| Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
|---|---|
|
לְשׁוֹנִי כּוֹנַנְתָּ
אֱלֹהַי וַתִּבְחַר בְּשִׁירִים שֶׁשַּׂמְתָּ בְּפִי טוֹב מִמִּסְחַר |
My tongue You have fashioned
My Lord, and have chosen Songs that you have placed in my mouth, they are better than any other discourse |
|
וְנֶגְדָּךְ כּוֹנַנְתָּ
צְעָדַי מִמִּשְׁחַר וְלִי גָרוֹן תַּתָּה בְּקָרְאִי לֹא נִחַר |
And my footsteps you have directed
towards you from the first And you have given me a throat that has not gone dry from calling out to you |
|
וְיִצְרִי הִלְבַּנְתָּ
כְּמוֹ צֶמֶר צַחַר וְלָכֵן לֹא שַׁתָּה לְבָבִי בִּי סְחַרְחַר |
And you have purified my Yetser
to be as white as wool Therefore my heart did not stray nor grow dizzy within me |
|
הֱיֵה סִתְרִי עַתָּה
כְּאֶתְמוֹל וּכְמָחָר וּמָגִנִּי אַתָּה אֱלֹהַי אַל תְּאַחַר |
Be now my protector
as yesterday and tomorrow You are my shield My Lord, do not delay |
The piyyut, “Leshoni Konanta” is attributed to Solomon ibn Gabirol (1021–1058). A reshut (prayer for permission to pray), is sung in Sepharadi communities as part of the Tefilat Geshem and Tal ceremonies.
The English translation was made by Sara-Kinneret Lapidot as published in Invitation to Piyut North America: 18 Piyutim & Mizmorim (2010), p.17. –Aharon Varady
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