Music: Rabbi Jonah Rank (2016); Words: Rabbi Shalom Shabazi. Translation, transliteration, and commentary below by Rabbi Jonah Rank
Prepared by Rabbi Jonah Rank for Congregation Shaar Shalom in Halifax, Nova Scotia for Selihot of Elul 22 5776 | מוכן ע"י הרב יונה גילון לבית אסתר איטע והרב רפאל פרץ רֶנק בשל ק"ק עדת שער שלום בהליפקס נובה סקוטיה לתפלת הסליחות ב-כ"ב באלול ה'תשע"ו.
Written by Rabbi Shalom Shabazi (born 1619, died after 1680) in Yemen, this poem is among the few Aramaic poems written by Al-Shabazi, who usually opted to write in Arabic or Hebrew. One of Al-Shabazi’s claims to fame is his place in history as being the composer of two out of the six only works of pre-modern Jewish poetry to contain Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic all within the same poem. Although he does not do so in Alaha Dimkabbel Tayevin employed the technique of macaronic verse: poetry where the words express simultaneously (sometimes differing) messages in more than one language. Al-Shabazi proved unusually talented in penning trilingual macaronic verse in Aramaic, Hebrew and Arabic. His expressive language and his expression in so many languages merited that his name be remembered as one of the greatest payyetanim (authors of piyyut—prayer-poetry) in the history of Yemenite Jewry.
In Al-Shabazi’s time, Yemenite Jews spoke Arabic, and many knew Hebrew. Many knew Aramaic from the Targum tradition in the synagogue—the Aramaic renarrations of the Biblical texts of the Torah, Haftarah or Megillah readings that Yemenite Jews would recite verse-by-verse as a “translation” of the concurrent biblical readings. Although it was common for all Yemenite boys to learn to recite the Targum in the synagogue, and although the melody of the Aramaic Targum proved this ancient language to be an indispensable poetic expression, Aramaic remained a language of scholars. Yemenite Jews often turned to Aramaic piyyut specifically around the time of the High Holidays—perhaps to express soemthing no other tongue could through the entire year. As we prepare for the pensive season of repentance beginning on Rosh HaShanah, we may find ourselves expressing ourselves and finding words we would rarely say: perhaps words reminiscent of another time in our lives.
This piyyut can be found in Ratzon HaLevi (רצון הלוי, ed.), Shirat Yisra’el BeTeyman: MiMivhar HaShirah HaShabazit-Teymanit (שירת ישראל בתימן: ממבחר השירה השבזית-תימנית, “The Poetry of Israel in Yemen: Selections of the Shabazian-Yemenite Poetry”), vol. II, 2nd edition (Mekhon Mishnat HaRaMBaM, Mishnat HaRaMBaM c. 2000 C.E./5760 A.M; 1st edition from c. 1999 C.E./5759 A.M: Kiryat Ono [קרית אונו], Israel), p. 937. The vocalization there differs slightly and is printed as follows:
God who receives those who return with a whole heart:
Acquit our evil, and grant wisdom to our sages.
Release us, and have mercy on us. And let Your mercy amass over us as for an orphan.
From the coordinate of lovingkindness, look upon us—not from the coordinate of anger and fury.
Your strength is fastidious to perform Your will; so, illuminate the soul and breath.
Let the covenant our ancestors made for us be remembered with mercy for days to come.
Rabbi Jonah Rank is a musician, writer, and teacher. At JonahRankLiturgy, Rabbi Jonah Rank posts recordings of traditional tunes for educational purposes as well as original tunes for lesser-sung texts--and then the occasional something else.
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