| Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
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יוֹם שַׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ הוּא
אַשְׁרֵי הָאִישׁ שׁוֹמְרֵהוּ וְעַל הַיַּיִן זָכְרֵהוּ וְאַל יָשִׂים אֶל לִבּוֹ הַכִּיס רֵק וְאֵין בּוֹ יִשְׂמַח וְיִרְוֶה וְאִם לֹוֶה הַצּוּר יִפְרַע אֶת חוֹבוֹ |
The day of Shabbat is holy
Happy is the man who keeps it Over wine he remembers it And he has nothing to fear. The purse[1] lit. pocket may be empty with nothing in it He should be happy; all will be well; if he borrows, God will repay his debt! |
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הַבָּשָׂר יַיִן וְדָגִים
וְאַל יֶחֱסַר בְּתַעֲנוּגִים וְאִם שְׁלָשׁ אֵלֶּה לְפָנָיו צָגִים זֶה יִהְיֶה שְׂכָרוֹ אֲשֶׁר חָפֵץ בִּיקָרוֹ יוֹסֵף חָצָה דָג וּמָצָא מַרְגָּלִית בִּבְשָׂרוֹ׃ |
Meat, wine, and fish,
He should not lack for any tasty foods. If the three of these he has This will be his reward As he wishes to make the day special: Yosef sliced opened a fish And found precious jewels in its flesh! |
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וְאִם שֻׁלְחָן כַּדָת עָרוּךְ
וּמַלְאָךְ אֵל יַעֲנֶה בָּרוּךְ זֶה יִהְיֶה זְמַן אָרוּךְ וְאוֹיְבָיו יִהְיוּ כְדוֹמֶן וּמַלְאָךְ רַע יַעֲנֶה אָמֵן בַּעַל כָּרְחוֹ יְסַפֵּר שְׁבָחוֹ שְׁמוֹ יַעֲלֶה כְּטוֹב שָׁמֶן׃ |
If he has a laid table in front of him as it should be
An angel of El will answer: “Blessed should it be” This will be his set [long] time His enemies will be reduced to naught And the evil angel will answer Amen Against his will he will sing his praises His name will be raised up as fine oil |
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נָשִׁים נֵרוֹת תַּדְלִיקֶנָּה
וְחֹק נִדּוֹת תַּחֲזִיקֶנָּה וְהַחַלּוֹת תַּסִּיקֶנָּה יָגֵן בַּעֲדָן זְכוּתָן יוֹם בֹּא עֵת לֵדָתָן וְאִם לֹא עָבְרוּ וְנִזְהָרוּ אֲזַי קְרוֹבָה לֵדָתָן׃ |
Women should light the [Shabbat] candles
Keep the laws of family purity And bake the ḥallot! All of this will be to their merit When the day of childbirth arrives And if they kept [the law] and were careful They will [be protected] and give birth quickly! |
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תְּנוּ שֶׁבַח וְשִׁירָה
לָאֵל אֲשֶׁר שַׁבָּת בָּרָא וְלָנוּ בוֹ נָתַן תּוֹרָה קָרָא לְמשֶׁה מַתָּנָה בְּבֵית גְּנָזַי הִיא טְמוּנָה לְךָ יָאֲתָה וְקַח אוֹתָהּ תְּנָהּ לַעֲדַת מִי מָנָה׃ |
Give praise and song
To El who created Shabbat And on (Shabbat, God) gave us the Torah That Mosheh called a gift It is hidden in My special treasure house To you it is so pleasant – take it! Give it to the congregation that cannot be counted! |
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נֶפֶשׁ כִּי נֶאֱנָחָה
בָּא שַׁבָּת בָּא מְנוּחָה גִּיל וְשָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה בֵּרְכוֹ וְקִדְּשׁוֹ בְּמָן מִלְּרֶדֶת לְעַם לֹא אַלְמָן וְהַשַּׁבָּת נֶפֶשׁ מְשִׁיבַת בְּפִיסַת בָּר אֲשֶׁר טָמָן׃ |
O the weary soul
When Shabbat comes, rest comes as well. Joy, happiness and delight It was blessed and sanctified with the manna When it descended to the nation who is not alone The Shabbat revives the soul With an abundance of grain that was hidden (as with the mannah) |
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חֻקּוֹתֶיהָ בְּמָרָה
נִצְטַוּוּ בְּאַזְהָרָה כַּהֲרָרִים בִּשְׂעָרָה תְּלוּיִם הִלְכוֹתֶיהָ שׁוֹמְרֵי מִצְוֹתֶיהָ יִנְחָלוּ לְיוֹם שֶׁכֻּלּוֹ שַׁבָּת בְּצִבְאוֹתֶיהָ׃ |
Its statues (were given) in Marah
They were commanded with stern warning Like mountains with a thread[2] lit. hair The laws are hanging Those that keep its commandments Will inherit a day that is totally Shabbat with all its hosts. |
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זֶּה הָאוֹת אֲשֶׁר שָׂם אֵל
בֵּינוֹ וּבֵין בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבַשְּׁבִיעִי אֲשֶׁר הוֹאֵל סַמְבַּטְיוֹן הַנָּהָר שֶׁבְּכָל יוֹם רָץ וְנִמְהָר יוֹכִיחַ בּוֹ מָנוֹחַ תָּשִׁיב לְמִין אֲשֶׁר שׁוֹאֵל׃ |
This is the sign that El has placed
Between God’s self and the Children of Yisra’el And on the 7th day which Hashem desires The Sambatyon River That rushes and tumbles every day Will prove (Shabbat) as it rests And will answer the non-believer who questions this. |
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קוֹלֵי קוֹלוֹת יֶחְדָּלוּן
בְּעֵת שִׁירַי יִגְדָּלוּן כִּי כַטַּל הֵם יִזָּלוּן וְאַל יַסִּיגוּ גְבוּלִי בְּאוֹרַח שִׁיר נָפַל חֶבְלִי הִתְקוֹשְׁשׁוּ וְאַל תְּשַׁמְּשׁוּ בְּנֵזֶר שִׁיר שָׁפְרָה לִי׃ |
The many voices will cease
As the fame of my poetry grows For [my poems] flow forth like dew They [the other poets] will not be able to compete The ways of poetry are my lot Repent and do not make [unfair] use Of the crown of poetry which was bestowed upon me |
Based on the acrostic signature, this piyyut popularly sung at the Shabbat table by German Jews, is attributed to an otherwise unknown paytan named Yehonatan. Little else is known of its provenance.
Source(s)
