יָהּ הַצֵּל יוֹנָה | Yah Hatsel Yonah (Shelter, God, the Dove), complete poetic translation by Isaac Gantwerk Mayer

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=48034

open_content_license: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license date_src_start: 1700-00-00 date_src_end: 1800-00-00 languages_meta: [{"name":"English","code":"eng","standard":"ISO 639-3"},{"name":"Hebrew","code":"heb","standard":"ISO 639-3"}] scripts_meta: [{"name":"Latin","code":"Latn","standard":"ISO 15924"},{"name":"Hebrew (Ktav Ashuri)","code":"Hebr","standard":"ISO 15924"}]

Date: 2022-12-21

Last Updated: 2025-04-25

Categories: Ḥanukkah

Tags: Acrostic signature, Minhag Iraq, rhyming translation, פיוטים piyyuṭim, Needing citation references

Excerpt: Yah Hatsel Yonah is a traditional piyyut for Ḥanukkah, of unknown origin (although it spells out the name Yehuda as an acrostic). Beloved in Iraqi Jewish circles, it discusses the hope that Israel, likened to a dove, will be able to celebrate Ḥanukkah during a time of true redemption. Included is a relatively literal (but de-gendered) translation, as well as a poetic singable one. . . .


Content:
Yah Hatsel Yonah is a traditional piyyut for Ḥanukkah, of unknown origin (although it spells out the name Yehuda as an acrostic). Beloved in Iraqi Jewish circles, it discusses the hope that Israel, likened to a dove, will be able to celebrate Ḥanukkah during a time of true redemption. Included is a relatively literal (but de-gendered) translation, as well as a poetic singable one.

Source (Hebrew) Poetic Translation (English) Literal Translation (English)
יָהּ הַצֵּל יוֹנָה מְחַכָּה
וְדִמְעָתָהּ לָךְ מְפַכָּה
וְתִשְׂמַח בָּךְ אַתָּה מַלְכָּהּ
בִּשְׁמוֹנַת יְמֵי חֲנֻכָּה׃
Shelter, God, the dove as she lays
And waits, with tears to You in her gaze,
To You, her sovereign, she will give praise
Upon these eightfold Ḥanukkah days.
Yah, shelter the patient dove
Whose tears flow for You.
And she will rejoice in You, her Sovereign
On the eight days of Ḥanukkah.
וְתִשְׂמַח בָּךְ אַתָּה מַלְכָּהּ
בִּשְׁמוֹנַת יְמֵי חֲנֻכָּה׃
To You, her sovereign, she will praise
Upon these eightfold Ḥanukkah days.
And she will rejoice in You, her Sovereign,
On the eight days of Ḥanukkah.
הוֹדוּ לְגֵאֶה עַל־גֵּאִים
וְנוֹרָא עַל־כׇּל־נוֹרָאִים
הִצִּיל אֶת־נִין חַשְׁמוֹנָאִים
מִיָּד צָר כִּי־בָהֶם הִכָּה׃
Give thanks to God, the proudest of proud,
Most awesome of the awesome crowd,
Saved Hasmoneans from the death-shroud
And from the foe who struck in a blaze.
Thank the Mightiest of the mighty ones
And most Awesome of the awesome ones
Who saved the heir of the Hasmoneans
From the foe’s hand for he had struck them.
וְתִשְׂמַח בָּךְ אַתָּה מַלְכָּהּ
בִּשְׁמוֹנַת יְמֵי חֲנֻכָּה׃
To You, her sovereign, she will praise
Upon these eightfold Ḥanukkah days.
And she will rejoice in You, her Sovereign,
On the eight days of Ḥanukkah.
וְיָשִֽׁירוּ עַמָּךְ שִׁירוֹת
וּזְמִירוֹת מִפָּז יְקָרוֹת
בְּהַדְלִיקָם אֶת־הַנֵּרוֹת
בִּשְׁמוֹנַת יְמֵי חֲנֻכָּה׃
And with You many songs they will sing
And hymns, worth more than gold, will ring
As they light the lights they will bring
Upon these eightfold Ḥanukkah days.
And they will sing songs with You,
And hyns more valuable than aurum,
When they light the lights
On the eight days of Ḥanukkah,
וְתִשְׂמַח בָּךְ אַתָּה מַלְכָּהּ
בִּשְׁמוֹנַת יְמֵי חֲנֻכָּה׃
To You, her sovereign, she will praise
Upon these eightfold Ḥanukkah days.
And she will rejoice in You, her Sovereign,
On the eight days of Ḥanukkah.
דִּרְשׁוּ לָאֵל כׇּל־לְבָבוֹת
כִּי־גָמַל עָלֵֽינוּ טוֹבוֹת
שִׂמְחוּ בָנִים עִם־הָאָבוֹת
בְּדָת מִנִּי־יָם אֲרֻכָּה׃
Let every heart seek out our God
Who pays back good at home and abroad,
Let childrenwith their parents laud
The custom, oceanwide in its ways!
Seek out God, all hearts,
Who repaid good upon us.
Rejoice, children, with the parents,
In the custom which is wider than the sea.
וְתִשְׂמַח בָּךְ אַתָּה מַלְכָּהּ
בִּשְׁמוֹנַת יְמֵי חֲנֻכָּה׃
To You, her sovereign, she will praise
Upon these eightfold Ḥanukkah days.
And she will rejoice in You, her Sovereign,
On the eight days of Ḥanukkah.
הָאֵל יָמֵֽינוּ יְחַדֵּשׁ
וְצָר לַהֲרִיגָה יְקַדֵּשׁ
יִשְׁלַֽח־עֶזְרְךָ֥ מִקֹּ֑דֶשׁ
וּ֝מִצִּיּ֗וֹן יִסְעָדֶֽךָּ׃
God will make our days again new
And slaughter those who murder a Jew.
The Holy One will send help to You,
From Zion aid will come in your days!
God will renew our days
And prepare the foe for the slaughter.
Your help will come from the Holy,
And from Zion your aid.
וְתִשְׂמַח בָּךְ אַתָּה מַלְכָּהּ
בִּשְׁמוֹנַת יְמֵי חֲנֻכָּה׃
To You, her sovereign, she will praise
Upon these eightfold Ḥanukkah days.
And she will rejoice in You, her Sovereign,
On the eight days of Ḥanukkah.

 

Contributor: Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (transcription & naqdanut)

Co-authors:

Featured Image:
White dove at the chapel of the condemnation
Title: White dove at the chapel of the condemnation
Caption: A Jerusalem White Dove resting beside a wall at the Chapel of the Condemnation (credit: brianv, license: CC BY-SA)