Y'did Nefesh

 
ידִיד נֶפֶש


Yedid nefesh, Av harachaman,
meshoch Avdecha el Retzonecha.
Yarutz avdecha kemo ayal,
yishtachave mul hadarach.
Ki ye’erav lo yedidutach, minofet tsuf vechol ta’am.

Hadur naeh ziv haolam, nafshi cholat ahavatach.
Anah El nah refah nah lah, b’harot lah noam zivach,
Az titchazek v’titrapeh, v’hay’tah lah shifchat olam.

Vatik yehemu rachamecha v’chus na al ben ohavach.
Ki zeh kamah nichsof nichsaf, lir’ot b'tiferet uzach.
Anah Eyli, machmad libi, chushah nah v’al titalam.

Higaleh nah uf’ros chaviv alai, et sukkat shelomach
Tair eretz mikevodach, nagilah v’nismechah bach.
Maher ahuv, ki va moed, v’choneni kimei olam.
יְדִיד נֶפֶשׁ, אָב הָרַחְמָן,
מְשֹךְ עַבְדְךָ אֶל רְצוֹנֶךָ,
יָרוּץ עַבְדְךָ כְּמוֹ אַיָל,
יִשְתַחֲוֶה מוּל הֲדָרָךְ
כִּי יֶעְרַב לוֹ יְדִידוּתָךְ
מִנּפֶת צוּף וְכָל טָעַם

הָדוּר, נָאֶה, זִיו הָעולָם
נַפְשִי חולַת אַהֲבָתָךְ
אָנָא אֵל נָא, רְפָא נָא לָהּ
בְּהַרְאות לָהּ נעַם זִיוָךְ
אָז תִתְחֵזֵּק וְתִתְרַפֵּא
וְהָיְתָה לָךְ שִפְחַת עולָם

וָתִיק, יֶהְמוּ רַחֲמֶיךָ
וְחוּס נָא עַל בֵּן אוֹהֲבָךְ
כִּי זֶה כַּמֶה נִכְסף נִכְסַף
לִרְאות בְּתִפְאֶרֶת עֻזָךְ
אָנָא אֵלִי, מַחְמָד לִבִי
חוּסה נָא, וְאַל תִּתְעַלָם

הִגָלֵה נָא וּפְרשׂ, חָבִיב
עָלַי אֶת סֻכַת שְלומֶךְ
תָּאִיר אֶרֶץ מִכְּבוֹדָךְ
נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בָךְ
מַהֵר אָהוּב, כִּי בָא מועֵד
וְחָנֵנִי כִּימֵי עולָם

Translation:

Lover of my soul, merciful God,
bring your servant close to Your will.
Your servant will run like a gazelle, to prostrate before Your glory.
For Your companionship is purer than any fine taste or flavor.

Perfect, pleasing, radiance of the world, my soul desires Your love.
Please, God, heal her now, as You show her the pleasantness of Your light.
Now, strengthen and heal her, and she will be for You an eternal servant.

Ancient one, many your mercies be made manifest,
And have compassion on the child of Your lover.
For it is so long that I have faithfully waited, to see the glory of Your strength.
Please, my God, the desire of my Heart, hurry and do not hide!

Please, my beloved, reveal yourself and spread over me the shelter of Your peace.
Fill the world with the light of your glory, so that we may rejoice and be happy in You.
Be quick, my lover, for the time has come, and have mercy on me for all time.

(Translation - Gabe Seed)

Information:

Written by Rabbi Elazar Azriki. While many different girsaot (versions) of this piyut (poem) exist, the one presented here is based on a manuscript in the author's own handwriting found among the geniza fragment collection of the Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary.
A digital copy can be viewed here (additional software may be required): http://jnul.huji.ac.il/dl/books/html/bk1157324.htm

Printed from the Zemirot Database