רְפָא צִירִי | Refa Tsiri, a piyyut for healing by Rabbi Refael Antebi Tabbush (ca. late 19th c.)

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=37718

Date: 2021-06-19

Last Updated: 2025-02-02

Categories: Well-being, health, and caregiving

Tags: 19th century C.E., 57th century A.M., acrostic, Acrostic signature, פיוטים piyyutim

Excerpt: The piyyut, Refa Tsiri, in Hebrew with an English translation. . . .

Content:

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
רְפָא צִירִי אֵל נֶאֱמָן כִּי אַתָּה רוֹפֵא אֻמָּן אַתְּ רֺאשִׁי שׁוּר חַלְשִׁי וְתֵן כֹּחַ לְנַפְשִׁי	Heal my pain Oh Loyal God   for you are a skilled healer You lead me, You see my weakness and grant strength to my soul
פְּתַח שַׁעַר הָרַחֲמִים רָם שׁוֹכֵן בַּמְּרוֹמִים עַל עַבְדָּךְ שִׂים חַסְדָּךְ אֵין מְרַחֵם בִּלְעָדָךְ	Open the gate of mercy   High dweller of the heavens Upon your servant bestow your grace there would be no mercy if not for You
אֵל חַי רְצֵה תְּפִלָּתִי וְחוּשָׁה לְעֶזְרָתִי בִּמְהֵרָה דְּרוֹר קְרָא לְעַם בֶּן הַגְּבִירָה	Oh Living God desire my prayer   and hasten to my aid And speedily call for the redemption of the nation born to the Lady [Sarah]

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The piyyut, “Refa Tsiri” by Refael Antebi Tabbush (d. 1918). The English translation was made by Sara-Kinneret Lapidot as published in Invitation to Piyut North America: 18 Piyutim & Mizmorim (Piyyut NA & B’nai Jeshurun, 2010), p.39. –Aharon Varady

Source(s)

Refa Tsiri (Tabbush Manuscript, pizmonim.org)

 

 

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Contributor: Sara Lapidot (translation)

Co-authors:

• 
  Name: Sara Lapidot (translation)
  Bio: Sara Lapidot is a Jerusalem based paralegal.
  Website:
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/sara-kinneret-lapidot
• 
  Name: Refael Antebi Tabbush
  Bio: Ḥakham Raphael Antebi Tabbush of Aleppo (d. 1918) was an outstanding composer of pizmonim. He was the son of Hakham Yisshaq Antebi and a rabbi who composed more than 400 pizmonim, and also restored those that had been lost. He rejuvenated the use of pizmonim in the Syrian Jewish communities. All of Hakham Tabbush’s pizmonim were incorporated into a book published in Jerusalem in 1905 by R’ Raphael Haim Cohen. This work was reprinted with further additions in 1921 and was called Shir Ushbaḥa. He is the teacher of Hakham Moshe Ashear, Murad Harari, Afrir Cohen, Eliahou Hamaoui, among others. Towards the end of Hakham Tabbush’s life he moved to Egypt. He passed away in Cairo, Egypt in 3 Kislev, December 1918.
  Website: https://www.pizmonim.org/hazzan.php?hazzan=RTabbush
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/refael-antebi-tabbush

Featured Image:

Title: Refa Tsiri (Tabbush Manuscript, pizmonim.org)
Caption: Refa Tsiri (Tabbush Manuscript, pizmonim.org)