Yomam VaLailah – יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה
Yomam VaLailah LYRICS
Yomam VaLailah LYRICS
Yomam valayla, anachnu mechakim
Lashevet b’veitech, l’orech yamim
Hinei at ba’ah b’simla levana
Ahuvateinu Shabbat Hamalkah
Hit’oreri u’vo’i hakallah
Shetorat chesed al leshonah
Mitzvah gedolah lihyot b’simchah
Im ahuvateinu Shabbat hamalkah
U’v’yom shebo shavat, mikol melachto
Nishmor v’nizkor l’kod’sho, mibo v’ad tzeito
B’shirah u’v’zimrah nazmin la’se’udah
Et ahuvateinu Shabbat Hamalkah
Shuvi shuvi rayati, v’nechazeh bach.
Higaleh nah lir’ot, b’tif’eret uzach
M’chagvei hasela yonati ba’ah
Ahuvateinu Shabbat Hamalkah
Einei kol amech, zorchot u’me’irot
B’varchem al neirot, v’yayin v’chalot
Oneg v’shirah v’leil male simchah
Im ahuvateinu Shabbat Hamalkah
יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה, אֲנָחְנוּ מְחַכִּים
לָשֶׁבֶת בְּבֵיתֵךְ, לְאוֹרֵךְ יָמִים
הִנֵה אַת בָּאָה בְּשִׂמְלָה לְבָנָה
אֲהוּבַתֵינוּ שָׁבַּת הַמָלְכָּה
הִתְעוֹרְרִי וּבוֹאִי הַכָּלָה
שְׁתוֹרָת חֶסֶד עַל לְשׁוֹנָהּ
מִצְוָוה גְדוֹלָה לִהְיוֹת בְּשִׂמְחָה
עִם אֲהוּבַתֵינוּ שָׁבַּת הַמָלְכָּה
וּבְיוֹם שְׁבוֹ-שָׁבַת, מִכָּל מְלָאכְתוֹ
נִשְׁמוֹר וְנִזְכּוֹר לְקֹדְשׁוֹ, מִבּוֹאוֹ וְעַד צֵאתוֹ
בְּשִׁירָה וּבְזִמְרָה נָזְמִין לַסְעוּדָה
אֶת אֲהוּבַתֵינוּ שָׁבַּת הַמָלְכָּה
שׁוּבִי שׁוּבִי רַעְיָתִי, וְנֶחָזֶה בָּךְ
הִגָלֵה נָא לִרְאוֹת, בְּתִפְאֶרֶת עֻזָךְ
מְּחַגְוֵי הַסֶלַע יוֹנָתִי בָּאָה
אֲהוּבַתֵינוּ שָׁבַּת הַמָלְכָּה
עֵינֵי כָּל עַמֵךְ, זוֹרְחוֹת וּמְאִירוֹת
בְּבַרְכֵם עַל נֵרוֹת, וְיָיִן וְחַלוֹת
עוֹנֶג וְשִׁירָה וְלֵיל מָלֵא שִׂמְחָה
עִם אֲהוּבַתֵינוּ שָׁבַּת הַמָלְכָּה
Translation – Day and Night
Day and night we wait
To dwell in your home forevermore
Here you come adorned in white
Our love, the Shabbat Queen
Wake up and come, dear bride!
The one who has
The Torah of kindness and grace on her lips…
It’s a great mitzvah to be gladdened and rejoice
With our dear love, the Shabbat Queen
And on the day that God rested from Divine work
We will protect and remember Shabbat, in holiness,
from it’s coming to it’s going.
In song and sweet melody
We invite to our Shabbat meal
Our dear love, the Shabbat Queen.
Return, return, my darling,
So that I may gaze upon you
Reveal yourself, so that I may see
The splendor of your strength
From the nooks in the rock, my dove comes
Our dear love, the Shabbat Queen.
The eyes of your entire nation light up and glow
When they bless the candles, the wine, and the challahs
Joyful pleasure and song, and a night full of rejoicing
With our dear love, the Shabbat Queen
Lyrics and Melody by Rabbi Josh Warshawsky
Day and Night we wait
to dwell in Your house without worrying about time…
Each week as Shabbat arrives we go out together to greet it with open arms. We let go of our worries and stresses from the week and allow ourselves to enter with true Shabbat joy. One of my favorite things about Shabbat growing up was singing Zemirot with my family and friends around the table. As I’ve mentioned before, I love the Hebrew language – how words and letters are connected to each other in mystical and intentional ways. Normally in Hebrew we call a song a “shir (שִׁיר),” but on Shabbat we call it a “zemer (זֶמֶר).” When you flip the word zemer backwards you get “remez (רֶמֶז),” or a hint. Shabbat is a hint of elevation, a hint of divinity, a hint of something more.
Many of these Shabbat table songs that we sang when I was growing up (and still sing today!) were written around the 14th and 15th centuries. Many are on themes of Shabbat like celebration, weddings, food, rest, and joy. They are also often “littered” with verses and textual references from all over the Jewish canon, and specifically with verses from Shabbat related texts like the Shabbat liturgy and the Song of Songs. Following in the footsteps of paytanim (Jewish liturgical poets) who have been writing these types of poems and songs for centuries, I have written a new 21st century Shabbat zemer text. As you listen, I hope it brings you feelings of joy, celebration, unification, uplift, and inspiration as we make our way towards Shabbat.
Yomam VaLailah by Rabbi Josh Warshawsky.
Executive Producers: Marc and Susan Sacks
With generous additional funding provided by Sacred Sounds Unbound:
Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills and Temple Beth Am Los Angeles
Sponsored by North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL
Co-sponsored by Adath Israel, Merion Station, PA
Produced and mixed by Jeremy Lawrence
Engineered by Patrick Kehrier and Tyler Karmen
Additional Audio Editing by Josh Kay and Patrick Rimterakul
Mastered by Mike White
Vocal arrangements and production by Ayo Awosika
Musical direction by Brock Pollock
Recorded at 64 Sound in Highland Park, CA
Featuring the Chaverai Nevarech Band:
Josh Warshawsky (Guitar, Lead Vocals)
Brock Pollock (Music Producer, Bass)
Ayo Awosika (Vocal Producer, Vocals, Lead Vocals on Hapotei’ach, Piano on Darashti)
Coleen Dieker (Vocals, Piano on Yedid Nefesh)
Duvid Swirsky (Lead Guitar, Bouzouki, Banjo, Vocals)
Chava Mirel (Vocals)
Deborah Sacks Mintz (Vocals)
Jackson Vance Mercer (Vocals)
Lior Shragg (Percussion)
Jenni Asher (Violin)
Zack Lodmer (Clarinet on Yomam VaLailah)
Jason Gamer (Trumpet on Yomam VaLailah)
