“Adon Olam” is a piyyut that became popular in the 15th century and is often attributed to Solomon ibn Gabirol (1021–1058) and less often to Sherira Gaon (900-1001), or his son, Hai ben Sherira Gaon (939-1038). The variation of the piyyut appearing here is the 10 line (5 stanza) version familiar to Ashkenazi congregations. (Sefaradi siddurim have 12 line (six stanza) variants, and there are some with 14 or 15 lines.) The translation appearing here is as found on page 41 of the Sabbath and Festival Prayer Book (1946), compiled by the Rabbinical Assembly & United Synagogue of America and adapted from a manuscript by Rabbi Morris Silverman.

Source(s)

“אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם (אשכנז)‏ | Adōn Olam (Rabbinical Assembly & United Synagogue of America, 1946)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 Universal license.

Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Aharon Varady (M.A.J.Ed./JTSA Davidson) is a volunteer transcriber for the Open Siddur Project. If you find any mistakes in his transcriptions, please let him know. Shgiyot mi yavin; Ministarot naqeni שְׁגִיאוֹת מִי־יָבִין; מִנִּסְתָּרוֹת נַקֵּנִי "Who can know all one's flaws? From hidden errors, correct me" (Psalms 19:13). If you'd like to directly support his work, please consider donating via his Patreon account. (Varady also translates prayers and contributes his own original work besides serving as the primary shammes of the Open Siddur Project and its website, opensiddur.org.)

Morris Silverman

Rabbi Morris Silverman (1894–1972) was a Conservative rabbi as well as an editor and writer of Jewish prayer books. In 1939, he edited the High Holiday Prayer Book, popularly known as the "Silverman Machzor" which became the official prayer book for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur for the United Synagogue of America of the Conservative Movement for over half a century.Likewise, his manuscript for a siddur became the basis of the Sabbath and Festival Prayer Book (Seder Tefilot Yisrael), the official prayer book for the Conservative movement. Silverman served as rabbi for The Emanuel Synagogue in West Hartford, Connecticut.

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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

Works of related interest:

 

אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם (אשכנז)‏ | Adōn Olam, translated by Ben Zion Bokser (1957)

אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם (אשכנז)‏ | Adōn Olam, translated by Alice Lucas (1894)

אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם (אשכנז)‏ | Adōn Olam, translated by Tsvi Hirsch Filipowski (1862)

אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם (אשכנז)‏ | Adōn Olam, translated from Rabbi David Einhorn’s Olat Tamid (1858)

אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם (מנהג הספרדים)‏ | Adōn Olam, rhyming translation by Rabbi David de Sola Pool (1937)

אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם (מנהג הספרדים)‏ | Adōn Olam, rhyming translation by Rosa Emma Salaman (1855)

אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם (אשכנז)‏ | Adon Olam (rhyming translation by George Borrow, 1842)

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