 Lonzano's first work, composed and printed in his youth, probably in Constantinople about 1572, contains "Derekh Ḥayyim," a moral poem of 315 verses; "Pizmonim u-Baḳḳashot," hymns and prayers; and "Avodat Miḳdash," a poetical description of the daily sacrifice in the Temple.He wrote commentaries to most of his poems; this was, indeed, often necessary on account of the obscurity of his verses, especially where they are kabbalistic in content and employ the kabbalistic terminology.He generally indicates the meters of the "piyyuṭim," many of which were set to Arabic melodies because these, the author thought, were better adapted, on account of their melancholy, to arouse feelings of devotion and humility; or, as he says further on in the same work, because they sound more solemn than any others.