🆕 אהבה לשבת לפני שבעות | Ahavah piyyut for the Shabbat before Shavuot by Yitsḥaq ben Reuven Albargeloni

Contributor(s):

Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (translation), Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (transcription & naqdanut) and Isaac ben Reuben Albargeloni

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28 May 2025 under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license

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11th century C.E., 49th century A.M., אהבה רבה ahavah rabbah, Nusaḥ Ashkenaz, פיוטים piyyuṭim, יוצר אור yotser ohr

This ahavah piyyut, likely by the paytan Yitsḥaq ben Reuven Albargeloni (the acrostic signature is ambiguous), is a longing love song between Israel, the “amazing one,” and God, the “Mighty One.” As an ahavah, it is recited prior to the final line of the guf and the ḥatima of the Ahavah Rabba blessing.

This is the fourth piyyut of a complete set of yotsrot (piyyutim inserted into the reading of the Shema) in the old Ashkenazi rite, for the Shabbat before Shavuot, including alphabetical gender-neutral translations.

Note: “The CAUSE” is used to translate the Divine Name YHVH, based on the philosophical idea of God as the Prime Mover and on the interpretation of the Name as a causative form of the copula – “causes to be.” This translation also uses the plural pronouns They/Their/Them to refer to God as a pluralis majestatis, and to avoid the implications of God being assigned a gender. (Find Ibn Ezra’s commentary on Genesis 1:1 for a discussion of the pluralis majestatis when referring to God.) All divine referents (pronouns, epithets, names) are rendered in unicase.

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
אֲיֻמָּתִי יוֹנָה יַעֲלַת חֵן מַה לָּךְ כִּי תִבְכִּי מְשִׁיחֵךְ יָבֹא לְךָ קֽוּמִי לָךְ וּלְכִי כִּי אֲנִי מוֹשִׁיעֵךְ וְגוֹאֲלֵךְ אֲשֶׁר תְּחַכִּי וְעַתָּה֙ כִּ֣י אׇמְנָ֔ם כִּ֥י גֹאֵ֖ל אָנֹ֑כִי׃ (רות ג:יב) אֲיֻמָּתִי׃	My amazing one,^[1] i.e. Israel. This is a conversation poem between Israel and God. ibex of grace, dove, why do you weep? Your anointed will come to you, get up, get going! For I am your Savior and Redeemer for whom you hope. and now, seeing that I am a Redeemer… (Ruth 3:12) …My amazing one.
אֱיָלוּתִי צוֹפִים אֲשֶׁר צָפוּ נְבוּאָה הַחֲרוּשָׁה לִקְרֹא לַעֲזוּבָה אֲשֶׁר הַיּוֹם גְּרוּשָׁה חֲשׁוּקָה לִהְיוֹת עוֹד וְגַם תִּהְיֶה דְּרוּשָׁה כִּ֥י לְךָ֛ מִשְׁפַּ֥ט הַגְּאֻלָּ֖ה וְהַיְּרֻשָּׁה׃ (נראה תהלים ז:ד) אֱיָלוּתִי׃	My Mighty One,^[2] i.e. God. still those waiting who waited for the engraved prophecy, to call to the abandoned one who is cast out today, to again be desired and wanted, as Yours is the law of redemption and inheritance… (Cf. Jeremiah 32:7) …my Mighty One.
אֲיֻמָּתִי חֲשַׁקְתִּיךְ יְפֵה־פִיָּה אוֹתָךְ בִּרְאוֹתִי בְּעׇבְרִי עָלַֽיִךְ בְּכׇרְתִי אֶת־בְּרִיתִי וְעוֹד אֲנִי אֲקַבְּצֵךְ אֶל־בֵּית מְנוּחָתִי אֶל־הַמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֲכִנֹֽתִי׃ (שמות כג:כ) אֲיֻמָּתִי׃	My amazing one, amazingly beautiful, I have desired you in My sight, as I passed upon you as I cut My covenant, and I will again gather you to My house of rest, to the place that I have established… (Exodus 23:20) …My amazing one.
אֱיָלוּתִי קָרַב צִיר נֶאֱמָן בְּנׇתְנוֹ תּוּשִׁיָּה וְצִוַּֽנִי לִהְיוֹת טְהוֹרָה וּנְקִיָּה אִם־תִּשְׁמֹֽרִי וְאִם לֹא־תֵּלְכִי בַּשִּׁבְיָה וַיְהִ֛י כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר פָּֽתַר־לָ֖נוּ כֵּ֣ן הָיָ֑ה׃ (בראשית מא:יג) אֱיָלוּתִי׃	My Mighty One, came close, the trusted messenger, gave sound wisdom, and commanded me to be pure and clean. If You guard me and if You don’t send me into exile, when it was revealed to us, so it was… (Genesis 41:13) …my Mighty One.
אֲיֻמָּתִי בְּחוּנָה בְּכוּר עֹֽנִי בְּמַסְגֵּר מַנְעוּלָךְ עוֹד תַּעֲדִי עֶדְיֵךְ בְּזֶֽמֶר מַהֲלָלָךְ עֲטֶֽרֶת תִּפְאֶֽרֶת אֲשֶׁר הִיא מַכְלוּלָךְ ט֚וֹב תִּתִּ֣י אֹתָ֣הּ לָ֔ךְ׃ (בראשית כט:יט) אֲיֻמָּתִי׃	My amazing one, studied in affliction’s furnace, locked in the enclosure. once again will you adorn your adornments in praise-hymns. A splendid diadem which is your perfect adornment; Better that I give her to you… (Genesis 29:19) …My amazing one.
אֱיָלוּתִי נְדִיבָה הָיִֽיתִי מְקֻשֶּֽׁטֶת בְּכׇל־פְּאֵר יְצָאֽוּנִי בָּנַי נִין וָנֶֽכֶד וּשְׁאֵר בְּחֹֽשֶׁךְ בּוֹר עָמֹק וְאֵין־לִי מִי יָאֵר וְהָאֶ֥בֶן גְּדֹלָ֖ה עַל־פִּ֥י הַבְּאֵֽר׃ (בראשית כט:ב) אֱיָלוּתִי׃	My Mighty One, noble was I, adorned with all splendor, oh, my children left me, and their descendants’ remnant fell in a deep pit’s darkness, and I have none to enlighten, and the stone was great over the well’s mouth… (Genesis 29:2) …my Mighty One.
אֲיֻמָּתִי רַעְיָתִי צְאִי־לָךְ מִבֵּין יְדֵי צָרִים אֲשֶׁר מְפַתִּים לְךָ בְּפִתּוּי דְּבָרִים יַֽעַן לֹא־אָבִית דְּלֹק אַחֲרֵי זָרִים לְבִלְתִּי־לֶ֗כֶת אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הַבַּ֣חוּרִ֔ים׃ (רות ג:י) אֲיֻמָּתִי׃	My amazing one, retreat, my dear, from between the hands of stressors enticing you with enciting words. unwilling am I to chase after strangers, nor go after the young men… (Ruth 3:10) …My amazing one.
אֱיָלוּתִי וַאֲנִי בְּגָלוּת עֲצוּרָה בִּרְגָזוֹת בְּהֶבְלָם פִּתּֽוּנִי וְיַעֲנֽוּנִי עַזּוֹת לַעֲזֹב אֶת־שִׁמְךָ וְאֶת־עֵד חָזוֹת יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהַי אִם־עָשִׂ֣יתִי זֹ֑את׃ (תהלים ז:ד) אֱיָלוּתִי׃	My Mighty One, vexations have bound me in exile, enticed me with their vanities and oppressed me mightily, to abandon Your name and Your testified visions. O, Cause my God, if I have done so! (Psalms 7:4) …my Mighty One.
אֲיֻמָּתִי הֵן בִּי נִשְׁבַּֽעְתִּי לֶאֱסֹף נִכְבָּשַׁי הֲלֹא אָז הַמְּלָכִים לָךְ יוֹבִֽילוּ שַׁי הֵן עַד לְאֻמִּים שַֽׂמְתִּי לִקְדוֹשַׁי הִנֵּ֨ה רָאִ֜יתִי בֵּ֣ן לְיִשַׁי֮׃ אֲיֻמָּתִי׃	My amazing one, Now by Me I have sworn to gather My captives; is it not so that kings will offer tribute to you? Lo, until I have set nations for My holy ones, Behold, I have seen a son for Jesse! (I Samuel 16:18) …My amazing one.
וְקֵרַבְתָּֽנוּ לְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל סֶֽלָה בֶּאֱמֶת לְהוֹדוֹת לְךָ וּלְיַחֶדְךָ בְּאַהֲבָה׃ בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַבּוֹחֵר בְּעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאַהֲבָה׃	And draw us near to Your great name, selah, in truth, to thank You and unify You in love. Blessed are You, Cause, who chooses Their people Israel in love.

Notes

Notes
1	i.e. Israel. This is a conversation poem between Israel and God.
2	i.e. God.

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“אהבה לשבת לפני שבעות | Ahavah piyyut for the Shabbat before Shavuot by Yitsḥaq ben Reuven Albargeloni” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.

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.

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 ben Reuben Albargeloni

Isaac ben Reuben Albargeloni (1043-before 1123), born in Barcelona, Catalonia, was a Spanish Talmudist and liturgical poet. He was a judge in the Denia community, where he became connected with ibn Alḥatosh, likely due to becoming his son-in-law. Among his later descendants was Moses ben Naḥman (Naḥmanides); Judah Albargeloni is said to have been Isaac's pupil. He was one of five prominent contemporaneous scholars named Isaac and the regard in which he was held by his own and succeeding generations is indicated by the fact that he is simply designated "Ha-Rab Albargeloni." He wrote commentaries on various sections of the tractate Ketubot, and at the age of thirty-five (1078) translated, from the Arabic into Hebrew, Hai Gaon's Ha-Miḳḳaḥ weha-Mimkar, on buying and selling (Venice, 1602, and frequently afterward printed with commentaries). Noteworthy among his liturgical poems are his Azharot, included in the rituals of Constantine, Tlemçen, Tunis, Morocco, Algeria, and Oran.

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו "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

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