יִגְדַּל (אשכנז)‏ | Yigdal, by Daniel ben Yehudah (rhyming translation by Alice Lucas, 1898)

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=36133

Date: 2021-03-13

Last Updated: 2025-04-06

Categories: Morning Baqashot, Arvit l'Shabbat

Tags: 15th century C.E., 53rd century A.M., doctrinal, statements of belief, זמירות zemirot, יגדל yigdal, פיוטים piyyuṭim

Excerpt: The philosophical-creed-as-piyyut, Yigdal, in Hebrew with an English translation. . . .

Content:

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
יִגְדַּל אֱלֹהִים חַי וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח. נִמְצָא וְאֵין עֵת אֶל מְצִיאוּתוֹ׃	The living God we praise, exalt, adore! He was, He is, He will be evermore.
אֶחָד וְאֵין יָחִיד כְּיִחוּדוֹ. נֶעְלָם וְגַם אֵין סוֹף לְאַחְדּוּתוֹ׃	No unity like unto His can be, Eternal, inconceivable is He.
אֵין לוֹ דְמוּת הַגּוּף וְאֵינוֹ גּוּף. לֹא נַעֲרֹךְ אֵלָיו קְדֻשָּׁתוֹ׃	No form or shape has th’ incorporeal One, Most holy beyond all comparison.
קַדְמוֹן לְכָל־דָּבָר אֲשֶׁר נִבְרָא. רִאשׁוֹן וְאֵין רֵאשִׁית לְרֵאשִׁיתוֹ׃	He was, ere aught was made in heaven or earth, But His existence has no date or birth.
הִנּוֹ אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם לְכָל־נוֹצָר יוֹרֶה גְּדֻלָּתוֹ וּמַלְכוּתוֹ׃	Lord of the Universe is He proclaimed, Teaching His power to all His hand has framed.
שֶֽׁפַע נְבוּאָתוֹ נְתָנוֹ. אֶל אַנְשֵׁי סְגֻלָּתוֹ וְתִפְאַרְתּוֹ׃	He gave His gift of prophecy to those In whom He gloried, whom He loved and chose.
לֹא קָם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמֹשֶׁה עוֹד. נָבִיא. וּמַבִּיט אֶת־תְּמוּנָתוֹ׃‏	No prophet ever yet has filled the place Of Moses, who beheld God face to face.
תּוֹרַת אֱמֶת נָתַן לְעַמּוֹ אֵל עַל־יַד נְבִיאוֹ נֶאֱמַן בֵּיתוֹ׃	Through Him (the faithful in His house) the Lord The law of truth to Israel did accord.
לֹא יַחֲלִיף הָאֵל וְלֹא יָמִיר דָּתוֹ. לְעוֹלָמִים לְזוּלָתוֹ׃	This law God will not alter, will not change For any other through time’s utmost range.
צוֹפֶה וְיוֹדֵעַ סְתָרֵֽינוּ. מַבִּיט לְסוֹף דָּבָר בְּקַדְמָתוֹ׃	He knows and heeds the secret thoughts of man: He saw the end of all ere aught began.
גּוֹמֵל לְאִישׁ חֶֽסֶד כְּמִפְעָלוֹ. נוֹתֵן לְרָשָׁע רָע כְּרִשְׁעָתוֹ׃	With love and grace doth He the righteous bless, He metes out evil unto wickedness.
יִשְׁלַח לְקֵץ יָמִים מְשִׁיחֵֽנוּ. לִפְדּוֹת מְחַכֵּי קֵץ יְשׁוּעָתוֹ׃	He at the last will His anointed send, Those to redeem, who hope, and wait the end.
מֵתִים יְחַיֶּה אֵל בְּרֹב חַסְדּוֹ. בָּרוּךְ עֲדֵי־עַד שֵׁם תְּהִלָּתוֹ׃	God will the dead to life again restore, Praised be His glorious name for evermore.

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This is the philosophical-creed-as-piyyut, Yigdal, by Daniel ben Judah Dayyan. Yigdal means “Magnify [O Living God]” and is based on the 13 Articles of Faith formulated by Maimonides (1135-1204). Daniel ben Judah spent eight years improving his piyyut, completing Yigdal in 1404. This was not the only metrical presentment of the 13 Articles of Faith; but it has outlived all others, whether in Hebrew or in the vernacular. The English translation appearing here is as found on pp. 186-187 of The Jewish Year (1898), by Alice Lucas.

Source(s)

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Contributor: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Co-authors:

• 
  Name: Alice Lucas (translation)
  Bio: Alice Julia Lucas (née Montefiore) (2 August 1851 – 25 March 1935) was a British Jewish poet, translator, and communal worker. Alice Julia Montefiore was born in 1851, the elder daughter of Nathaniel M. Montefiore and Emma Goldsmid. Alongside her brother Claude Montefiore, she studied Judaism under Solomon Schechter at the Hochschule in Berlin. On 24 April 1873 she married barrister Henry Lucas, who later served as treasurer and vice-president of the United Synagogue. In 1900 she helped establish the Jewish Study Society, modelled after the Council of Jewish Women, of which she served as the first president. Lucas also sat on the women's committee of the Westminster Jews' Free School and its preparatory nursery, the Jews' Infant School.
  Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Lucas_(poet)
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/alice-lucas
• 
  Name: Daniel ben Yehudah Dayyan
  Bio: Daniel ben Yehudah Dayyan was a Jewish liturgical poet, who lived at Rome in the middle of the fourteenth century CE. He was the grandfather of Daniel ben Samuel ha-Rofe, rabbi at Tivoli. According to Samuel David Luzzatto, Daniel ben Yehudah was the author of the well-known piyyut "Yigdal" containing a doxology based upon the thirteen articles of belief of Maimonides. This piyyut, which forms part of the morning prayer among the Ashkenazim, and is sung by the Sephardim on the eve of Sabbaths and holy days, is included in the Romaniote ritual for Saturday evening. (adapted from wikipedia)
  Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_ben_Judah
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/daniel-ben-judah
• 
  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: Melody of Yigdal hymn as per Myer Lyon
Caption: Melody of Yigdal hymn as per Myer Lyon