“Ar’a Raqda,” a piyyut read directly before the Ten Commandments in the Targum, uses wedding imagery and language from the Shir haShirim to paint Sinai as a ḥuppah.
Note: “The CAUSE” is used to translate the Divine Name YHVH, based on the philosophical idea of God as the Prime Mover and on the interpretation of the Name as a causative form of the copula – “causes to be.”
| Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
|---|---|
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אַרְעָא רַקְדָא שְׁמַיָּא זַמָרוּ
כָד אֶרִיס קֵירִיס לִבְרַתֶּיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב בְּמִיפְּקָה לְחֵירוּ |
And the earth danced and the heavens sang,
When the CAUSE betrothed Jacob’s daughter on bringing her to freedom |
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בְּאֶצְבַּעְתֵּיהּ יְהַב לַהּ חָמֶשׁ עִיזְקַן דִּנְהִירוּ
עַל כׇּל עִיזְקָא וְעִיזְקָא אַרְבָּעָא טָבְּעִין בִּבְהִירוּ |
Binding on her finger five rings of light.
On each and every ring were four clear seals, |
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גְבִילָן בְּצִדְקָא חֲסִימַן בְּרִינָא
נְקִישַׁן בְּחִסְדָּא טְבִיעַן בַּחֲסִינָא |
Circled in righteousness, bound in justice,
Crafted in grace, embedded with strength. |
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דְּהַב אוֹבְרִיזָא אִינוּן עִזְקַן אַחֲסָנָא
חֲמֶשׁ סִפְרֵי אוֹרָיְתָא מוֹהֲרָא דְּמַטְרוֹנָא |
Done in pure gold; these were rings of inheritance:
The five books of the Teaching, called our heritage. |
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הוּא יְהַב בִּיְדָא עֲשָׂר יְקְַנְתָּיָא
מוֹהֲרָא קַדְמָאָה דַּחֲבִיבָיָא |
Engaged, God’s hand gave us ten jacinth gems;
The first dowry of affection and love. |
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וּתְלַת מַאֲוַן וְשִׁיתִּין וְחָמֶשׁ מַרְגְּלַיָא
מוֹהֲרָא תִנְיָינָא דַחֲבִיבְתָּא בְּאַפְּרֵי אַפְּרַיָא |
Forbidding 365 pearls, like the days of the sun;
The second dowry of palatial grace. |
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זְמַרַגְדִין אַרְבֲּעִין וְתַמְנֵי וּתַרְתֵּין מַאֲוַן
מַתְלְיַן עַל צַוְארָא דְּכַלְתָא וּבְסִפְוַן |
Garnets 248 as well yoked to the bride’s neck
And spoken of on her lips. |
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חֲטַף לַאֲרוּסְתֵּיהּ מִבֵּין בַּתְרַיָא בְּחֶזֶוַן
כַּד אַרְתֶּיק עַל תַּרְעָא וְהָוַת דַּמְכַא בְּתַוַן |
Hurrying to get her out from the narrow place as a dream;
Beating on the rafters, sleeping in the room. |
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טְעַן יָתָהּ עַל גַּפֵּי נִישְׁרִין
וְאוֹכִיל לָהּ סִילְוָא בְּאוּרְתָּא וּמַנָּא בְּצַפְרִין |
“I will carry you on the wings of eagles;
Eating quail by night and manna by morning.” |
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יָמָא בְּזַע לַהּ גְנוֹן בְּסִינַי קְטַר לָהּ בִּזֵיהוֹרִין
מַלְאֲכָיָא שׁוֹשְׁבִינִין וּמֹשֶׁה בַּר גְּנוֹן דְּפַנְטֵירִין |
Just so, the sea split, the Sinai canopy bound her in glory;
Angels as groomsmen; Moses the bridegroom in jaspers. |
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כְּלִיל מַלְכוּ בְּרֵישָא וְעַל יְדָהָא שֵׁירִין
עֲגִילִין בְּאוּדְנָא וְטַבְּעִין אַנְחִירִין |
Kingly crown on her head, and on her hand songs,
Shield earrings in her ears, nose-rings in her nostrils. |
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לְבוּשָׁא דְּרִקְמָא מְסָאֲנָה דְּסַסְגוֹנִין מְצַיְרִין
לְבוּשׁ שְׁזִיר וְתִכְלָא הֲוַת פֵירְזוֹמָא בְּשׁוּפְרִין |
Layered with embroidered clothes, shoed in vermillion-skins,
Wearing the twisted sky-blue cord and the most beautiful girdle. |
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מִן צוּרְתָּא דְּאָבוּהָא כַּד אָתָת לְמִיפַּק
אֲעַלַת לַאֲרִיסטֵיהּ תַּרְעִין דְּקוּסְמָרִין בְּעִיבִידְתֵּיה לְמִרְפַּק |
Made in the figure of her father, she came to leave;
Cosmic gates opened for her. |
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נַעֲבֵּיד וּנְקַבֵּיל מִשְׁתָּעִין בַּתְרֵיהוֹן דְּלָא לְפַקְפֶּק
וּמִתְפַּרְשִׁין קֳדָם חַתְנָא וְיֶחֱדֵי וְכַלְתָא תִּידּוּץ בִּדְיַסְפֶּק |
“Now we will do and hear!,” they said before God immediately.
They spread out before the Groom, and the bride rejoiced in the litter. |
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סְלִים יִתְקְבַע לָהּ דְּתִיסַק לִגְנוּנָא
מִן צוּרְתָּא דְּאָבוּהָא לְכוּרְסֵיהּ דְחַתְנָא |
Over her was set a latter to ascend to the canopy;
From her father’s form to the throne of the Groom. |
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עָדְרִין בָּהּ שַׁבְעִין בְּתוּלִין לְשָׁנָנָא
דְּלֵיהֲוַן הַכְּכָמָכָא בַּחֲלָבָא עַל דּוּבְשָׁא לְאִיתְלַבָּנָא |
Proceeding to her seventy virginal ones to teach diligently;
Quite like dairy yogurt and honey in whitening. |
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פְּרַת לְמִקְטוֹר בְּמַדְבְּרָא גְּנוֹן נְהוֹרָא לַאֲרוּסְתָּא
גְּנוֹן לְגוֹ מִן גְּנוֹן דְלֵיהֱוָן צְנוּעִין בִּשְׁבִיסְתָּא |
Raising altar-incense in the center; the glorious canopy of engagement;
Setting a canopy in a canopy to make modest the lodging. |
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צַוְארָהּ לְמִידְמוּךְ בֵּינֵי תְּרֵין בְּרִיזָתָא
וְקַצְוַתָא דִּרְסִיסִין תַּלְיַן אַפּוּתָא |
Thus she was joined to the one likened between two breasts;
Upon her forehead hung the locks of dewdrops. |
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קוֹמְתָה כְּתַמְרָא כִסְגוּלִין תַּדְיָא
קְדָלָא שִׁיַע כְּעֲמּוּד שֵׁן דְּפִילָיָא |
Vertically like a palm, like grape-clusters her breasts;
With her neck’s back as smooth as a pillar of ivory. |
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רֵישָׁא כְּכַרְמְלָא קְלִיעָתָא בְּאַרְגְּוָנַיָא
רֵיחָא דִּנְחִירָא כְּרֵיחָא דְחִיזוּרָיָא |
Xanthous her head like Carmel, braided with scarlet.
Her scent wafted like the scent of apples. |
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שַׁרְרָא לְאִדְּרָא דְּזֵיתָא כְּגוֹן עֲרֵימַת חִיטִין
מַקְפַן שׁוֹשַׁנִּין חֲנִיטִין |
Yes, her navel like an olive-thresher; like a pile of wheat;
Encircled like developing lilies. |
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תְּקוֹף עֵינָהָא כִּתְרֵין בְּרֵיכַן דְחַבְטִין בְּאַפִּין קְשִׁיטִין
וּנְחִירָא זְקִיף כְצִפִּיתָא דְּדַמָשֶׁק וְלָא מְחַמְטִין |
Zone of her eyes’ strength like two pools joined facing truth
And her nose upright like lamps of Damascus, never to bend. |
“Ar’a Raqda” is found on folio 148 (verso) of the Worms Maḥzor (1272 CE). For more backqound on these Targumic piyyutim in Aramaic, find Kol Bo §52.9.
Source(s)
Ar’a Raqda (Worms Mahzor) f.148 verso
