🆕 בֶּן אָדָם מַה־לְּךָ נִרְדָּם | ben Adam Mah L’kha Nirdam (rhyming Ladino translation by Rabbi Reuven Eliyahu Yisrael of Craiova, 1910)

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

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Morning Seliḥot, Repenting, Resetting, and Reconciliation

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Ladino Translation, Nusaḥ Sefaradi, paraliturgical seliḥot, פיוטים piyyuṭim, סליחות səliḥot

“ben Adam Mah Lekha Nirdam,” of unclear origin, is the opening piyyuṭ of the Sephardic seliḥot service every morning. Drawing a parallel between the literal slumber from which the petitioner has just awoken and the metaphorical slumber of sin, it serves as a fitting introduction to the early morning liturgy. As with any piyyuṭ in such a prominent place, of course, has been translated into the colloquial for all the people to appreciate its language.

The following is not only the complete Hebrew text of Ben Adam Ma Lekha Nirdam along with a new English translation, but also a rhyming Ladino translation composed by R. Reuven Eliyahu Yisrael, the spiritual leader of the Sephardic community of Craiova, Romania, and published in the aforementioned town in the year 1910 (in טראדוקסייון ליברי די לאס פואיזיאס איבראיקאאס). To demonstrate the techniques used by R. Yisrael in his translation, a literal translation of the Ladino, as well as a transcription into the Latin-script Aki Yerushalaim orthography, is also provided.

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)	Translation (Ladino)	Translation (Ladino, romanized)	Translation of the Ladino (English)
בֶּן אָדָם מַה־לְּךָ֣ נִרְדָּ֑ם ק֚וּם קְרָ֣א בְּתַחֲנוּנִים׃	Mortal child, why do you sleep? Rise, call^[1] Jonah 1:5 in petitions!	אומברי מורטאל פורקי דואירמיס? איס טיימפו קי רוגיס אי טי קונייוריס	Ombre mortal, porke duermes? Es tiempo ke roges i te konyores.	Mortal human, why do you sleep? It is time you plead and weep together,
שְׁפֹךְ שִׂיחָה דְּרֹשׁ סְלִיחָה מֵאֲדוֹן הָאֲדוֹנִים׃	Pour out meditation, seek forgiveness from the Master of Masters!	אז אוראסייון, אימפלורה איל פארדון דיל סינייור די לוס סינייוריס!	Az orasyon, implora el pardon del Sinyor de los Sinyores!	do prayer, implore forgiveness from the Lord of Lords!
רְחַץ וּטְהַר וְאַל תְּאַחַר בְּטֶֽרֶם יָמִים פּוֹנִים׃	Hurry and cleanse, and do not delay, before days pass.	אנטיס די טוס דיאס סי טירמינין, קוריזﬞאטי די טוס אובﬞראס פיאוריס	Antes de tus dias se terminan, korejate de tus ovras peores.	Before your days are over, correct yourself of your worst deeds.
וּמְהֵרָה רוּץ לְעֶזְרָה לִפְנֵי שׁוֹכֵן מְעוֹנִים׃	And quickly, run to help before the Dweller in the Heights.	איל דייו די סיילו טי אלייודארה, סי אונדי איל קון פריסה קורריס	El Dio de sielo te ayudara, se onde El kon prisa kores.	The God of heaven will help you, who is wherever you run quickly to Them.
וּמִפֶּֽשַׁע וְגַם רֶֽשַׁע בְּרַח וּפְחַד מֵאֲסוֹנִים׃	And from iniquity and also evil flee, and fear disasters.	פﬞוליי די ריבﬞילייוס אי מאליסייאס, פינסה קי איי קאסטיגו אי דולוריס	Fuye de reveyos i malisiyas, pensa ke ay kastigo i dolores.	Flee from iniquities and evil acts; recall that there is castigation and pain.
אָנָּא שְׁעֵה שִׁמְךָ יוֹדְעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶאֱמָנִים׃	Please, answer Your Name’s knowers, Israel, the faithful!	דייו! קודייה די טו פואיבﬞלו ישראל טוס פﬞידיליס אי טוס סירבﬞידוריס.	Dio! Kudia de Tu puevlo Yisrael Tus fideles i Tus servedores.	God! Care for Your people Israel Your faithful and Your servants.
לְךָ֤ אֲדֹנָי֙ הַצְּדָקָ֔ה וְלָ֛נוּ בֹּ֥שֶׁת הַפָּנִ֖ים׃ (דניאל ט:ז)	Yours, my Master, is righteousness, and ours is shame-facedness!^[2] This verse is not translated in the Ladino, but rather preserved as a Hebrew refrain. (Daniel 9:7)	לְךָ֤ אֲדֹנָי֙ הַצְּדָקָ֔ה וְלָ֛נוּ בֹּ֥שֶׁת הַפָּנִ֖ים׃ (דניאל ט:ז)	Leha Adonay asedaka, velanu boshed apanim.	Yours, my Master, is righteousness, and ours is shame-facedness! (Daniel 9:7)
עֲמֹד כְּגֶֽבֶר וְהִתְגַּבֵּר לְהִתְוַדּוֹת עַל־חֲטָאִים׃	Stand like a man and strengthen yourself to acknowledge your sins.	אומברי, ליבﬞאנטה אי איספﬞורטאטי פור אטורגאר טוס פיקאדוס	Ombre, levanta i esfortate por aturgar tus pekados.	Human, rise and be strong to overcome your sins.
יָהּ אֵל דְּרֹשׁ בְּכֹֹֽבֶד רֹאשׁ לְכַפֵּר עַל־פְּשָׁעִים׃	Seek Yah the deity with a heavy head to atone for iniquities.	רוגה אל דייו קון אבאטיסייון פור קי טי סיאן פירדונאדוס	Roga al Dio kon abatision, por ke te sean perdonados.	Plead to God with abjection, that you may be forgiven.
כִּי לְעוֹלָם לֹא נֶעְלָם מִמֶּֽנּוּ נִפְלָאִים׃	For forever unhidden from Them are wonders,	פור קי טוס אקטוס אסקונדידוס, דילאנטרי די איל סון אקלאראדוס	Por ke tus aktos eskondidos, delante de El son aklarados,	For your hidden acts before Them are made clear
וְכׇל־מַאֲמָר אֲשֶׁר יֵאָמַר לְפָנָיו הֵם נִקְרָאִים׃	and every statement that is said is called before Them.	אי טודוס לוס ביירבﬞוס קי טו פרונונסייאס, דילאנטרי די איל סון איגזאמינאדוס.	i todos los biervos ke tu pronunsias, delante de El son egzaminados.	and all the words that you pronounce are examined before Them.
הַמְּרַחֵם הוּא יְרַחֵם עָלֵֽינוּ כְּרַחֵ֣ם אָ֭ב עַל־בָּנִ֑ים׃ (תהלים קג:יג)	May the Merciful One have mercy on us, as a father has mercy on children! (Psalm 103:13)	סיגון אפיאדה איל פאדרי אה סוס איזﬞוס, סיאמוס די איל אפיאדאדוס!	Segun apiada el padre a sus ijos, seamos de El apiadados!	As a father has mercy on his children, may we experience Their mercy!
לְךָ֤ אֲדֹנָי֙ הַצְּדָקָ֔ה וְלָ֛נוּ בֹּ֥שֶׁת הַפָּנִ֖ים׃ (דניאל ט:ז)	Yours, my Master, is righteousness, and ours is shame-facedness! (Daniel 9:7)	לְךָ֤ אֲדֹנָי֙ הַצְּדָקָ֔ה וְלָ֛נוּ בֹּ֥שֶׁת הַפָּנִ֖ים׃ (דניאל ט:ז)	Leha Adonay asedaka, velanu boshed apanim.	Yours, my Master, is righteousness, and ours is shame-facedness! (Daniel 9:7)

Source(s)

ben Adam – Traduksyon livre de las poezias ebraikas de Rosh ha-Shana i Kippur 5670 (Reuven Eliyahu Israel, 1910), p. 1

Notes

Notes
1	Jonah 1:5
2	This verse is not translated in the Ladino, but rather preserved as a Hebrew refrain.

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.

Reuven Eliyahu Yisrael (translation)

Reuven Eliyahu Yisrael (1856-1932) of Craiova from a long line of rabbinic leaders in Rhodes, was the last chief rabbi of the island. Rabbi Israel devoted a great part of his life to the translation in Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) of psalms, proverbs, poems and religious works, such as the “Kryiat de Izhak” (The Sacrifice of Isaac) and the Pirqei Avot. He served as Shaliah Tsibbur and ritual slaughterer in Rhodes for 18 years; traveled to Shuman, Bulgaria and from there to Craiova, Romania where he served as cantor and rabbi for 24 ½ years; spent the last 10 years of his life as Rabbi in Rhodes. On his last vist to Rhodes in the 1920's King Vittorio Emanuele of Italy bestowed on him the title of Knight of the Crown of Italy.

Unknown

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ben Adam – Traduksyon livre de las poezias ebraikas de Rosh ha-Shana i Kippur 5670 (Reuven Eliyahu Israel, 1910), p. 1

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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)