Dayenu | דַּיֵּנוּ
Melody by Galeet Dardashti
Traditional Haggadah Text, c. 9th Century CE
Recorded by Galeet Dardashti at Beth El Synagogue Center in New Rochelle, NY
Each couplet names another gift from God. After each verse, sing the refrain: Dayeinu!
אִלּוּ הוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם / וְלֹא קָרַע לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם — דַּיֵּנוּ
אִלּוּ קָרַע לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם / וְלֹא הֶעֱבִירָנוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ — דַּיֵּנוּ
אִלּוּ הֶאֱכִילָנוּ אֶת הַמָּן / וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת — דַּיֵּנוּ
אִלּוּ קֵרְבָנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי / וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה — דַּיֵּנוּ
אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה / וְלֹא הִכְנִיסָנוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל — דַּיֵּנוּ
אִלּוּ הִכְנִיסָנוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל / וְלֹא בָנָה לָנוּ בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה — דַּיֵּנוּ
Ilu hotzianu mimitzraim / velo kara lanu et hayam — Dayeinu!
Ilu kara lanu et hayam / velo he’eviranu b’tocho — Dayeinu!
Ilu he’echilanu et haman / velo natan lanu et hashabat — Dayeinu!
Ilu kervanu lifnei har Sinai / velo natan lanu et hatorah — Dayeinu!
Ilu natan lanu et hatorah / velo hichnisanu l’Yisrael — Dayeinu!
Ilu hichnisanu l’Yisrael / velo vana lanu beit habchira — Dayeinu!
Translation:
If He had brought us out of Egypt / but had not split the sea for us
— It would have been enough for us!
If He had split the sea for us / but had not brought us through it
— It would have been enough for us!
If He had fed us the manna / but had not given us the Sabbath
— It would have been enough for us!
If He had brought us before Mt. Sinai / but had not given us the Torah
— It would have been enough for us!
If He had given us the Torah / but had not brought us into Israel
— It would have been enough for us!
If He had brought us into Israel / but had not built us the Chosen House
— It would have been enough for us!
Recording Credits:
Arrangement by Galeet Dardashti and Megan Gould.
Commissioned by Shoresh HaLev Center for Jewish Music at Beth El Synagogue Center, New Rochelle, NY.
Recording at Beth El with Galeet Dardashti and Divahn, Jack Klebanow (oboe), and Cantor Gaby Schvartz (backup vocals).
