אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם (מנהג הספרדים)‏ | Adōn Olam (Portuguese translation by Artur Carlos de Barros Basto, 1939)

Contributor(s):

Artur Carlos de Barros Basto, Shlomo ibn Gabirol and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Shared on:

13 August 2023 under the Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication

Categories:

Bedtime Shema, Arvit l'Shabbat, Morning Baqashot, Musaf l'Shabbat

Tags:

11th century C.E., 49th century A.M., אדון עולם Adon Olam, cosmological, Nusaḥ Sefaradi, פיוטים piyyuṭim, Portuguese translation

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (Portuguese)
אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר מָלַךְ בְּטֶֽרֶם כׇּל־יְצִיר נִבְרָא׃ לְעֵת נַֽעֲשָׂה כְּחֶפְצוֹ כֹּל אֲזַי מֶֽלֶךְ שְׁמוֹ נִקְרָא׃	Senhor do Universo, que reinavas antes da criação; proclamado rei por tudo o que existe, Êle reinará ainda
וְאַֽחֲרֵי כִּכְלּוֹת הַכֹּל לְבַדּוֹ יִמְלֹךְ נוֹרָא׃ וְהוּא הָיָה וְהוּא הֹוֶה וְהוּא יִֽהְיֶה בְּתִפְאֲרָה׃	quando tudo fôr aniquilado. Êle, Adonai, existiu, existe e existirá sempre com glória.
וְהוּא אֶחָד וְאֵין שֵׁנִי לְהַמְשִׁיל לוֹ לְהַחְבִּירָה׃ בְּלִי רֵאשִׁית בְּלִי תַּכְלִית וְלוֹ הָעֹז וְהַמִּשְׂרָה׃	Êle é único e sem imediato. Nada lhe pode ser comparado. Sem princípio e sem fim, a Êle pertencem a fôrça e o poder.
בְּלִי עֵֽרֶךְ בְּלִי דִמְיוֹן בְּלִי שִׁנּוּי וְהַתְּמוּרָה׃ בְּלִי חִבּוּר בְּלִי פֵרוּד גְּדׇל־כֹּחַ וְהַגְּבוּרָה׃	Nada se pode comparar à Êle, nada que o possa igualar; Êle é a potência e o poder supremo.
וְהוּא אֵלִי וְחַי גּֽוֹאֲלִי וְצוּר חֶבְלִי בְּיוֹם צָרָה׃ וְהוּא נִסִּי וּמָנוֹס לִי מְנָת כּוֹסִי בְּיוֹם אֶקְרָא׃	Adonai é o meu Deus e o meu libertador. Êle é o rochedo do meu refúgio na adversidade. Êle é a minha bandeira, a minha salvação, o meu protector quando eu o invoco.
בְּיָדוֹ אַפְקִיד רוּחִי בְּעֵת אִישַׁן וְאָעִֽירָה׃ וְעִם־רוּחִי גְּוִיָּתִי אֲדֹנָי לִי וְלֹא אִירָא׃	Eu lhe recomendo a minha alma, ao adormecer e ao despertar, e com a minha alma o meu corpo; Adonai está comigo e nada receio.

This is Artur Carlos de Barros Bastos’s Portuguese translation of Adon Olam from his prayer-pamphlet, Oração Matinal de Shabbath (1939), p. 52-53. I have set the translation side-by-side with the Hebrew text from which it was derived.

Adon Olam is a piyyut that became popular in the 15th century and is often attributed to Solomon ibn Gabirol (1021–1058) and less often to Sherira Gaon (900-1001), or his son, Hai ben Sherira Gaon (939-1038). The variation of the piyyut appearing here is the six stanzas version familiar to Sepharadi congregations. (There are also some slightly longer variants found in other Sepharadi siddurim. The Ashkenazi version has five stanzas/ten lines.)

Source(s)

Artur Carlos de Barros Basto

Artur Carlos de Barros Basto (אברהם ישראל בן־ראש; Abraham Israel Ben-Rosh; 18 December 1887 – 8 March 1961) was a Portuguese military officer and writer, who published dozens of works contributing to Jewish life and Judaism in Portugal. A pioneering Jewish leader, he helped to re-establish the Jewish Community in Porto and assisted in the construction of the Kadoorie Synagogue, the largest Synagogue in the Iberian Peninsula. During World War Ⅱ, Barros Basto helped Jewish refugees escape the Holocaust. A descendant of Portuguese crypto-Jews, he converted to Judaism in 1920 and sought to help other crypto-Jews return to rabbinic Judaism. Opposition among some families of Marranos led to personal attacks on his character which damaged his name and military career.

Shlomo ibn Gabirol

Shlomo ibn Gabirol (also Solomon ben Judah; Hebrew: שלמה בן יהודה אבן גבירול‎, Arabic: أبو أيوب سليمان بن يحيى بن جبيرول‎ Abu Ayyub Sulayman bin Yahya bin Jabirul, Latin: Avicebron or Avencebrol; 1021/22-1058), born in Malaga, Spain was an Andalusian poet and Jewish philosopher. He published over a hundred poems, as well as works of biblical exegesis, philosophy, ethics, and satire.

Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Aharon Varady (M.A.J.Ed./JTSA Davidson) is a volunteer transcriber for the Open Siddur Project. If you find any mistakes in his transcriptions, please let him know. Shgiyot mi yavin; Ministarot naqeni שְׁגִיאוֹת מִי־יָבִין; מִנִּסְתָּרוֹת נַקֵּנִי "Who can know all one's flaws? From hidden errors, correct me" (Psalms 19:13). If you'd like to directly support his work, please consider donating via his Patreon account. (Varady also translates prayers and contributes his own original work besides serving as the primary shammes of the Open Siddur Project and its website, opensiddur.org.)

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Adon Olam (Artur Carlos de Barros Basto 1939) p. 52

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו׃ (תהלים צ:יז) · "May the pleasantness of אדֹני our elo’ah be upon us; may our handiwork be established for us — our handiwork, may it be established." (Psalms 90:17)