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The Darkei Moshe in O.C. 695:1 cites various interpretations of what it means to be inebriated enough to not know "בין ארור המן לברוך מרדכי." One of the opinions that he cites is that there was an old piyut in which the end of each stitch alternated between ארור המן and ברוך מרדכי, and it was hard to keep track of. They would drink until they were unable to keep track of which was the ארור המן and which was the ברוך מרדכי stitch.

Are the words of this piyut known? Can I find it somewhere?

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  • Check Machzor Vitri,when I get a chance will loook – sam Jan 15 '15 at 4:06
  • Apparently, it was composed by someone named "R. Yitzchak" (Abudraham and Sefer Minhagos of R. Asher Lunel) – הנער הזה Jan 15 '15 at 4:32
  • Hagaos vchudushei Rashash says it seema there was a piyut which was made according to the alef bais until tav – sam Mar 2 '15 at 17:39
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I don't know for sure, but the following piyut seems like a good candidate, printed in the Machzor Vitri for Shachris of Purim:

אָרוּר הָמָן אֲשֶׁר בִּיקֵּשׁ לְאַבְּדִי בָּרוּךְ מָרְדֳּכַי הַיְּהוּדִי אֲרוּרָה זֶרֶשׁ אֵשֶׁת מַפְחִידִי בְּרוּכָה אֶסְתֵּר בַּעֲדִי אָרוּר הָמָן אָץ לְנַפְּצִי בָּרוּךְ מָרְדֳּכַי בִּתְחִינָה חִלְּצִי אֲרוּרָה זֶרֶשׁ גָּפְרִית לָחֲצִי בְּרוּכָה אֶסְתֵּר דָּפְקָה לְהַעֲלִיצִי אָרוּר הָמָן הָאֲגָגִי בָּרוּךְ מָרְדֳּכַי וְזַרְעוׂ בְּחֲגִי אֲרוּרָה זֶרֶשׁ זָמְמָה למוֹגְּגִי בְּרוּכָה אֶסְתֵּר חֵן נָּשְׂאָה לְּהַשְּׂגִיא אָרוּר הָמָן טִיפֵּש מְשׁוּנֶה בָּרוּךְ מָרְדֳּכַי יְהוּדִי וּמִשְׁנֶה אֲרוּרָה זֶרֶשׁ כֹּל יַעֲנֶה בְּרוּכָה אֶסְתֵּר לוֹמַר בְּמַעֲנֶה אָרוּר הָמָן מוּלִי שִׁינֵן לְשׁוׂנוׂ כְּחֵץ בָּרוּךְ מָרְדֳּכַי נִינָיו וְאוׂתוׂ קִיצֵץ אֲרוּרָה זֶרֶשׁ סָחָה יַעֲשׂוּ עֵץ בְּרוּכָה אֶסְתֵּר עָלְצָה אֶת יוׂעֵץ אָרוּר הָמָן פּוּר הִפִּיל לְכַלוֹת שׁוׂשַנָה בָּרוּךְ מָרְדֳּכַי צַָעַק בִּתְחִינה אֲרוּרָה זֶרֶשׁ קְרִיאָה קְרִיאָה בְּרוּכָה אֶסְתֵּר רְנָנוֹת רִינָה אָרוּר הָמָן שׁוֹבֵר וְכוֹבה בָּרוּךְ מָרְדֳּכַי שלום הִרְבָּה אֲרוּרָה זֶרֶשׁ תִּימַח שמה בְּרוּכָה אֶסְתֵּר תִּזָכֵר לְטוׂבָה

While, technically, this piyut places the refrain at the beginning of each stanza, the placement and manner of singing these types of piyyutim was often flexible, and it's possible that in some places the congregation would call out the refrain at the end of each stanza.

This possibility is also posited by the author of this blog post

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    The idea behind this piyut may trace back to the Y'rushalmi (M'gilla 3:7, starting "רב אמר צריך לאמר ארור המן"), where Tosafos (M'gilla 7b, s.v. דלא ידע) and the Ran (on the Rif 3b, s.v. מיחייב אינש) seem to have a girsa suggesting that this sort of thing should be said on Purim. – Fred Jan 15 '15 at 5:29
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    @Fred I always assumed that was the basis for the Shoshanas Yaakov which is more prevalent; there doesn't seem to be any requirement to draw it out like this – הנער הזה Jan 15 '15 at 5:30
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    Wouldn't the piyut have to date from Talmudic times to answer the question? – Double AA♦ Jan 15 '15 at 5:33
  • @DoubleAA only if the Abudraham is actually correct in his interpretation of the Gemara. I didn't think that the question was relying on that – הנער הזה Jan 15 '15 at 5:41
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    @Fred Matt is likely correct that this refers to Shoshanas Yaakov - this piyut lacks any reference to arurim kol hareshayim and beruchim kol haYehudim, which are in Tosefos and the Ran, whereas many versions of Shoshanas Yaakov have that. – Y     e     z Jan 15 '15 at 13:35

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