שיר הכבוד (אַנְעִים זְמִירוֹת)‏ | Shir haKavod (An'im Zemirot), part eight of the Shir haYiḥud (interpretive translation by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi)

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=29318

Date: 2020-01-19

Last Updated: 2024-12-17

Categories: Musaf l'Shabbat

Tags: 12th century C.E., 50th century A.M., acrostic, Alphabetic Acrostic, חסידי אשכנז Ḥasidei Ashkenaz, שיר היחוד Shir haYiḥud, שיר הכבוד shir hakavod

Excerpt: A "praying translation" of the piyyut, Anim Zemirot. . . .

Content:

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
אַנְעִים זְמִירוֹת וְשִׁירִים אֶאֱרוֹג, כִּי אֵלֶֽיךָ נַפְשִׁי תַעֲרוֹג.	I chant to please You, I weave You dear songs. For You my soul yearns, For You she longs.
נַפְשִׁי חָמְדָה בְּצֵל יָדֶֽךָ, לָדַֽעַת כָּל רָז סוֹדֶֽךָ.	Nestled in Your palm her love for You grows She will not rest until it’s You she knows!
מִדֵּי דַבְּרִי בִּכְבוֹדֶֽךָ, הוֹמֶה לִבִּי אֶל דּוֹדֶֽיךָ.	I look for words to speak Your praises my heart to You its yearning raises.
עַל כֵּן אֲדַבֵּר בְּךָ נִכְבָּדוֹת, וְשִׁמְךָ אֲכַבֵּד בְּשִׁירֵי יְדִידוֹת.	Therefore I will speak the virtues of Your Fame And garland with excellence the honor of Your Name.
אֲסַפְּרָה כְבוֹדְךָ וְלֹא רְאִיתִֽיךָ, אֲדַמְּךָ אֲכַנְּךָ וְלֹא יְדַעְתִּֽיךָ.	Though I do not see You, still I draw Your Face, Portray Your features, name Your Place.
בְּיַד נְבִיאֶֽיךָ בְּסוֹד עֲבָדֶֽיךָ, דִּמִּֽיתָ הֲדַר כְבוֹד הוֹדֶֽךָ.	Your prophets spoke, Your servants darkly knew In symbols and myths they referred to You.
גְּדֻלָּתְךָ וּגְבוּרָתֶֽךָ. כִּנּוּ לְתֹֽקֶף פְּעֻלָּתֶֽךָ.	When describing Your pow’r and declaring Your care Of Your awesome compassion they made us aware.
דִּמּוּ אוֹתְךָ וְלֹא כְפִי יֶשְׁךָ, וַיְשַׁוּֽוּךָ לְפִי מַעֲשֶֽׂיךָ.	Yet it is not Your Being that they could describe Only the way Your compassion touches our life.
הִמְשִׁילֽוּךָ בְּרוֹב חֶזְיוֹנוֹת, הִנְּךָ אֶחָד בְּכָל דִּמְיוֹנוֹת.	Countless their visions of Your mysterious feats In all their forms Your ONEness meets.
וַיֶּחֱזוּ בְךָ זִקְנָה וּבַחֲרוּת, וּשְׂעַר רֹאשְׁךָ בְּשֵׂיבָה וְשַׁחֲרוּת.	They saw You young; they saw You old. They saw You patient, They saw You bold.
זִקְנָה בְּיוֹם דִּין וּבַחֲרוּת בְּיוֹם קְרָב, כְּאִישׁ מִלְחָמוֹת יָדָיו לוֹ רָב.	Ancient of Days, Eternally Just, Each moment our Helper in Whom we do trust.
חָבַשׁ כּֽוֹבַע יְשׁוּעָה בְּרֹאשוֹ, הוֹשִֽׁיעָה לּוֹ יְמִינוֹ וּזְרֽוֹעַ קָדְשׁוֹ.	Wearing Your helmet as hero to help us Your strong arm, Your right hand to save us.
טַלְלֵי אוֹרוֹת רֹאשוֹ נִמְלָא, קְוֻצּוֹתָיו רְסִֽיסֵי לָֽיְלָה.	Your hair drenched with light drops, all shining with brilliance. Your Darkness is shelter, Your love in all radiance.
יִתְפָּאֵר בִּי כִּי חָפֵץ בִּי, וְהוּא יִהְיֶה לִי לַעֲטֶֽרֶת צְבִי.	How fair is Your kindness, how splendid Your sight May our song rise to crown You with endearing delight
כֶּֽתֶם טָהוֹר פָּז דְּמוּת רֹאשוֹ, וְחַק עַל מֵֽצַח כְּבוֹד שֵׁם קָדְשׁוֹ.	A jewel all golden Your image sends rays with t’fillin on forehead we follow Your ways.
לְחֵן וּלְכָבוֹד צְבִי תִפְאָרָה, אֻמָּתוֹ לוֹ עִטְּרָה עֲטָרָה.	With grace and honor, all splendid in glory Your people sing loudly Your triumphal story
מַחְלְפוֹת רֹאשוֹ כְּבִימֵי בְחֻרוֹת, קְוֻצּוֹתָיו תַּלְתַּלִּים שְׁחוֹרוֹת.	In words of young lovers they gaze at Your visage the letters of Torah in black hold Your message.
נְוֵה הַצֶּֽדֶק צְבִי תִפְאַרְתּוֹ, יַעֲלֶה נָּא עַל רֹאש שִׂמְחָתוֹ.	Justice Your mantle in balance with kindness This gives You pleasure delight and sublimeness.
סְגֻלָּתוֹ תְּהִי נָא בְיָדוֹ עֲטֶֽרֶת. וּצְנִיף מְלוּכָה צְבִי תִפְאֶֽרֶת.	May we deserve to be scepter in Your regal hand A crimson royal cape, we Your loyal band.
עֲמוּסִים נְשָׂאָם עֲטֶֽרֶת עִנְּדָם, מֵאֲשֶׁר יָקְרוּ בְעֵינָיו כִּבְּדָם.	The burdened sufferers, You sustained them with might How precious You held them, so dear to Your sight.
פְּאֵרוֹ עָלַי וּפְאֵרִי עָלָיו, וְקָרוֹב אֵלַי בְּקָרְאִי אֵלָיו.	Your glory my pride is, my delight for Your care So close You are, to answer my pray’r.
צַח וְאָדוֹם לִלְבוּשׁוֹ אָדוֹם, פּוּרָה בְּדָרְכוֹ בְּבוֹאוֹ מֵאֱדוֹם.	Your shining face illumines my days I am awed by the magic revealed in Your ways.
קֶֽשֶׁר תְּפִלִּין הֶרְאָה לֶעָנָו, תְּמוּנַת יְיָ לְנֶֽגֶד עֵינָיו.	To Moshe You showed Your Head-T’fillin’s knot Your image was clear in his mind and his thought.
רוֹצֶה בְעַמּוֹ עֲנָוִים יְפָאֵר, יוֹשֵׁב תְּהִלּוֹת בָּם לְהִתְפָּאֵר.	Though humble Your folk, they are Your proud fame You’re enthroned on their praises; they honor Your Name.
רֹאשׁ דְּבָרְךָ אֱמֶת קוֹרֵא מֵרֹאשׁ, דּוֹר וָדוֹר עַם דּוֹרֶשְׁךָ דְּרוֹשׁ.	Truth is Your Word, enduring its worth From parent to child its message flows forth.
שִׁית הֲמוֹן שִׁירַי נָא עָלֶֽיךָ, וְרִנָּתִי תִּקְרַב אֵלֶֽיךָ.	I cannot sing Your praises complete, May those that I do sing and reach You be sweet.
תְּהִלָּתִי תְּהִי לְרֹאשׁךָ עֲטֶֽרֶת, וּתְפִלָּתִי תִּכּוֹן קְטֹֽרֶת.	Like perfume and incense may my singing rise high A paean to crown You, a poor lover’s sigh.
תִּיקַר שִׁירַת רָשׁ בְּעֵינֶֽיךָ, כַּשִּׁיר יוּשַׁר עַל קָרְבָּנֶֽיךָ.	My poor song devoid is of all artifice still this loving song is my best sacrifice.
בִּרְכָתִי תַעֲלֶה לְרֹאשׁ מַשְבִּיר, מְחוֹלֵל וּמוֹלִיד צַדִּיק כַּבִּיר.	My blessings are lifting to rise to new heights, To make fertile the birth of the Tsaddik with might.
וּבְבִרְכָתִי תְנַעֲנַע לִי רֹאשׁ, וְאוֹתָהּ קַח לְךָ כִּבְשָׂמִים רֹאשׁ.	And with these blessings, these love words so fond. With a nod of Your head, I ask You: Respond.
יֶעֱרַב נָא שִׂיחִי עָלֶֽיךָ. כִּי נַפְשִׁי תַעֲרוֹג אֵלֶֽיךָ.	Regard please these poor words that I blush to recite My soul’s ardent longing to give You delight.
לְךָ יְהוָה הַגְּדֻלָּה וְהַגְּבוּרָה וְהַתִּפְאֶרֶת וְהַנֵּצַח וְהַהוֹד כִּי־כֹל בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ לְךָ יְהוָה הַמַּמְלָכָה וְהַמִּתְנַשֵּׂא לְכֹל לְרֹאשׁ׃ (דברי הימים א׳ כט:יא)	Yours, YHVH, are greatness, might, splendor, triumph, and majesty— yes, all that is in heaven and on earth; to you, YHVH, belong kingship and preeminence above all.[1] 1 Chronicles 29:11.
מִי יְמַלֵּל גְּבוּרוֹת יְהוָה יַשְׁמִיעַ כָּל־תְּהִלָּתוֹ׃ (תהלים קו:ב)	Who can tell the mighty acts of YHVH, proclaim all their praises?[2] Psalms 106:2.

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Source

This “praying translation” of the Shir haKavod is included in Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi’s Sabbath Supplement to his Siddur Tehillat Hashem Yidaber Pi ~ As I Can Say It (for Praying in the Vernacular) (2009). I have added the concluding verses from 1 Chronicles 29:11 and Psalms 106:2. –Aharon N. Varady

Known popularly by its incipit, Anim Zemirot, the Shir haKavod is often attributed to Yehudah heḤasid of Regensbeurg (1150–1217), but he may have only written a commentary on it. The piyyut itself is the last of eight piyyutim, the rest known as the Shir haYiḥud, first printed in Tiengen, 1560.

Source(s)

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Notes

Notes

1	1 Chronicles 29:11.
2	Psalms 106:2.

Contributor: Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (translation)

Co-authors:

• 
  Name: Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (translation)
  Bio: Rabbi Dr. Zalman Meshullam Schachter-Shalomi, affectionately known as "Reb Zalman" (28 August 1924 – 3 July 2014) was one of the founders of the Jewish Renewal movement. Born in Żółkiew, Poland (now Ukraine) and raised in Vienna, he was interned in detention camps under the Vichy Regime but managed to flee the Nazi advance, emigrating to the United States in 1941. He was ordained as an Orthodox rabbi in 1947 within the ḤaBaD Hasidic movement while under the leadership of the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, and served ḤaBaD communities in Massachusetts and Connecticut. He subsequently earned an M.A. in psychology of religion at Boston University, and a doctorate from the Hebrew Union College. He was initially sent out to speak on college campuses by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, but in the early 1960s, after experimenting with "the sacramental value of lysergic acid", the main ingredient in LSD, leadership within ḤaBaD circles cut ties with him. He continued teaching the Torah of Ḥassidut until the end of his life to creative, free and open-minded Jewish thinkers with humility and kindness and established warm ecumenical ties as well. In September 2009, he became the first contributor of a siddur to the Open Siddur Project database of Jewish liturgy and related work. Reb Zalman supported the Open Siddur Project telling its founder, "this is what I've been looking forward to!" and sharing among many additional works of liturgy, an interview he had with Havurah magazine in the early to mid-1980s detailing his vision of "Database Davenen." The Open Siddur Project is proud to be realizing one of Reb Zalman's long held dreams.
  Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zalman_Schachter-Shalomi
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/zalman-schachter-shalomi-translation
• 
  Name: Unknown Author(s)
  Bio: Sometimes the best we can do in attributing a historical work is to indicate the period and place it was written, the first prayer book it may have been printed in, or the archival collection in which the manuscript was found. We invite the public to help to attribute all works to their original composers. If you know something not mentioned in the commentary offered, please leave a comment or contact us.
  Website:
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/unknown
• 
  Name: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)
  Bio: 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.)
  Website: https://aharon.varady.net
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/aharon-varady-transcription

Featured Image:

Title: Judenhat escutcheon (Aharon Varady CC BY-SA)
Caption: A Judenhat escutcheon (colorized by Aharon Varady)