אֲדוֹן הַסְּלִיחוֹת | Adon haSeliḥot, a pizmon for Seliḥot and Yom Kippur with an alphabetic acrostic translation by Rabbi David de Sola Pool (1937)

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=36059

Date: 2021-03-12

Last Updated: 2025-03-27

Categories: Yom Kippur

Tags: acrostic, Alphabetic Acrostic, free translation, phonetic alphabetic acrostic translation, אדון הסליחות Adon haSeliḥot, סליחות səliḥot, פזמונים pizmonim

Excerpt: An alphabetic acrostic pizmon for seliḥot and Yom Kippur with an alphabetic acrostic English translation. . . .

Content:

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן. חָטָֽאנוּ לְפָנֶֽיךָ רַחֵם עָלֵֽינוּ׃	Merciful and Gracious One, we have sinned before you, have mercy upon us.
אֲדוֹן הַסְּלִיחוֹת. בּוֹחֵן לְבָבוֹת. גּוֹלֶה עֲמוּקוֹת. דּוֹבֵר צְדָקוֹת. חָטָֽאנוּ לְפָנֶֽיךָ רַחֵם עָלֵֽינוּ׃	Awesome God, Beneficent and good to all your creatures, Clothed in right, Declaring truth, God we have sinned before you; have mercy on us.
הָדוּר בְּנִפְלָאוֹת. וָתִיק בְּנֶֽחָמוֹת. זוֹכֵר בְּרִית אָבוֹת. חוֹקֵר כְּלָיוֹת׃ חָטָֽאנוּ לְפָנֶֽיךָ רַחֵם עָלֵֽינוּ׃	Ever constant in comforts, Foreseeing, Glorious in wonders, Hearkening to prayers, God we have sinned before you; have mercy on us.
טוֹב וּמֵטִיב לַבְּרִיּוֹת. יוֹדֵעַ כָּל־נִסְתָּרוֹת. כּוֹבֵשׁ עֲוֺנוֹת. לוֹבֵשׁ צְדָקוֹת׃ חָטָֽאנוּ לְפָנֶֽיךָ רַחֵם עָלֵֽינוּ׃	Invoking the generations, Judging in knowledge, Knowing all that is hidden, Lord of forgiveness. Moving o’er the skies, God we have sinned before you; have mercy on us.
מָלֵא זָֽכִיּוֹת. נוֹרָא תְהִלּוֹת. סוֹלֵֽחַ עֲוֺנוֹת. עוֹנֶה בַצָּרוֹת׃ חָטָֽאנוּ לְפָנֶֽיךָ רַחֵם עָלֵֽינוּ׃	Nigh in trouble, overflowing in virtue, Pardoning sins, Quelling sinfulness, Remembering the covenant with the fathers, God we have sinned before you; have mercy on us.
פּוֹעֵל יְשׁוּעוֹת. צוֹפֶה עֲתִידוֹת. קוֹרֵא הַדּוֹרוֹת. רוֹכֵב עֲרָבוֹת. שׁוֹמֵֽעַ תְּפִלּוֹת. תְּמִים דֵּעוֹת׃ חָטָֽאנוּ לְפָנֶֽיךָ רַחֵם עָלֵֽינוּ׃	Searcher of inmost feelings, Tester of hearts, Uncovering the depths, Venerated in praises, Working salvation, God we have sinned before you; have mercy on us.
אֵל רַחוּם שְׁמָךְ. אֵל חַנּוּן שְׁמָךְ. אֵל אֶרֶךְ אַפַּֽיִם שְׁמָךְ. מָלֵא רַחֲמִים שְׁמָךְ. בָּנוּ נִקְרָא שְׁמָךְ. יְיָ עֲשֵׂה לְמַֽעַן שְׁמֶֽךָ׃	Merciful El! Gracious El! El long-suffering! Abounding in mercy! These are your name, and we are called by your name. Have mercy, then, YHVH in justice to your name.

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This is the alphabetic acrostic pizmon “Adon haSeliḥot” recited during seliḥot and on Yom Kippur in the liturgical custom of Sefarad. The alphabetic acrostic translation is by Rabbi David de Sola Pool, from his maḥzor for Rosh haShanah, Tefilot l’Rosh haShanah (1937), p. 36-37. I have replaced archaisms ‘Thy’ and ‘Thee’ with ‘you’ and ‘your’ and re-Hebraized divine names. –Aharon Varady

Source(s)

 

Contributor: Unknown Author(s)

Co-authors:

• 
  Name: David de Sola Pool
  Bio: David de Sola Pool (דוד די סולה פול;‎ 1885–1970) was the leading 20th-century Sephardic rabbi in the United States. A scholar, author, and civic leader, he was a world leader of Judaism. Born in London, England, de Sola Pool was descended from an old and renowned family of rabbis and scholars, de Sola, which traces its origins to medieval Spain. His great grandparents were Rabbi (R.) David Aaron de Sola and Rebecca Meldola, his great-great grandfather was Haham Raphael Meldola, a prominent English Rabbi. He was also related to R. Abraham de Sola, R. Henry Pereira Mendes and Dr. Frederick de Sola Mendes. He studied at the University of London. He held a doctorate in ancient languages, summa cum laude, from the University of Heidelberg. In 1907, de Sola Pool was invited to become the rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel — often called the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue — located in New York City, the oldest Jewish congregation in the United States. He served as its rabbi for 63 years.
  Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_de_Sola_Pool
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/david-de-sola-pool
• 
  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

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