Yitgadal V’yit’kadash Shmei Rabah
May Your Great Name, through our expanding awareness and our fuller action, lift You to become still higher and more holy.
For Your Great Name weaves together all the names of all the beings in the universe, among them our own names,
and it is we who give You the strength to lift us into holiness — (Cong: Amein)
B’alma di vra chi’rooteh v’yamlich malchuteh b’chayeichun, u’v'yomeichun,
u’v'chayei d’chol beit yisrael, b’agalah u’vzman kariv, v’imru: — Amein.
— Throughout the world that You have offered us, a world of majestic peaceful order
that gives life to the Godwrestling folk
through time and through eternity —- And let’s say, Amein
Y’hei sh’mei rabbah, me’vorach, l’olam almei almaya.
So may the Great Name be blessed, through every Mystery and Mastery of every universe.
Yitbarach, v’yishtabach, v’yitpa’ar, v’yitromam, v’yitnasei, v’yit’hadar, v’yit’aleh, v’yit’halal — Shmei di’kudshah, –
Brich hu (Cong: Brich Hu)
May Your Name be blessed and celebrated, Its beauty honored and raised high, may It be lifted and carried,
may Its radiance be praised in all Its Holiness — Blessed be!
L’eylah min kol bir’chatah v’shir’atah tush’be’chatah v’nehematah, de’amiran be’alma, v’imru: Amein (Cong: Amein)
Even though we cannot give You enough blessing, enough song, enough praise, enough consolation to match what we wish to lay before you -
And though we know that today there is no way to console You
when among us some who bear Your Image in our being
are slaughtering others who bear Your Image in our being -
Yehei Shlama Rabah min Shemaya v’chayyim { aleinu v’al kol Yisrael, v’imru Amein.
Still we beseech that from the unity of Your Great Name
flow a great and joyful harmony and life for us and for all who wrestle God; (Cong: Amein)
Oseh Shalom bi’m'romav, hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu v’al kol yisrael v’al kol yishmael v’al kol yoshvei tevel — v’imru: Amein.
You who make harmony in the ultimate reaches of the universe,
teach us to make harmony within ourselves, among ourselves –
and peace for the Godwrestling folk, the people Israel;
for the children of Ishmael;
and for all who dwell upon this planet. (Cong: Amein)
From Dandelion Salad.
At the risk of being pedantic, I want to point out that the English text is not so much a translation of the Aramaic (which is slightly different from the standard version) as it is an expansive/imaginative take-off on it.
ReplyDeleteBillyD, would you like to give us your translation of the Aramaic?
ReplyDeleteRather, I'll point you towards a translation of the standard Ashkenazi version: http://www.myjewishlearning.com/lifecycle/Death/Burial_Mourning/Kaddishtext.htm
ReplyDeleteRabbi Waskow's version of the original is different in that he adds "v’al kol yishmael v’al kol yoshvei tevel" ("to all Ishmael and to all Earth's inhabitants") at the very end. I've seen and heard "v'al kol yoshvei tevel" before in non-traditional venues, but not "v'al kol yishmael").
NB - I'm not critiquing Waskow's English, really. I'm just a language freak.
BillyD, I have no idea which translation is more correct, but, although I like the two versions, I prefer the language in the one that I posted. I presume that Rabbi Waskow wanted to include the children of Ishmael and all the earth's inhabitants in his prayer.
ReplyDeleteMy I suggest this?
ReplyDeleteChange
"Yehei Shlama Rabah min Shemaya v’chayyim aleinu v’al kol Yisrael, v’imru Amein."
to
"Yehei Shlama Rabah min Shemaya v’chayyim aleinu v’al kol ha-enoshut, v’imru Amein."
and
"Oseh Shalom bi’m'romav, hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu v’al kol yisrael v’al kol yishmael v’al kol yoshvei tevel — v’imru: Amein."
to
"Oseh Shalom bi’m'romav, hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu v’al kol ha-enoshut — v’imru: Amein."
This changes the phrase "all Israel" in the original text to "all humankind" (ha-enoshut)without any other changes to the traditional text. Although strictly speaking, the Kaddish is in Aramaic, and enoshut is a Hebrew word. Kaddish means "holy", the Hebrew version is Kodesh.
So when you're saying it in the original language, you're using the every day language that Jesus grew up with and used in his ministry.
There is a well known traditional melody to the last paragraph: if I can find it on the Web, I'll let you know.
The Kaddish, btw, is not really a petitionary prayer: it's meant as a communal declaration of the greatness of God, and is said several times during congregational prayer--but strictly speaking it is only said when a congregation is present. (ten Jews--ten adult Jewish males if you're Orthodox--because ten is the minimum number for a congregation, derived from Abraham's argument with God about Sodom (notice Abe stopped at 10))
Mourners say it in the presence of the community as a sort of declaration that "despite my grief, I still believe that God is good and great and holy". The communal nature of the prayer is the reason why, for instance, it uses the phrase "V'imru Amen"--the reciter is literally telling the people around him to say Amen.
You can also use the phrase "kol bnei Adam v'Chavah" (all the children of Adam and Eve) if you wish.
And one final bit of trivia--the word Amen is said to be an acronym based on the phrase El Melech Neaman--God the Faithful King.
ReplyDeleteAmen --So Be It or Truly, Truly - as the NT often uses.
ReplyDeleteKishnevi, thank you. I'd love to hear the melody if you can find a link.
ReplyDeleteThe way I read it is mainly as a prayer of praise, although the statements with "may" sound somewhat petitionary.
Interesting about Amen. I thought it meant, "So be it".
I note that in the translation that I posted, the address is to God in the second person, whereas in BillyD's translation, the third person is used.
I note that in the translation that I posted, the address is to God in the second person, whereas in BillyD's translation, the third person is used.
ReplyDeleteYes, the original doesn't directly address God.
The bit about Amen that Kishnevi provides is a "backronym" from the Torah; strictly speaking, the word comes from a grammatical root having to do with firmness, faithfulness, reliability.
This Wiki page contains everything you'll never need to know about the Kaddish.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaddish
And this page (which is one of the links mentioned on the Wiki page) has a a couple of versions of the Kaddish, and much else
http://torahreading.dafyomireview.com/cd.php#kad
You might want to wander around on it. Besides Kaddish, it's got MP3s of the traditional cantillation of part of the Torah, plus several traditional cantillations of the Psalms (Tehillim), Song of Songs (Shir haShirim), and Esther, Lamentations, and Ruth (which are read in synagogue for Purim, the Fast of Av and Pentecost/Shavout)
Instead of "Torah" in my last post, read "Talmud".
ReplyDeleteOne note on the cool website with the MP3's that Kishnevi provides, Grandmère. Don't be thrown by the fact that the pronunciation on the MP3 is slightly different than the one on the transliteration you've got here, or on the My Jewish Learning page; the MP3 is done according to the Ashkenazi pronunciation, whereas the others illustrate the Sephardic/Modern Hebrew pronunciation.
ReplyDeleteIt's more like a chant than a song, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteYes, the Mourner's Kaddish is a chant, or often just spoken, depending on the person. Other versions of the Kaddish done primarily by the person leading the prayer service can be more melodic. And as Kishnevi pointed out, the last paragraph has become a song in and of itself. Here's an upbeat version: http://www.aishfiles.com/audio/shabbat/10OsehShalom.mp3
ReplyDelete