Yigdal
Yigdal is a concluding piyut based on Maimonides’ 13 principles of faith, sung as a declaration of belief in God’s oneness, transcendence, and presence in the world.
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Transliteration / Hebrew
Yigdal elohim hai v’yishtabah, nimtza v’ein eit el m’tzi-uto.
Ehad v’ein yahid k’yihudo, nelam v’gam ein sof l’ahduto.
Ein lo d’mut ha-guf v’eino guf, lo na arokh eilav k’dushato.
Kadmon I’khol davar asher nivra, rishon v’ein reishit l’reishito.
Hino adon olam, v’khol notzar, yoreh g’dulato u-malkhuto.
Shefa n’vu-ato n’tano, el anshei s’gulato v’tifarto.
Lo kam b’yisrael k’mosheh od, navi u-mabit et t’munato.
Torat emet natan l’amo El, al yad n’vi-o ne-eman beito.
Lo yahalif ha-El v’lo yamir dato, l’olamim l’zulato.
Tzofeh v’yodei-a s’tareinu, mabit I’sof davar b’kadmato.
Gomel l’ish hesed k’mifalo, noten I’rasha ra k’rishato.
Yishlah I’keitz yamin m’shiheinu, lifdot m’hakei keitz y’shu-ato.
Meitim y’hayeh El b’rov hasdo, barukh adei ad shem t’hilato.
יִגְדַּל אֱלֹהִים חַי וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח, נִמְצָא וְאֵין עֵת אֶל מְצִיאוּתוֹ:
אֶחָד וְאֵין יָחִיד כְּיִחוּדוֹ, נֶעְלָם וְגַם אֵין סוֹף לְאַחְדּוּתוֹ:
אֵין לוֹ דְמוּת הַגּוּף וְאֵינוֹ גוּף, לֹא נַעֲרֹךְ אֵלָיו קְדֻשָּׁתוֹ:
קַדְמוֹן לְכָל דָּבָר אֲשֶׁר נִבְרָא, רִאשׁוֹן וְאֵין רֵאשִׁית לְרֵאשִׁיתוֹ:
הִנּוֹ אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם לְכָל נוֹצָר, יוֹרֶה גְדֻלָּתוֹ וּמַלְכוּתוֹ:
שֶֽׁפַע נְבוּאָתוֹ נְתָנוֹ, אֶל אַנְשֵׁי סְגֻלָּתוֹ וְתִפְאַרְתּוֹ:
לֹא קָם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמשֶׁה עוֹד, נָבִיא וּמַבִּיט אֶת תְּמוּנָתוֹ:
תּוֹרַת אֱמֶת נָתַן לְעַמּוֹ אֵל, עַל יַד נְבִיאוֹ נֶאֱמַן בֵּיתוֹ:
לֹא יַחֲלִיף הָאֵל וְלֹא יָמִיר דָּתוֹ, לְעוֹלָמִים לְזוּלָתוֹ:
צוֹפֶה וְיוֹדֵֽעַ סְתָרֵֽינוּ, מַבִּיט לְסוֹף דָּבָר בְּקַדְמָתוֹ:
גּוֹמֵל לְאִישׁ חֶֽסֶד כְּמִפְעָלוֹ, נוֹתֵן לְרָשָׁע רָע כְּרִשְׁעָתוֹ:
יִשְׁלַח לְקֵץ הַיָּמִין מְשִׁיחֵֽנוּ, לִפְדּוֹת מְחַכֵּי קֵץ יְשׁוּעָתוֹ:
מֵתִים יְחַיֶּה אֵל בְּרֹב חַסְדּוֹ, בָּרוּךְ עֲדֵי עַד שֵׁם תְּהִלָּתוֹ:
Translation (Lev Shalem)
Glorify and praise the living God
who exists, but not in time-singular and unique, hidden and unbounded,
having no body, not a physical being: we cannot describe God’s distinctness.
God existed before every thing; first of all—but with no beginning.
This is the master of the world; all of creation points to God’s greatness and sovereignty.
Prophetic inspiration was bestowed
upon the people God treasured and honored.
There never arose in Israel another like Moses, a prophet able to see the very likeness of the Divine.
By the hand of this prophet, trusted in God’s house, Torah, a truthful teaching, was given to God’s people.
God will never alter the divine law, nor change it for another.
God knows our innermost thoughts, and foresees their consequence from the start.
God repays the righteous for their deeds; punishes evildoers in accord with their transgressions.
The Divine will send us our Messiah at the end of days, redeeming those who wait for the time of God’s triumph.
God, with great mercy, will give life to the dead— may God’s name be praised forever.