Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=20811
open_content_license: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft licenseDate: 2018-07-23
Last Updated: 2024-11-03
Categories: Rosh Ḥodesh, Tehilim Book 4 (Psalms 90–106)
Tags: Barkhi Nafshi, devotional interpretation, hymns of creation, interpretive translation, Openers, Psalms 104
Excerpt: Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, z"l, included his translation of "Barkhi Nafshi" (Psalms 104) for Rosh Ḥodesh in his Siddur Tehillat Hashem Yidaber Pi (2009). To the best of my ability, I have set his translation side-by-side with the verses comprising the Psalm. --Aharon N. Varady . . .
Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
---|---|
|
On Rosh Ḥodesh (New Moon Day)
or any other day in which you appreciate God’s hand in nature insert Psalm 104 |
בָּרֲכִ֥י נַפְשִׁ֗י אֶת־יְה֫וָ֥ה
יְהוָ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהַי גָּדַ֣לְתָּ מְּאֹ֑ד ה֭וֹד וְהָדָ֣ר לָבָֽשְׁתָּ׃ |
Bless Yah breath of mine.
Yah, my God, You are so vast and great, All veiled in pride and glory! |
עֹֽטֶה־א֭וֹר כַּשַּׂלְמָ֑ה
נוֹטֶ֥ה שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם כַּיְרִיעָֽה׃ |
You are wrapped in Light.
The sky, You spread like a sheet. |
הַ֥מְקָרֶֽה בַמַּ֗יִם עֲֽלִיּ֫וֹתָ֥יו
הַשָּׂם־עָבִ֥ים רְכוּב֑וֹ הַֽ֝מְהַלֵּ֗ךְ עַל־כַּנְפֵי־רֽוּחַ׃ |
Your upper chambers are water roofed,
As You bestride clouds. You waft on the wings of wind. |
עֹשֶׂ֣ה מַלְאָכָ֣יו רוּח֑וֹת
מְ֝שָׁרְתָ֗יו אֵ֣שׁ לֹהֵֽט׃ |
The breezes, You send
are Your aides, Your helpers, blazing flames. |
יָֽסַד־אֶ֭רֶץ עַל־מְכוֹנֶ֑יהָ
בַּל־תִּ֝מּ֗וֹט עוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃ |
You founded Earth, so sound,
To outlast time itself. |
תְּ֭הוֹם כַּלְּב֣וּשׁ כִּסִּית֑וֹ
עַל־הָ֝רִ֗ים יַֽעַמְדוּ־מָֽיִם׃ |
The abyss, You covered like a mantle
Water! On mountains rests. |
מִן־גַּעֲרָ֣תְךָ֣ יְנוּס֑וּן
מִן־ק֥וֹל רַֽ֝עַמְךָ֗ יֵחָפֵזֽוּן׃ |
You sound a roar and they flee.
Your thunder makes them shake. |
יַעֲל֣וּ הָ֭רִים יֵרְד֣וּ בְקָע֑וֹת
אֶל־מְ֝ק֗וֹם זֶ֤ה ׀ יָסַ֬דְתָּ לָהֶֽם׃ |
Mountains high and valleys low…
Their places they assume. |
גְּֽבוּל־שַׂ֭מְתָּ בַּל־יַֽעֲבֹר֑וּן
בַּל־יְ֝שׁוּב֗וּן לְכַסּ֥וֹת הָאָֽרֶץ׃ |
You set them limits they cannot pass.
Never again to flood the land. |
הַֽמְשַׁלֵּ֣חַ מַ֭עְיָנִים בַּנְּחָלִ֑ים
בֵּ֥ין הָ֝רִ֗ים יְהַלֵּכֽוּן׃ |
Springs flow into brooks
And snake between the mountains. |
יַ֭שְׁקוּ כָּל־חַיְת֣וֹ שָׂדָ֑י
יִשְׁבְּר֖וּ פְרָאִ֣ים צְמָאָֽם׃ |
All the wild of field drink there.
The beasts slake there their thirst. |
עֲ֭לֵיהֶם עוֹף־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם יִשְׁכּ֑וֹן
מִבֵּ֥ין עֳ֝פָאיִ֗ם יִתְּנוּ־קֽוֹל׃ |
By their shores dwell birds that soar,
Sounding calls through leaves and reeds. |
מַשְׁקֶ֣ה הָ֭רִים
מֵעֲלִיּוֹתָ֑יו |
You drench the hills
From Your Upper Chambers. |
מִפְּרִ֥י מַ֝עֲשֶׂ֗יךָ
תִּשְׂבַּ֥ע הָאָֽרֶץ׃ |
From your hands’ produce
The Earth is filled. |
מַצְמִ֤יחַ חָצִ֨יר ׀ לַבְּהֵמָ֗ה
וְ֭עֵשֶׂב לַעֲבֹדַ֣ת הָאָדָ֑ם |
You grow fodder for the tamed beasts,
And herbs with human labor, |
לְה֥וֹצִיא לֶ֝֗חֶם מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
וְיַ֤יִן ׀ יְשַׂמַּ֬ח לְֽבַב־אֱנ֗וֹשׁ |
To bring forth bread from Earth.
And wine to delight the sad ones, |
לְהַצְהִ֣יל פָּנִ֣ים מִשָּׁ֑מֶן
וְ֝לֶ֗חֶם לְֽבַב־אֱנ֥וֹשׁ יִסְעָֽד׃ |
And oil… that softens skin,
And bread… that sustains the weak. |
יִ֭שְׂבְּעוּ עֲצֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה
אַֽרְזֵ֥י לְ֝בָנ֗וֹן אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָטָֽע׃ |
Even the trees you sate with sap.
The cedars You planted on the Lebanon. |
אֲשֶׁר־שָׁ֭ם צִפֳּרִ֣ים יְקַנֵּ֑נוּ
חֲ֝סִידָ֗ה בְּרוֹשִׁ֥ים בֵּיתָֽהּ׃ |
There, birds find their nesting.
There, storks find homes to rest. |
הָרִ֣ים הַ֭גְּבֹהִים לַיְּעֵלִ֑ים
סְ֝לָעִ֗ים מַחְסֶ֥ה לַֽשְׁפַנִּֽים׃ |
Antelopes bound on the heights.
Marmots hide behind rocks.[1] a/k/a, the rock hyrax |
עָשָׂ֣ה יָ֭רֵחַ לְמוֹעֲדִ֑ים
שֶׁ֝֗מֶשׁ יָדַ֥ע מְבוֹאֽוֹ׃ |
The Moon pulls tides and seasons.
The sun knows where to set. |
תָּֽשֶׁת־חֹ֭שֶׁךְ וִ֣יהִי לָ֑יְלָה
בּֽוֹ־תִ֝רְמֹ֗שׂ כָּל־חַיְתוֹ־יָֽעַר׃ |
You darken dusk to night.
The forest’s night life stirs. |
הַ֭כְּפִירִים שֹׁאֲגִ֣ים לַטָּ֑רֶף
וּלְבַקֵּ֖שׁ מֵאֵ֣ל אָכְלָֽם׃ |
The big cats cry for prey,
Praying God for their food. |
תִּזְרַ֣ח הַ֭שֶּׁמֶשׁ יֵאָסֵפ֑וּן
וְאֶל־מְ֝עוֹנֹתָ֗ם יִרְבָּצֽוּן׃ |
They return at the rising of the sun,
To crouch once more in lairs. |
יֵצֵ֣א אָדָ֣ם לְפָעֳל֑וֹ
וְֽלַעֲבֹ֖דָת֣וֹ עֲדֵי־עָֽרֶב׃ |
While humans go out to work,
To their toil, up to night. |
מָֽה־רַבּ֬וּ מַעֲשֶׂ֨יךָ ׀ יְֽהוָ֗ה
כֻּ֭לָּם בְּחָכְמָ֣ה עָשִׂ֑יתָ מָלְאָ֥ה הָ֝אָ֗רֶץ קִנְיָנֶֽךָ׃ |
How many things You do!
So wisely are they made. All Earth, at Your command. |
זֶ֤ה ׀ הַיָּ֥ם גָּדוֹל֮ וּרְחַ֪ב
יָ֫דָ֥יִם שָֽׁם־רֶ֭מֶשׂ וְאֵ֣ין מִסְפָּ֑ר חַיּ֥וֹת קְ֝טַנּ֗וֹת עִם־גְּדֹלֽוֹת׃ |
This vast sea beyond all grasp.
Countless are the creatures in her, Tiny ones and giant whales. |
שָׁ֭ם אֳנִיּ֣וֹת יְהַלֵּכ֑וּן
לִ֝וְיָתָ֗ן זֶֽה־יָצַ֥רְתָּ לְשַֽׂחֶק־בּֽוֹ׃ |
There go stately ships.
This Leviathan You shaped To play and romp therein. |
כֻּ֭לָּם אֵלֶ֣יךָ יְשַׂבֵּר֑וּן
לָתֵ֖ת אָכְלָ֣ם בְּעִתּֽוֹ׃ |
They all rely on Your care,
To feed them well each time. |
תִּתֵּ֣ן לָ֭הֶם יִלְקֹט֑וּן
תִּפְתַּ֥ח יָֽ֝דְךָ֗ יִשְׂבְּע֥וּן טֽוֹב׃ |
You give to them and they take it.
Your hand’s gifts sate them well. |
תַּסְתִּ֥יר פָּנֶיךָ֮ יִֽבָּהֵ֫ל֥וּן
תֹּסֵ֣ף ר֭וּחָם יִגְוָע֑וּן וְֽאֶל־עֲפָרָ֥ם יְשׁוּבֽוּן׃ |
You hide your face, they panic.
You recall their breaths, they die. They return to their dust. |
תְּשַׁלַּ֣ח ר֭וּחֲךָ
יִבָּרֵא֑וּן וּ֝תְחַדֵּ֗שׁ פְּנֵ֣י אֲדָמָֽה׃ |
You send your spirit,
And they are re-created. So too, You renew life on Earth. |
יְהִ֤י כְב֣וֹד יְהוָ֣ה לְעוֹלָ֑ם
יִשְׂמַ֖ח יְהוָ֣ה בְּמַעֲשָֽׂיו׃ |
Let Your glory, Yah, fill time and space.
Take Joy, O Yah, in what You do! |
הַמַּבִּ֣יט לָ֭אָרֶץ וַתִּרְעָ֑ד
יִגַּ֖ע בֶּהָרִ֣ים וְֽיֶעֱשָֽׁנוּ׃ |
You look at Earth and she trembles,
Hills You touch, and they smoke. |
אָשִׁ֣ירָה לַיהוָ֣ה בְּחַיָּ֑י
אֲזַמְּרָ֖ה לֵאלֹהַ֣י בְּעוֹדִֽי׃ |
I live Your song, my Yah,
My Yah, I am Your tune. |
יֶעֱרַ֣ב עָלָ֣יו שִׂיחִ֑י
אָ֝נֹכִ֗י אֶשְׂמַ֥ח בַּיהוָֽה׃ |
Let my talking give You joy.
I am so happy, my Yah! |
יִתַּ֤מּוּ חַטָּאִ֨ים ׀ מִן־הָאָ֡רֶץ
וּרְשָׁעִ֤ים ׀ ע֤וֹד אֵינָ֗ם |
I wish no sin exist on Earth.
All wickedness were gone. |
בָּרֲכִ֣י נַ֭פְשִׁי אֶת־יְהוָ֗ה
הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ׃ |
Bless that Yah, my soul, my breath.
HALLELU-YAH! |
Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, z”l, included his translation of “Barkhi Nafshi” (Psalms 104) for Rosh Ḥodesh in his Siddur Tehillat Hashem Yidaber Pi (2009). To the best of my ability, I have set his translation side-by-side with the verses comprising the Psalm. –Aharon N. Varady
Notes
1 | a/k/a, the rock hyrax |
---|
Contributor: Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (translation)
Co-authors:
Featured Image:
Title: Apollo’s_Chariot_by_Odilon_Redon,_c._1908,_oil_on_wood_-_Scharf-Gerstenberg_Collection_-_DSC03851
Caption: Apollo's Chariot by Odilon Redon, c. 1908