אִתִּי מִלְּבָנוֹן | Itti MiLvanon, a yotser piyyut for Shabbat haGadol by Rabbi Binyamin bar Zeraḥ

Contributor(s):

Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (transcription & naqdanut), Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (translation) and Binyamin bar Zeraḥ

Shared on:

26 March 2026 under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license

Categories:

Shabbat haGadol, Shaḥarit l'Shabbat ul'Yom Tov

Tags:

11th century C.E., 49th century A.M., acrostic, Acrostic signature, Alphabetic Acrostic, liberation from mitsrayim, Minhag Ashkenaz, פיוטים piyyuṭim, Shaḥarit l'Shabbat ul'Yom Tov, יוצר אור yotser ohr, יוצרות yotsrot

The Minhag Ashkenaz (Western Ashkenazi) yotser (piyyut inserted into the beginning of the first blessing of the Shema service) for Shabbat haGadol, by Binyamin bar Zeraḥ. Also recited by some eastern Ashkenazim, although not as commonly as Aamir Mistater (the standard in Minhag Polin). Translated here with preserved acrostic and rhyme scheme. This piyyut uses the language of Song of Songs to retell the story of the exodus via the language of a romantic relationship.

While the translator normally translates God’s pronouns as They/Them, this poem allegorizes the relationship between God and Israel as that of a groom and bride, so he chose to use He/Him in this case.

Source (Hebrew)	Source (English)
אִתִּי מִלְּבָנוֹן כַּלָּה מֵרֹאשׁ אֲמָנָה תָּשׁוּרִי בְּטֹֽהַר עֲדָיֵי לְבוּשׁ הִתְכַּהֲנִי וְהִתְפָּאֲרִי בֹּֽשֶׂם רִקּֽוּחַ הִתְבַּשְּׂמִי מוֹר וּלְבוֹנָה הִתְקַטְּרִי כִּי בָא עֵת וְהִגִּֽיעַ שָׁעָה אֲשֶׁר לַמֶּֽלֶךְ תָּשׁוּרִי׃	Along with me from Lebanon, bride, gaze from Amana’s peak,^[1] Find Song of Songs 4:8 Minister and be resplendent in garments pure and chic. Burn myrrh and incense, of perfumer’s balsam reek. For time has come, the hour nears, of the Sovereign you seek.
בֵּׄיׄןׄ שָׁדַי יָׄלִין אֶשְׁכּוֹל הַכֹּֽפֶר מְׄצַפְצֶפֶת נׄוֹאֶֽמֶת כַּלָּה בְּאִמְרֵי שֶֽׁפֶר בְּׄנֵׄי מְכוֹן זְׄבוּלוֹ רֹׄחֲׄשִׁים בְּלִי חֵֽפֶר חֹׄק זֵֽׄכֶר קְׄדֻשָּׁתוֹ נַעֲרִיץ וּנְסַפֵּר בְּמַֽעְלָה יִתְקַדַּשׁ וּבְמַֽטָּה יִסְתַּלְסֵל תָּמִיד לֵיל וָצֶֽפֶר׃ קָדוֹשׁ׃	Between my breasts is jammed a henna cluster,^[2] Find Song of Songs 1:13–14 In chirping tone the bride speaks, in words of luster. Sons of the zenithal rampart chant without fluster: Praise, orate with eternal rule Their holiness to muster! Above sanctified, below trilled, through night and morning’s luster! Holy!
גַּן נָעוּל קְרָאַֽנִי דוֹדִי חָמַק עָבַר וְשׁוֹמְרִים נָשְׂאוּ רְדִידִי דָּלְפָה עֵינִי וְגָרְסָה בְּזֵֽכֶר עׇנְיִי וּמְרוּדִי דִּדּוּי אַהֲבַת חֶֽסֶד תַּאֲוַת דּוֹדִי׃	“Garden locked”^[3] Find Song of Songs 4:12 my Lover once called me But He went and left, and the police stripped to bald me.^[4] Find Song of Songs 5:6–7 Dripped my eye, looking at my lowliness and poverty recalled me, That my kind love skipped, my Lover who enthralled me.
הֵן בְּלֹא לֵב וָלֵב וְנֶֽפֶשׁ חֲפֵצָה חָתָן מִתְנַדֵּב וְכַלָּה רוֹצָה וְעַל־מַה זֶּה מִתְאַחֵר דִּיץ הָעֲלִיצָה שְׁלוּחִים הֵרִֽיצוּ לָזֶה וְלָזוֹ בִּמְרוּצָה׃	Even though with heart to heart and soul desiring, The Groom made His vow of the willing bride’s acquiring, Why is the joyous merriment delayed in its transpiring? The messengers rushed hither and thither untiring!
זָכַר בָּהּ בְּרִית וּשְׁבוּעַת אָלָה אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעַת אֵרוּסֶֽיהָ כָּרַֽתִּי לִמְהֻלָּלָה חֶפְצִי וּרְצוֹנִי לְקַיֵּם בַּבֶּהָלָה הֵשִׁיב חָתָן לִשְׁלוּחֵי כַלָּה׃	Zealously remembering “the covenant and the oath sworn, that at her betrothal’s hour I cut with the wellborn. How I desire and want to soon fulfill it as besworn!” Answered the Groom to the messengers of the bride forlorn.
טָעֲנָה סְגֻלָּה אַף־הִיא יֹֽשֶׁר אֲמָרִים נְכוֹנָה אֲנִי וּמְקֻיֶּֽמֶת בְּהֵן הֵן הַדְּבָרִים יִגְמֹל רַק עִמִּי חֶֽסֶד וְיִזְכֹּר אַהֲבַת נְעוּרִים וִימַהֵר לִפְדּוֹתִי מִבֵּין חֲמוֹרִים׃	To this the treasure herself answered in upright speech: “I am ready and willing to keep these each! Yet He should do me kindness, remember young love, I beseech, And hurriedly free me from these asses, though I be in their reach.”
כְּצִירֵי מַרְפֵּא וּשְׁלוּחֵי אֱמוּנִים נִתְמַצְּעוּ תְאוֹמִים בְּזִוּוּג חֲתָנִים לְדַבֵּר עַל־לֵב כַּלָּה דְּבָרִים הֲגוּנִים וּלְהַבְעִיר לֵב חָתָן בְּקִנְאַת מָגִנִּים׃	Came healing emissaries and messengers of trust. The twins^[5] Moses and Aaron, who were not twins, but were brothers intermedated to the married pair to adjust. Looking to the bride’s heart, worthy words were discussed, And kindling the Groom’s heart that shielding zeal combust.
מְלוּכָה כְּהִתְבַּשְּׂרָה כַּלָּה בְּתַמְרוּקֶֽיהָ מְאֹד הִשְׁבִּיחָה רִמּוֹנֶיֽהָ הֵנֵֽצוּ וּסְמָדָרָהּ פִּתֵּחָה נָכוֹנוּ שָׁדֶֽיהָ וּשְׂעָרָהּ צִמֵּחָה וַתִּתְנָוֶה לַכֶּֽתֶר וְלַמַּלְכוּת הִצְלִיחָה׃	Magnificently did the bride adorn when told of royalty new, her pomegranates blossomed, her grape-buds opened too, naturally her breasts developed and her hair grew, and she gussied up with a crown and successful reign to do.
סוֹא מַפְרִיכָהּ בִּרְאוֹתָהּ תָּמְהָה בְעֵינֶֽיהָ הֲלֹא זֹאת הַנְּמִבְזָה וְהַנְּקַלָּה הֵשִׁיבָה לִסְגָנֶֽיהָ עַל־זֹאת שָׁלְחָה וְקָרְאָה לְאִצְטַגְנִינֶֽיהָ עָלֶֽיהָ חוֹשֶֽׁבֶת וְחוֹרֶֽקֶת שִׁנֶּֽיהָ׃	Sais,^[6] An ancient Egyptian city in the Western Nile Delta, this is one of the two possible explanations for the Hebrew word “So,” found in II Kings 17:4 and referring to an Egyptian pharaoh. The other is the pharaoh Osorkon IV. In any case, here it is used as a synecdoche for Egypt as a whole her oppressor, when she saw, was shocked to see her. “Is she not despised and disgraced?” she said to her viziers. On this she sent for and called to her seers. She plotted against her, gnashing her teeth in tears.
פְּרִיץ חַיּוֹת נוֹהֵם וְלִבּוֹ מַכְבֵּד כַּלָּה לְעַנּוֹת בְּקוֹשִׁי לְשַׁעְבֵּד צִעֲרָהּ בְפֶֽרֶךְ וּבְעֹל כָּבֵד אוּלַי תִּתְגַנֶּה וְתִהְיֶה כִּכְלִי אֹבֵד׃	Ferally the prince roared, and his heart he made tough. The bride he oppressed with enslavement rough. Chafing her with hard labor and a yoke of heavy stuff. “Perhaps she will grow ugly, like a pot that has had enough.”
קָרָא עָלָיו מוֹעֵד בַּחוּרָיו לִשְׁבֹּר צְפַרְדֵּֽעַ חֲנָמַל וְכִנִּים חֳמָרִים חֳמָרִים לִצְבֹּר רֶֽשֶׁף וְדֶֽבֶר וּבָרָד לְפָנָיו לַעֲבֹר וְרֵאשִׁית כׇּל־אוֹנִים בְּאׇהֳלֵי חָם לִקְבֹּר׃	Quota of reckoning He called on him, to shatter his men, Frogs, locusts, and lice, piles and piles, and then Raging fire and blight and hail passing before him, when All the first virilities of Ham’s tents to the burial den.
שֻׁלְּחָה פְרוּכָה בְּעַל כׇּרְחָהּ מִמִּסְתּוֹלֵל וַתֵּצֶֽאנָה כׇל־הַנָּשִׁים אַחֲרֶֽיהָ בְּתֹף לְחוֹלֵל תַּנּוֹת לְאֵל זֶֽמֶר וְהוֹדָיוֹת שֶֽׁבַח וְהַלֵּל שֶׁכָּֽכָה אוֹתוֹת בַּדִּים מֵפֵר וְקוֹסָמִים יְהוֹלֵל׃	Shooed off was the oppressed against her treader’s will, And all the women came after in dance and drumming trill, Thanking, hymning, lauding, praising the Deity with skill, Thus liar’s signs were thwarted, mages’ curses made still!
בֵּׄיׄןׄ שָׁדַי יָׄלִין אֶשְׁכּוֹל הַכֹּֽפֶר מְׄצַפְצֶפֶת נׄוֹאֶֽמֶת כַּלָּה בְּאִמְרֵי שֶֽׁפֶר בְּׄנֵׄי מְכוֹן זְׄבוּלוֹ רֹׄחֲׄשִׁים בְּלִי חֵֽפֶר חֹׄק זֵֽׄכֶר קְׄדֻשָּׁתוֹ נַעֲרִיץ וּנְסַפֵּר בְּמַֽעְלָה יִתְקַדַּשׁ וּבְמַֽטָּה יִסְתַּלְסֵל תָּמִיד לֵיל וָצֶֽפֶר׃ קָדוֹשׁ׃	Between my breasts is jammed a henna cluster,^[7] Find Song of Songs 1:13–14 In chirping tone the bride speaks, in words of luster. Sons of the zenithal rampart chant without fluster: Praise, orate with eternal rule Their holiness to muster! Above sanctified, below trilled, through night and morning’s luster! Holy!

Notes

Notes
1	Find Song of Songs 4:8
2	Find Song of Songs 1:13–14
3	Find Song of Songs 4:12
4	Find Song of Songs 5:6–7
5	Moses and Aaron, who were not twins, but were brothers
6	An ancient Egyptian city in the Western Nile Delta, this is one of the two possible explanations for the Hebrew word “So,” found in II Kings 17:4 and referring to an Egyptian pharaoh. The other is the pharaoh Osorkon IV. In any case, here it is used as a synecdoche for Egypt as a whole
7	Find Song of Songs 1:13–14

Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (transcription & naqdanut)

From a family of musicians, Isaac Gantwerk Mayer believes that creative art is one of the most powerful ways to get in touch with the divine. He composes music and poetry in Hebrew and English. (He also translates and authors his own original works.) Isaac runs a Jewish music transcription service, which will transcribe and set any Jewish music in any language, recorded or written. Contact his service on Facebook or via his music blog.

Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (translation)

From a family of musicians, Isaac Gantwerk Mayer believes that creative art is one of the most powerful ways to get in touch with the divine. He composes music and poetry in Hebrew and English. (He also authors his own original works and transcribes Hebrew and Aramaic text, adding niqqud and t'amim as needed.) Isaac runs a Jewish music transcription service, which will transcribe and set any Jewish music in any language, recorded or written. Contact his service on Facebook or via his music blog.

Binyamin bar Zeraḥ

Benjamin ben Zerah (Hebrew: בנימין בן זרח) was a paytan who lived in southeastern Europe in the middle of the eleventh century. He is called by the later payyetanim "the Great," and also "Ba'al Shem" (Master of the Name), on account of the numerous names of God and angels used by him in his piyyutim. He wrote 15 poems ("yotsrot") for the Sabbaths preceding the feasts, and 40 seliḥot, published in the Maḥzor of the German rite. His piyyutim have an easy, elegant style. Parallels with Eleazar beRabbi Qallir are frequent. Judging from his seliḥah אנא ה' האל ("I beseech thee, Hashem ha-El) – in which he plays on the name of God – consisting of 22 letters, and his "ofan," in which he gives the names of angels, Benjamin was inclined to mysticism.

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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)

אִתִּי מִלְּבָנוֹן | Itti MiLvanon, a yotser piyyut for Shabbat haGadol by Rabbi Binyamin bar Zeraḥ

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