El Adon or El Adon al kol ha'ma'asim (Hebrew: אל אדון or אל אדון על כל המעשים, English: God is the Lord or God is the Lord of all creation) is a well-known Jewish liturgical poem, a so-called piyyut that was probably written in the Land of Israel during the Middle Ages[1] but could be as old as the 2nd century [2], making it possibly one of the oldest Jewish prayers in continuous use. Like many other liturgical poems, it is written without rhyme and as an alphabetical poem - meaning that the first line starts with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the second line starts with the second letter thereof, and so on.
Text
Text below is Nusach Sefard; Nusach Ashkenaz wording differs slightly. The first Hebrew letter of each line is made bold as to indicate the alphabetical nature of the poem.
| Hebrew |
Transliteration |
English translation |
אל אדון על כל המעשים
ברוך ומבורך בפי כל הנשמה
גדולו וטובו מלא עולם
דעת ותבונה סובבים הודו
המתגאה על חיות הקודש
ונהדר בכבוד על המרכבה
זכות ומשור לפני כסאו
חסד ורחמים מלא כבודו
טובים מאורות שבראם אלוהינו
יצרם בדעת בבינה ובהשכל
כח וגבורה נתן בהם
להיות מושלים בקרב תבל
מלאים זיו ומפיקים נוגה
נאה זיום בכל העולם
שֹמחים בצאתם וששים בבואם
עושים באימה רוצון קוניהם
פאר וכבוד נותנים לשמו
צהלה ורינה לזכר מלכותו
קרא לשמש ויזרח אור
ראה והיתקין צורת הלבנה
שבח נותנים לו כל צבא מרום
תפארת וגדולה שרפים, וחיות ואופני הקודש |
El Adon al kol ha'ma'asim
Baruch u'mevorach be'fi kol ha'neshama
God'lo ve'tuvo male olam
Da'at u'tvonah sovevim hodo
Ha'mitga'eh al chayot ha'kodesh
Ve'nehdar be'chavod al ha'merkavah
Zechut u'mishor lifney chis'o
Chesed ve'rachamim male kevodo
Tovim me'orot she'bram Eloheinu
Yetzaram be'da'at, be'vina u'v'ha'skel
Koach u'gvorah natan ba'hem
Lihyot moshelim be'kerev tevel
Mele'im ziv u'mfiqim nogah
Ne'eh zivam be'chol ha'olam
Sm'chim be'tzetam ve'sasim be'voam
Osim be'eimah retzon koneihem
Pe'er ve'chavod not'nim li'shmo
Tzahala ve'rina le'zecher malchuto
Qara la'shemesh va'yizrach or
Ra'ah ve'hitkin tzorat ha'levanah
Shevach notnim lo kol tz'va marom
Tiferet u'gdulah serafrim, ve'chayot, ve'ofanei ha'qodesh |
God is the Lord of all creation
He is praised by the breath of all life
His greatness and goodness fills the universe
Knowledge and wisdom surround his presence
Exalted is He by the celestial beings
Adorned in the glory by the mysteries of heaven
Purity and justice guard his throne
Kindness and mercy abound in his glory
Good are the luminaries which our God created
Made with understanding, wisdom, and insight
He endowed them with energy and power
To dominate within their sphere of the universe
Full of splendour, they radiate brightness
Their brilliance adorns the universe
Rejoicing in rising and exalting in setting
With reverence they obey the will of their creator
Glory and honor they give to his name
And sing his sovereignty with joyous praise
He summoned the sun, and it shed its light
He set the cycle of the moon's phases
All the armies of heaven give him praise
His glory and grandeur they proclaim - all the various celestial beings |