Y’did ne-fesh, av ha-rach-man |
m’shoch av-dach el r’tso-nach |
ya-ruts av-dach k’mo a-yal |
yish-ta-cha-ve mul ha-da-rach |
ki ye’-rav lo y’di-du-tach |
mi-no-fet tsuf v’chol ta-am |
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Ha-dur, na-eh, ziv ha-o-lam |
naf-shi cho-lat a-ha-va-tach |
a-na, El na, r’fa na lah |
b’har-ot lah no-am zi-vach |
az tit-cha-zek v’tit-ra-pe |
v’hay-ta lach shif-chat o-lam |
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Va-tik, yeh-mu ra-cha-me-cha |
v’chus na al ben o-ha-vach |
ki ze ka-meh nich-sof nich-saf |
lir-ot b’tif-e-ret u-zach |
a-na, E-li, mach-mad li-bi |
chu-sha na v’al tit-a-lam |
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Hi-ga-le na uf-ros, ha-viv |
a-lai et su-kat sh’lo-mach |
ta-ir e-rets mi-k’vo-dach |
na-gi-la v’nis-m’cha bach |
ma-her, a-huv, ki va mo-ed |
v’cho-nei-ni ki-mei o-lam |
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NOTES:
The use of the particle "-ach" for second person masculine (frequently used in Biblical Hebrew), as in "av-dach, r’tso-nach" is clearly correct here as it is in accord with the metric pattern of eight syllables (counting sh’va na’ and chataf as syllables) per "tsal’it" (hemi-stych) and is consistent with Hebrew poetry of Azikri’s time. I say this because the authentic Azikri manuscript is unvocalized and has been misconstrued by some publishers. Clearly, "av-de-cha, r’tso-ne-cha" would violate the meter seriously. Furthermore, the rhyming pattern, to be consistent with the quotation from Shir ha-shirim: "na-gila v’nis-m’cha bach" requires the "ach" ending for the first two lines of each stanza.
Incidentally, I have chosen "ha-rach-man" , "v’hay-ta", "yeh-mu" rather than the grammatically exact "ha-ra-cha-man", "v’ha-y’ta" "ye-he-mu" in order to preserve the meter (as I assume the paytan intended). You might prefer to ignore this fine point and be grammatically correct.
If you would like an excellent translation of this piyut, in its correct version, I can refer you to T. Carmi’s excellent anthology of Hebrew poetry from Biblical to modern times, translated by Carmi himself. The beautiful imagery comes through clearly in his outstanding poetic translation.
--- Yosef Gilboa (2/15/98)