El Nora Alila (Hebrew: אֵל נוֹרָא עֲלִילָה), also transliterated as Ayl Nora Alilah,[1] is a piyyut (liturgical poem) that begins the Ne'ilah service at the conclusion of Yom Kippur. The piyyut is recited as part of the Sephardic and Mizrahi liturgy,[2] and has been adopted by some Ashkenazic communities.[3]
The English translation offered below is a lyric rendering, reproducing a rhyme similar to the Hebrew. A more literal translation makes the title and recurring line, "God of awesome deeds". It consists of eight stanzas, each stanza consisting of four lines of five syllables to the line.[4] Each line (in Hebrew) has three words and the fourth line is always two words, "as Thy gates are closed at night"[5] – the gates being shut are presumably those of Heaven's gates for receiving prayers of repentance (modelled after the gates of the Temple, Ezekiel 46:2), and the hymn is one last impassioned plea for Divine pardon in the last minutes of the Day of Atonement. The initial letters of the first six stanzas of the piyyut spell out משה חזק, "Moses, may he be strong", in reference to the piyyut's author Moses ibn Ezra (12th century Spain).
Text
| Hebrew text | Transliteration | Interpretive Rhyming English[6] |
|---|---|---|
Refrain:אֵל נוֹרָא עֲלִילָה, אֵל נוֹרָא עֲלִילָה, מְתֵי מִסְפָּר קְרוּאִים, לְךָ עַיִן נוֹשְׂאִים, שׁוֹפְכִים לְךָ נַפְשָׁם, מְחֵה פִּשְׁעָם וְכַחְשַׁם, הֱיֵה לָהֶם לְסִתְרָה, וְהַצִילֵם מִמְּאֵרָה, חוֹן אוֹתָם וְרַחֵם, וְכָל לוֹחֵץ וְלוֹחֵם, זְכֹר צִדְקַת אֲבִיהֶם, וְחַדֵּשׁ אֶת יְמֵיהֶם, קְרָא נָּא שְׁנַת רָצוֹן, וְהָשֵׁב שְׁאָר הַצֹּאן, תִּזְכּוּ לְשָׁנִים רַבּוֹת, הַבָּנִים וְהָאָבוֹת, מִיכָאֵל שַׂר יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֵלִיָּהוּ וְגַבְרִיאֵל, | Refrain:El nora ‘alila, El nora ‘alila, Metei mispar k'ru’im, lecha ‘ayin nos’im, Shofchim lecha nafsham, meche pish‘am vechachsham, Heye lahem lesitra, vehatzilem mim’era, Chon otam verachem, vechol lochetz velochem, Z'chor tzidkat avihem, vechadesh et yemeihem, K'ra na sh'nat ratzon, vehashev sh‘ar hatzon, Tizku leshanim rabot, habanim veha’avot, Micha’el sar Yisra’el, Eliyahu veGavri’el, | Refrain:God of awe, God of might,[7] God of awe, God of might, We who few have been from yore,[9] Raise our eyes to heaven's height, Pouring out our soul we pray That the sentence Thou wilt write God, our refuge strong and sure, Rescue us from dreadful plight; Grant us favor, show us grace; But of all who wrest the right Generations of our sires Strong in faith walked in Thy light. Gather Judah's scattered flock Unto Zion's rebuilt site. May we all, both old and young, Look for gladness and delight Michael, Prince of Israel,[12] Gabriel,[13] Thy angels bright, |
Melodies
- El Nora Alila - Iraq, Baghdad version, Performers: Yaakov Huri and a group, recorded by: Edith Gerson-Kiwi in Jerusalem 1958
- El Nora Alila - Greek Version, Greece, Larissa Performer: Itzhak Meizan Recorded by: Amnon Shiloah In Larissa, 1970.
The melody for El Nora Alila is generally sprightly,[15] as is much of the Ne'ilah service, deliberately, coming at the end of a 25-hour fast, when the congregants are probably feeling fatigue and weakness.[16]
See also
References
External links
