Lecha Dodi
Moroccan Melodies, Kabbalat Shabbat Liturgy, text by Rabbi Shelomoh Alkabets, 16th c.
Sung by Laura Elkaslassy (lead vocals), and Zev Boukhobza, Niri Halperin, Liana Kallman (choir)
:לְכָה דוֹדִי לִקְרַאת כַּלָּה. פְּנֵי שַׁבָּת נְקַבְּלָה
…שָׁמוֹר וְזָכוֹר בְּדִבּוּר אֶחָד, הִשְמִיעָנוּ אֵל הַמְּיֻחָד. יְיָ אֶחָד וּשְמוֹ אֶחָד. לְשֵׁם וּלְתִפְאֶרֶת וְלִתְהִלָּה: לְכָה
לִקְרַאת שַׁבָּת לְכוּ וְנֵלְכָה. כִּי הִיא מְקוֹר הַבְּרָכָה. מֵרֹאשׁ מִקֶּדֶם נְסוּכָה. סוֹף מַעֲשֶׂה בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה תְּחִלָּה
מִקְדַּשׁ מֶלֶךְ עִיר מְלוּכָה. קוּמִי צְאִי מִתּוֹךְ הַהֲפֵכָה. רַב לָךְ שֶׁבֶת בְּעֵמֶק הַבָּכָא. וְהוּא יַחֲמוֹל עָלַיִךְ חֶמְלָה
הִתְנַעֲרִי מֵעָפָר קוּמִי. לִבְשִׁי בִּגְדֵי תִפְאַרְתֵּךְ עַמִּי: עַל יַד בֶּן יִשַׁי בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי. קָרְבָה אֶל נַפְשִׁי גְאָלָהּ
הִתְעוֹרְרִי הִתְעוֹרְרִי. כִּי בָא אוֹרֵךְ קוּמִי אוֹרִי. עוּרִי עוּרִי שִׁיר דַבֵּרִי. כְּבוֹד יְיָ עָלַיִךְ נִגְלָה
לֹא תֵבוֹשִׁי וְלֹא תִכָּלְמִי. מַה תִּשְתּוֹחֲחִי וּמַה תֶּהֱמִי. בָּךְ יֶחֱסוּ עֲנִיֵּי עַמִּי, וְנִבְנְתָה עִיר עַל תִּלָּהּ
וְהָיוּ לִמְשִׁסָּה שֹׁאסָיִךְ. וְרָחֲקוּ כָּל מְבַלְּעָיִךְ. יָשִׂישׂ עָלַיִךְ אֱלֹהָיִךְ. כִּמְשׂוֹשׂ חָתָן עַל כַּלָּה
יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל תִּפְרוֹצִי. וְאֶת־יְיָ תַּעֲרִיצִי. עַל יַד אִישׁ בֶּן פַּרְצִי. וְנִשְׂמְחָה וְנָגִילָה
בּוֹאִי בְשָׁלוֹם עֲטֶרֶת בַּעְלָהּ. גַּם בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְצָהֳלָה. תּוֹךְ אֱמוּנֵי עַם סְגֻּלָּה. בּוֹאִי כַלָּה, בּוֹאִי כַלָּה, שַׁבָּת מַלְכְּתָא
L'cha dodi likrat kala, p'nei Shabbat n'kab'lah
Shamor v’zachor b’dibur echad, Hishmi’anu el ha’meyuchad.
Adonai echad u’shmo echad; L’shem ul’tiferet v’l’tehila.
Likrat Shabbat l’chu v’nelcha, Ki hi m’kor ha’bracha.
Me’rosh mi’kedem n’sucha; Sof ma’aseh b’mach’shava t’chila.
Mikdash melech, ir m’lucha, Kumi, tze’i mi’toch ha’hafecha.
Rav lach shevet b’emek ha’bacha; V’hu yachmol alai’yich chemla.
Hitna’ari me’afar kumi, Livshi bigdei tifartech ami.
Al yad ben Yishai beit haLachmi; Karva el nafshi g’ala.
Hit’oreri, hit’oreri, Ki va orech, kumi ohri.
Uri, uri, shir daberi; K’vod Adonai alai’yich nigla.
Lo tevoshi ve'lo tikal'mi, mah tishtochachi umah tehemi,
Bach yechesu ani'ei ami, venivnetah ir al tilah.
Vehayu lim'shisah shos'ayich, verachaku kol miv'alayich,
Yasis alaich Elohaich, kimesos chatan al kalah.
Yamin usmol tif'rotzi, ve'et Adonai ta'aritzi,
Al yad ish bein partzi, venis'mechah venagilah.
Bo’ee v’shalom, ateret ba’ala, Gam b'simcha uv’ tzhala.
Toch emunei am segula; Bo’ee chala, Shabbat Malketa.
Translation:
Come, my love – to meet the Bride! Let’s receive Shabbat!
Protect and remember in a single word – that the deity of singularity made us hear! YHVH is One, and Their name is One, for the name, for Tiferet and for Tehillah.
To meet Shabbat – come on, let’s go! For She is the root of the blessing, From the ancient beginning she was established– But the end of the action is considered in the mind, first.
The King’s temple is the city of monarchy. Get up! Get away from this upset! You’ve spent too long in the valley of tears, But He will pity you and make arrears.
Shake off the dust and get up! Dress yourself in your beautiful clothes, the ones of our people – Thereby the son of Yishai, from Bét Leḥem, Will approach my soul to redeem it!
Arise! Awaken! For Your light is coming – rise and shine! Wake up! Wake up! Speak a song of The glory of YHVH, revealed upon You.
You shall not be ashamed! You shall not be abashed! How could you be depressed? How could you sink into the abyss? In You the downtrodden of our people will take shelter and refuge. We will build a city upon Her burial mound!
They will set upon Your plunderers, They will shun all Your destroyers! Your Elohim will rejoice over You, just as groom rejoices over a bride! Y
ou will burst out – right and left! And You will venerate YHVH, Through the hand of a man, a descendant of Perez – So let’s be happy and shout for joy!
Come in peace – You who is the crown to Her Husband, Join us in happiness, joy, and success, Here among us, the faithful of the treasured nation. Come Bride, Shabbat the Queen!
Transliteration from Zemirot Database & Siddur Or veShalom. Translation from Siddur Or veShalom.
Recording Credits
Vocals: Laura Elkeslassy
Choir: Zev Boukhobza, Niri Halperin, Liana Kallman
Recording & Mixing: Chris Gilory, Douglass Recordings
Special Thanks to Batya Levine, Margot Seigle, Emmanuelle Berdugo, Natalie Haziza and Osnat Bensoussan
A project of Let my People Sing, the Egal Sefardi/Mizrahi Kehilla, with the support of Rise Up!
Brooklyn 2026
