This prayer, composed by Rabbi Solomon Alkavetz in the holy city of Safed, welcomes in the Sabbath each Friday evening. The 16th-century Kabbalists used to go out of the synagogue towards the fields in order to welcome in the Sabbath Queen. This prayer is the pinnacle of that welcoming, sung with great vigor to new and old melodies every week. The tune here is one of the popular versions.
The Words
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Translation
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Lecha dodi likrat kala
Penai shabat nekabla (2x)
Shamor vezachor bedibur echad
Hishmianu el hameyuchad
Ado-nai echad ushmo echad
Leshem ultiferet velit'hila
Lecha dodi...
Likrat Shabbat lechu venelcha
Ki hi mekor habracha
Merosh mikedem nesucha
Sof maaseh bemachshava t'chila
Lecha dodi...
Mikdash Melech, ir melucha,
kumi tze'i mitoch hahafeicha.
Rav lach shevet be'eimek habacha
Vehu yachamol alayich chemla
Lecha dodi…
Hitna’ari Me’afar kumi
Livshi bigdei tifarteich, ami
Al yad ben Yishai, beit halachmi
Korva el nafshi ge'alah
Lecha dodi…
Hitoreri! Hitoreri! ki va oreich
Kumi ori,
Uri, uri, shir dabeiri
kevod Ado-nai alayich nigla
Lecha dodi…
Lo tevoshi velo tikalmi
Ma tishtochachi umah tehemi
Bach yechesu aniyei ami
Venivneta ir al tilah
Lecha dodi…
Vhayu limshisa shosayich
Verachaku kol mevalayich
Yasis alayich Elohayich
Kimsos khatan al kala
Lecha dodi…
Yamin usmol tifrotzi
V'et Ado-nai taaritzi
Al yad ish ben partzi
Venismecha venagila
Lecha dodi…
Boi veshalom ateret baala
Gam besimcha uvetzahala
Toch emunei am segula
Boi khala boi khala
Lecha dodi…
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(Rough, very rough maybe, translation)
Come, my beloved to welcome the bride
Let us greet the Sabbath!
" Guard" and " remember" were heard from God simultaneously.
God is one and his Name is one for His glory.
Let us go out and greet the Sabbath, for it is the source of blessing.
She was planned from before, the thought before creation.
The sanctuary of the King in the royal city! Rise up and leave behind the turmoil.
You have dwell too long in the Valley of crying, and He will have compassion upon you.
Get up from the dust, put on your garments of glory, my people.
By means of the son of Yishai of Bethlehem, my soul's redemption draws near!
Wake up, wake up, your light has come, get up and arise.
Arouse, arouse, and sing a song. The glory of God is revealed upon you.
Do not be ashamed or humiliated. Why should you be downcast and confused?
With you shall find shelter the poor of my people, and we shall rebuild the city on its ruins.
May all who plundered you be plundered, and all who swallowed you be kept far away.
Your God shall rejoice upon you, as a groom rejoices upon his bride.
I strike out to the left or right, and I extol God.
By means of the man descended from Peretz, we shall be happy and joyful.
Come in peace the crown of her husband, also in joy and exultation.
In the midst of the faithful of the chosen people, come now, oh bride, come now, oh bride!
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The Jewish Music Recordings
MP3 Sample MIDI File
Lecha Dodi Popular Recordings
Lecha Dodi David and the High Spirit perform our melody in the traditional manner.
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Lecha Dodi Rinat Choir here with a Yemenite version. Wow, you MUST listen to this. Awesome.
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Lecha Dodi Six13 go funk with amazing vocals and harmonies. This is great! Especially if the Backstreet Boys showed up in shul.
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Lecha Dodi C Lanzbom gives a soulful instrumental version of a chassidic meditative melody that captures the peace of the Sabbath.
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Lecha Dodi Shawn Kugel plays a Shlomo Carlebach melody in a fully acoustic version with a klezmer ensemble that morphs into awesome jazz. It is extremely relaxing.
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Lecha Dodi Yehuda Glantz brings his brilliant South American rhythms to this original instrumental and vocal composition.
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Lecha Dodi Geula Gill sings the tradition Israeli folk-song version. It is so wonderful in its simplicity!
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Lecha Dodi Kayama go reggae on this one. Just try to sit still listening to this.
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Lecha Dodi Pharaoh's Daughter creates on of the most exotic versions you'll hear. You'll feel transported to Yemen in a wonderful soundscape.
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Lecha Dodi Reb Shlomo's melody and voice
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Lecha Dodi Heedoosh, a crossover middle eastern rock band have an original version here. Rock style with mediterranean groove.
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Lecha Dodi Eliza Rose has a very fusion Israeli feel to it. The groove here is cool. Hate to say it, but this has a Eurovision feel.
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