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The Minhag Polin (Eastern Ashkenazi) yotser (piyyut inserted into the beginning of the first blessing of the Shema service) for Shabbat haGadol, by the Sefaradi sage and paytan Joseph ibn Abitur. Translated with preserved acrostic and rhyme scheme. This piyyut juxtaposes the seven days of creation with the miracles of the Exodus as well as the promised future salvation in a three-by-three structure.
| Source (Hebrew) | Source (English) |
|---|---|
אַאֲמִיר מִסְתַּתֵּר בִּמְעוֹן חֶבְיוֹן אֶעֶרְכָה פִלְאוֹתָיו זוֹ לְזוֹ בְּהִגָּיוֹן אֲזַמְּרָ֗ה שֵֽׁם־יְהֹוָ֥ה עֶלְיֽוֹן׃ (תהלים ז:יח) |
At Dweller in Hidden Mystery, I raise this clause, Arranging in speech and pairing Their awes, As I hymn the name of the highest Cause. (Psalms 7:18) |
בִּאוּר פְּלָאָיו אַטִּיף בְּמַֽעַן בַּעֲשׂוֹתוֹ נוֹרָאוֹת לְרִוּוּי לַֽעַן בְּאֶ֖רֶץ מִצְרַ֣יִם שְׂדֵה־צֹֽעַן׃ (תהלים עח:יב) |
Brightly I address Their wonders revealed, Breathtaking deeds for drinkers of wormwood’s yield, By the land of Egypt, Tanis’s field. (Psalms 78:12) |
גֵּאֶה הֶרְאָה נוֹרְאוֹתָיו וְלֶעָתִיד כֵּן יַרְאֶה מִפְעֲלוֹתָיו זֵ֣כֶר עָ֭שָׂה לְנִפְלְאוֹתָ֑יו׃ (תהלים קיא:ד) |
Conveying proudly Their awesomeness that precedes, And in the future They will thus show what proceeds, A memorial They did for Their wondrous deeds. (Psalms 111:4) |
יָׄזַם וְהֶרְאָה גְּבוּרוֹת מָעֻזּוֹ סִׄדֵּר פְּׄלָאָיו זוֹ לְעֻמַּת זוֹ בִּׄימִינוֹ וּבִזְרוֹעַ עֻזּוֹ׃ קָדוֹשׁ׃ |
Jumping in on showing Their mighty strength, Setting exceptional acts side-by-side[1] The stanzas in the following poem are arranged in groups of three — one of the Creation, one of the Exodus, and one of the future redemption. at length, Per Their right arm its at full strong length. Holy! |
דִּלָּה בָּרִאשׁוֹן זְרֽוֹעַ מַחֲצֶֽבֶת נְטוֹת יְרִיעוֹתָיו כְּעָלָה בְּמַחֲשֶֽׁבֶת וַיִּמְתָּחֵ֥ם כָּאֹ֖הֶל לָשָֽׁבֶת׃ (ישעיה מ:כב) |
Dispensing Their shaping arm, on the first day befell, Setting its tapestries[2] The firmaments as They thought well And They stretched them like a tent to dwell. (Isaiah 40:22) |
הֲדוּרִים בְּצֵאתָם מֵעַם מְסֻכְסָךְ מַחֲסֶה מֵעֲלֵיהֶם לֹא נֶחְשַׂךְ פָּרַ֣שׂ עָנָ֣ן לְמָסָ֑ךְ׃ (תהלים קה:לט) |
Exiting from the confused folk, the splended crowd With shelter over them had not been endowed. They spread as a cover a cloud. (Psalms 105:39) |
וְלֶעָתִיד בְּהִשָּׁמַע קוֹל הַתּוֹר קְנוֹת פְּזוּרָיו מִפְּלֶֽשֶׁת וְכַפְתּוֹר בְּסֻכָּה יְסֹכְכֶם לְמַחֲסֶה וּלְמִסְתּוֹר׃ |
And in the future from hearing the turtledove call out, Their Philistia and Crete -scattered will be taken out, In the lean-to They shelter them as fort and hideout.[3] Find Isaiah 4:6 |
זָךְ בַּשֵּׁנִי חָצָה מְצוּלוֹתָיו חֶצְיָם בִּתְהוֹם וְחֶצְיָם בְּמַעֲלוֹתָיו הַ֥מקָרֶ֥ה בַמַּ֗יִם עֲֽלִיּ֫וֹתָ֥יו׃ (תהלים קד:ג) |
Gulfs the Pure One split by second day’s lights, Half in the abyss and half in the flights, The Setter of the waters’ heights. (Psalms 104:3) |
חֲמֻשִׁים בַּעֲלוֹתָם בְּיוֹם קְרָב בָּקַע יָם וַיַּעֲבִירֵם בְּעֻזּוֹ חָרָב וַיִּגְעַ֣ר בְּיַם־ס֭וּף וַֽיֶּחֱרָ֑ב׃ (תהלים קו:ט) |
Heading up on battle-day of those armed to be free, They split the sea, passing them through dry by Their potency, And They blasted and dried the Reed Sea. (Psalms 106:9) |
וְלֶעָתִיד טְרוּפִים בִּהְיוֹתָם פְּדוּיִים בֶּאֱסוֹף נִדָּחֵֽימוֹ מִכׇּל־אִיִּים בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יֵצְא֤וּ מַֽיִם־חַיִּים֙׃ (זכריה יד:ח) |
And in the future in redemption of those torn out, They will gather from all the isles those They cast out. On that day, living waters will go out. (Zechariah 14:8) |
יָהּ בַּשְּׁלִישִׁי הִטְרִֽיחַ בְּרִי הִדְשִׁיא דְשָׁאִים וְהִפְרִיא עֵ֣ץ פְּרִ֞י עֹ֤שֶׂה פְּרִי֙׃ (בראשית א:יא) |
Ʝah on the third day roused the rain-angel’s route, growing grasses to fruitfully take root Fruit trees bearing fruit. (Genesis 1:11) |
כְּמֵהִים בְּבוֹא עִתָּם עֵת דּוֹדִים הֵצִיץ לְבוֹנָה וּפְרִי מְגָדִ֑ים כְּפָרִ֖ים עִם־נְרָדִֽים׃ (שיר השירים ד:יג) |
Keeping the lovers’ time for those with patient regards, They grew frankincence and pleasant fruit in their yards, Hennas with spikenards. (Song of Songs 4:13) |
וְלֶעָתִיד לְהִגָּאֵל כֹּל יוּכָל בְּצֵאת נַֽחַל מִמִּפְתַּן הֵיכָל יַעֲלֶ֣ה עַל־שְׂפָת֣וֹ מִזֶּ֣ה ׀ וּמִזֶּ֣ה ׀ כׇּל־עֵֽץ־מַ֠אֲכָ֠ל׃ (יחזקאל מז:יב) |
And in the future, liberated by the All-Doer with ease, A river will flow out from the Temple’s marquise, Going up by its side hither and thither all food trees. (Ezekiel 47:12) |
מָרוֹם בָּרְבִיעִי הִזְרִֽיחַ מוֹשְׁלִים לְאוֹר יוֹם וָלַֽיְלָה בְּרוּם זְבוּלִים אֶת־שְׁנֵ֥י הַמְּאֹרֹ֖ת הַגְּדֹלִ֑ים׃ (בראשית א:טז) |
Majestically on the fourth They lluminated the ruling emissaries For day and night’s light were their high itineraries, The two great luminaries. (Genesis 1:16) |
נָאוֹר דְּמוּתָם לְעַם זוּ הִתְאִיר וַיַּנְחֵם יוֹמָם בֶּעָנָן מַבְעִיר וְלַ֛יְלָה בְּעַמּ֥וּד אֵ֖שׁ לְהָאִ֣יר׃ (שמות יג:כא) |
Not unlike that, They adorned this people to brighten, They led them by day in cloud, removing what would frighten, And night in a pillar of fire to enlighten. (Exodus 13:21) |
וְלֶעָתִיד סְגֻלִּים בְּהִגָּאֵל כִּימֵי עוֹלָם קֽוּמִי אוֹרִי יַשְׁמִיעֵם גֹּאֲלָם וְהָֽיָה־לָ֤ךְ יְהֹוָה֙ לְא֣וֹר עוֹלָ֔ם׃ (ישעיה ס:יט) |
And in the future on redemption, as of yore, of the treasured delight, “Rise!” — their Redeemer makes them hear — “Alight!” And the Cause will be for you an eternal light. (Isaiah 60:19) |
עֶלְיוֹן בַּחֲמִישִׁי הִשְׁרִיץ בְּמֶֽרֶץ דְּגַת הַיָּם מַשְׁרִיצֵי שֶֽׁרֶץ וְעוֹף֙ יְעוֹפֵ֣ף עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ׃ (בראשית א:כ) |
Pentadically, in haste spawned the Most Grand fish of the sea, spawning spawn to expand, And birds flying over the land. (Genesis 1:20) |
פְּדוּיִים עֵת הִתְאַֽוּוּ בְּמַאֲוַיָּם וַיִּתֵּן שֶׁאֱלָתָם אֵל חַי וְקַיָּם וַיָּ֣גׇז שַׂלְוִים֮ מִן־הַיָּם֒׃ (במדבר יא:לא) |
Questionable lusts fell on those who were made free, Their desires granted by the living enduring Deity, And They swept in quails from the sea. (Numbers 11:31) |
וְלֶעָתִיד צֵאת הַנַּֽחַל יִפְרֹץ בִּדְגַת הַיָּם יִפְרֹץ בְּמֵרוֹץ וְהָיָ֣ה כׇל־נֶ֣פֶשׁ חַיָּ֣ה ׀ אֲֽשֶׁר־יִשְׁרֹ֡ץ׃ (יחזקאל מז:ט) |
And in the future, rivers going out in a sprawl will teem with oceanica fish ready to trawl, And all living spirits that crawl. (Ezekiel 47:9) |
קָדוֹשׁ בַּשִּׁשִּׁי הִשְׁלִים בְּתֶֽרֶץ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים תּוֹצֵ֨א הָאָ֜רֶץ בְּהֵמָ֥ה וָרֶ֛מֶשׂ וְחַֽיְתוֹ־אֶ֖רֶץ׃ (בראשית א:כד) |
Sixth day, the Holy One finished in worth, And God said, go forth from the earth… livestock and vermin and beasts of the earth. (Genesis 1:24) |
רֻקַּם יְצִיר בְּעֹז נׇאֳמוֹ וְהִבְדִּילוֹ מִכׇּל־בְּרוּאֵי עוֹלָמוֹ וַיִּבְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ אֶת־הָֽאָדָם֙ בְּצַלְמ֔וֹ׃ (בראשית א:כז) |
Their mighty word spoke and the form was designed, And distinguished from all the earth’s creatures in kind, And God created, in Their image, humankind. (Genesis 1:27) |
שַׁדַּי כֵּן מִשִּׁבְעִים עֲמָמִים חָשַׁק וְהִבְדִּיל מְעַטֵּי עַמִּים כְּנָם — וָאַבְדִּ֥ל אֶתְכֶ֛ם מִן־הָֽעַמִּ֖ים׃ (ויקרא כ:כו) |
Unto us the Surveyor took from the seventy nations, desiring and distinguishing the lowest of nations, As proclaimed: I separated you from the nations. (Leviticus 20:26) |
תַּקִּיף כְּחָש תְּנוּפַת יְמָנִית קְנוֹת פְּזוּרָיו מִמַּאֲרִיכֵי מַעֲנִית כֵּן יוֹסִיף אֲדֹנָי יָדוֹ שֵׁנִית׃ |
Valiantly They raised Their right hand, Acquiring the scattered from the furrowers of the land. Thus the Master will again send out Their hand.[4] Find Isaiah 11:11 |
תְּמִימֵי לֵב הַמְיַחֲלִים לְגׇדְלוֹ בְּרִנָּה יְנַהֲלֵם לִמְעוֹן הֵיכָלוֹ שָׁם יַעַבְדוּהוּ כׇּל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלֹּה׃ |
We purehearted ones, waiting for Their greatness to transpire, Exulting, will be led to the abode-palace They desire. There They will be served by all Israel’s house entire.[5] Find Ezekiel 20:40 |
תָּרוּם יָד מֻפְלָאָה לְשַׂמֵּֽחַ אֹם נַהֲלָאָה בִּירוּשָׁלַֽיִם לַשָּׁנָה הַבָּאָה׃ |
Yea, the wondrous hand should rise to appear Zenithally gladdening the folk exiled from near, In Jerusalem, next year! |
קוּמָה יְהֹוָה וְחַדֵּשׁ גְּבוּרוֹת מִפְעָלֶֽיהָ הַמַּזְרַֽחַת נְגוֹהוֹת וְרַֽבּוּ תְעָלֶֽיהָ הַמֵּאִיר לָאָֽרֶץ וְלַדָּרִים עָלֶֽיהָ׃ קָדוֹשׁ׃ |
Arise, Cause! Renew Your works upon it; That it shine and glow, and healing increase on it Enlightening earth and those dwelling on it. Holy! |
Notes
“אַאֲמִיר מִסְתַּתֵּר | Aamir Mistater, a yotser piyyut for Shabbat haGadol by Yosef ibn Abitur” is shared through the Open Siddur Project under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license.
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