יַֽיִן טוֹב | Yayin Tov Ratov (Good Fresh Wine) — a love-song piyyut for Shavu’ot in nusaḥ Algiers

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11 June 2024 under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license

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Acrostic signature, Algiers, בקשות Baqashot, love, Maghrebi Jewry, פיוטים piyyuṭim, פרשת תולדת parashat Toldot, Wine

A piyyuṭ sung by the Jews of Algiers on Shavu’ot and Simḥat Torah (and by some Moroccans for baqashot on Parashat Toldot). Yayin Tov Ratov is a love song from the perspective of God that uses a lot of language from Song of Songs. Wine and song, in this case, are both metaphors for the Torah. Of unknown origin, the acrostic spells out the name יצחק, although I can confirm that it wasn’t me who wrote it.

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
יַֽיִן טוֹב רָטֹב הַשְׁקִֽינִי יָפָה מַרְאַֽיִךְ הַרְאִֽינִי בְּעֵינַֽיִךְ לִבַּבְתִּֽינִי	Good fresh wine pour Me,^[1] See Song of Songs 7:10 The beauty of your appearance show Me.^[2] Find Song of Songs 2:14 With your eyes you have enraptured Me.^[3] Find Song of Songs 4:9
אֲחוֹתִי כַלָּה חִישׁ עוּרִי זַמְּרִי וְשִׁיר דַבֵּֽרִי אֲחוֹתִי כַלָּה	My sister, bride,^[4] Find Song of Songs 4:9, 10, 12, and 5:1 hurry, awaken! Hymn and say a song,^[5] Find Judges 5:12 My sister, bride!
צְבִיָּה לִבִּי חֳמַרְמָר לִנְדוֹדֵךְ מְאֹד מַר־לִי מָר מָה־אֶעֱנֶה וּמָה־אוֹמַר אֲחוֹתִי כַלָּה	O doe, my heart foams over^[6] Find Lamentations 1:20 For your wandering, I had such bitter bitterness.^[7] Find Isaiah 38:17 What can I answer, what can I say, My sister, bride?
חָשַֽׁקְתִּי לִרְאוֹת פָּנַֽיִךְ טוֹבִים מִיַּֽיִן דּוֹדָֽיִךְ מַה־יָּפו־לִי פְּעָמָֽיִךְ	I yearned to see your face. Sweeter than wine is your love.^[8] Find Song of Songs 1:2 How beautiful to Me are your paces!^[9] Find Song of Songs 7:2
קָרֵב קֵץ חֲזוֹן פְּדוּתֵךְ מַהֵר אָשִׁיב אֶת־שְׁבוּתֵךְ וְיֵשׁ־תִּקְוָ֥ה לְאַחֲרִיתֵ֖ךְ	Bring near the end, the vision of your redemption. Hurry, I will return your exile.^[10] Find Deuteronomy 30:3 And there is hope for your end.^[11] Jeremiah 33:17

Notes

Notes
1	See Song of Songs 7:10
2	Find Song of Songs 2:14
3	Find Song of Songs 4:9
4	Find Song of Songs 4:9, 10, 12, and 5:1
5	Find Judges 5:12
6	Find Lamentations 1:20
7	Find Isaiah 38:17
8	Find Song of Songs 1:2
9	Find Song of Songs 7:2
10	Find Deuteronomy 30:3
11	Jeremiah 33:17

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“יַֽיִן טוֹב | Yayin Tov Ratov (Good Fresh Wine) — a love-song piyyut for Shavu’ot in nusaḥ Algiers” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.

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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.

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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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