Kol beru-ei ma’lah umatah
Kol Beru-ei Ma’alah Umatah is a piyut calling on all heavenly and earthly beings to join in praise of God and framing the arrival of Shabbat as a moment when all realms of creation are invited into harmony, rest, and song.
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Transliteration / Hebrew
Kol beru-ei ma’lah umatah
Ye’idun yagidun kulam ke-ehad
Adonai ehad ushemo ehad
Sheloshim ushtayim netivot shevilakh
Lekhol mevin sodam yesaperu godlakh
Mehem yakirun ki hakol shelakh
Ve-atah ha-El hamelekh hameyuhad
Levavot behoshvam olam banui
Yimtze-u khol yesh biltekha shanui
Bemispar bemishkal hakol manui
Kulam nitenu mero’eh ehad
Merosh ve’ad sof yesh lekha siman
Tzafon veyam vekedem veteiman
Shahak vetevel lekha ed ne-eman
Mizeh ehad umizeh ehad
Hakol mimekha nizbad zavod
Atah ta’amod vehem yovedu avod
Lakhen kol yetzur lekha yiten kavod
Ki merosh ve’ad sof halo av ehad
Uvetoratekha Adonai Eloheinu katuv lemor
Shema Israel Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Ehad
כָּל בְּרוּאֵי מַעְלָה וּמַטָּה
יְעִידוּן יַגִּידוּן כֻּלָּם כְּאֶחָד
ה’ אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד
שְׁלוֹשִׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם נְתִיבוֹת שְׁבִילָךְ
לְכָל מֵבִין סוֹדָם יְסַפְּרוּ גָדְלָךְ
מֵהֶם יַכִּירוּן כִּי הַכֹּל שֶׁלָּךְ
וְאַתָּה הָאֵל הַמֶּלֶךְ הַמְּיֻחָד
לְבָבוֹת בְּחָשְׁבָם עוֹלָם בָּנוּי
יִמְצְאוּ כָל יֵשׁ בִּלְתְּךָ שָׁנוּי
בְּמִסְפָּר בְּמִשְׁקָל הַכֹּל מָנוּי
כֻּלָּם נִתְּנוּ מֵרוֹעֶה אֶחָד
מֵרֹאשׁ וְעַד סוֹף יֵשׁ לְךָ סִמָּן
צָפוֹן וָיָם וְקֶדֶם וְתֵימָן
שַׁחַק וְתֵבֵל לְךָ עֵד נֶאֱמָן
מִזֶּה אֶחָד וּמִזֶּה אֶחָד
הַכֹּל מִמְּךָ נִזְבַּד זָבוֹד
אַתָּה תַעֲמֹד וְהֵם יֹאבְדוּ אָבוֹד
לָכֵן כָּל יְצוּר לְךָ יִתֵּן כָּבוֹד
כִּי מֵרֹאשׁ וְעַד סוֹף הֲלֹא אָב אֶחָד
וּבְתוֹרָתְךָ ה’ אֱלֹהֵינוּ כָּתוּב לֵאמֹר
שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ה’ אֱלֹהֵינוּ ה’ אֶחָד
Translation (Peter Cole)
“All the creatures of earth and heaven
together as one bear witness in saying:
the Lord is One and One is his name.
Your path has thirty-two courses
and all whom fathom your mystery
see them,
and know in the mystery that all is yours—
that you alone, O Lord, are king.
Hearts find, observing creation,
all-being-but-you knows variation—
in number and weight is all calibration
and all from a single shepherd derive.
From limit to limit your signs exist—
north through south, east into west—
earth and sky for you to bear witness,
each in a way of its own.
All flows from you in extension;
you endure through others’ exhaustion;
therefore all being honors your splendor
from beginning to end, there’s one father alone.“