שִׁירָה II, v. שִׁיר II) song, hymn, poetry, music. Arakh. 11ᵃ עיקר ש׳ בפה וכלי וכ׳ the essential in the Temple music is (the song) with the mouth, and the musical instruments are for accompaniment (v. בְּסַם); (anoth. opin.) עיקר ש׳ בכלי instrumental music is the essential &c.; Succ. 50ᵇ; a. e.—Y. Meg. III, 74ᵇ bot. שִׁירַת הבאר the song of the well (Num. XXI, 17 sq.); ש׳ הים the song of the sea (Ex. XV, 1—18); ש׳ הלוים the song of the Levites (for the additional sacrifice of the Sabbath, Deut. XXXII, 1–43); Treat. Sof’rim ch. XII. R. Hash. 30ᵇ ש׳ של חול the song (of the Levites) for a week-day. Ib. 31ᵃ top דש׳ דיומיה הוה because it would at all events have been the song for that day (the fifth day of the week for which the same psalm is designated as for the New Year’s Day, Ps. LXXXI); a. v. fr.—Pl. שִׁירוֹת. Y. Meg. l. c. כל הש׳ טעונות וכ׳ all poetic passages of the Pentateuch (when read at public service) require special benedictions before and after. Ex. R. s. 23 כל הש׳ … לשון נקיבה וכ׳ all the songs that have heretofore been composed (mentioned in the Scriptures) are of the feminine gender (שִׁירָה) … but the song of the future … will be of the masculine gender (שִׁיר, ref. to Is. XLII, 10); Cant. R. to I, 5; a. fr.