Shir Chadash Ashir | שִׁיר חָדָשׁ אָשִׁיר

Traditional Piyyut · Medieval · Siman Shmuel · Baghdadi-Indian Melody
Video recording by Tzlilei Rag Ensemble

שִׁיר חָדָשׁ אָשִׁיר וְשֵׁם אֵ-ל
אֲקַדֵּשׁ לִפְנֵי עֲדַת אַרְיֵאל
‘אָז יָשִׁיר מֹשֶׁה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל, הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת לַה
מַה נִכְסְפָה כָּלְתָה נַפְשִׁי
לִׁשְׁכּוֹן בְּחַצְרוֹת בֵּית קָדְשִׁי
לְהַקְרִיב לוֹ לֶחֶם אִשִּׁי
רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ לַיְיָ
…אָז יָשִׁיר
וַאֲרַנֵּן לֹו בְּרֹוב גִילָה
וּבְרֹוב חֶדְוָה וְצָהֳלָה
שֶבַח וּתְהִּלָה הַלְלּויָּה
הַלְלּו עַבְֵדי יְיָ
…אָז יָשִׁיר
אֲנִי לֶאֱֹלהִים אְֶקָרא
תַּצִילֵנּו מִּכָל צָרָה
וְהוּא יִהְיֶה לָנוּ עֶזְרָה
נִדְבוֹת פִּי רְצֵה יְיָ
…אָז יָשִׁיר
לָנוּ יִשְׁלַח מְשִׁיחֵנוּ
בִּמְהֵרָה יָבֹא אֵלֵינוּ
וְיַעֲלֵנוּ לְאָרְצֵנוּ
לַחֲזוֹת בְּנֹעַם יְיָ
…אָז יָשִׁיר

Shir chadash ashir ve’shem El
Akdish ba’adat ariel
Az yashir moshe yisrael, hashira hazot la’Adonai
Ma nichsefa kalta nafshi
Lishkon be’chatzrot beit kodshi
Lehakriv lo lechem ishi
Re’ach nichoach la’Adonai
Az yashir…
Va’aranen lo berov gila
U’verov chedva ve’tzahala
Shevach u’tehila haleluya
Halelu avdei Adonai
Az yashir…
Ani le’Elohim ekra
Tatzilenu mikol tzara
Ve’hu yihyeh lanu ezra
Nedivot pi retze Adonai
Az yashir…
Lanu yishlach meshichenu
Bimhera yavo eleinu
Ve’yaalenu le’artzenu
Lachazot be’noam Adonai
Az yashir..

Translation:
I sing a new song and God's name I sanctify among the people of Ariel. Thus sings Moshe Yisrael, this song to God. My soul is consumed with a passion to dwell in the courts of my holy shrine, to offer loaves from my fire, a sweet aroma to God. And celebrate in song the flush of joy, the rich gaiety and jubilation. Praise and adoration, Halleluyah! Glorify the servants of God. I address the Creator, save me from all adversity. God’s Being cares for us. God accepts our gift of song, God will send our Messiah. May he soon come for us and bring us unto our land, to view God's harmony

About the Piyut (from Piyyut North America’s Holiday Guide):
‘Shir Chadash Ashir’ is a Piyut from the Indian and Iraqi Jewish communities. It is generally sung before the recitations of Shirat Ha-Yam (Song of the Sea, Exodus 15:1-18), as a way to introduce or ask divine permission to chant this passage from the Torah. Therefore, the poet begins with the phrase shir chadash (lit. new song), recalling the text that leads into the Shmoneh Esreh prayer in the Amidah: “Shirah chadashah shibechu ge’ulim l’shime’chah al s’fat ha-yam”(A new song did the redeemed ones sing out to Your name, beside the sea).

This Piyut is sung on Shabbat Shirah (lit. Shabbat of Song), which generally falls close to the 15th of Sh’vat. Shabbat Shirah carries this special name because it coincides with the Torah portion B’shalach, which includes Shirat Ha-Yam - the song that Moses and the Israelites sang as they left the land of Egypt.