Prepare the unleavened bread, 
Lamb the meat, 
Pray to the east,
And eat those bitter herbs…