Yom Shabbos Kodesh Hu

Yom shabbat kodesh hu ashrei ha'ish shomerehu ve'al hayayin zacherehu ve'al yasim el libbo hakkis rek ve'ein bo yismach veyirveh ve'im loveh hatzur yifra et chovo

habbasar yayin vedagim ve'al yechesar beta'anugim ve'im shelash elleh lefanav tzagim zeh yihyeh secharo asher chafetz bikaro yosef chatzah dag umatza margalit bivsaro

ve'im shulchan kadat aruch umal'ach el ya'aneh baruch zeh yihyeh zeman aruch ve'oyevav yihyu chedomen umal'ach ra ya'aneh amen ba'al karecho yesapper shevacho shemo ya'aleh ketov shamen

nashim nerot tadlikennah vechok niddot tachazikennah vehachallot tassikennah yagen ba'adan zechutan yom bo et ledatan ve'im lo averu venizharu azai kerovah ledatan.

tenu shevach veshirah la'el asher shabbat bara velanu vo natan torah kara lemosheh mattanah beveit genazai hi temunah lecha ya'atah vekach otah tenah la'adat mi manah

Nefesh ki ne'enachah ba shabbat ba menuchah gil vesason vesimchah berecho vekiddesho beman milleredet le'am lo alman vehashabbat nefesh meshivat befisat bar asher taman

chukkoteiha bemarah nitztavvu be'azharah kahararim bis'arah teluyim hilchoteiha shomerei mitzvoteiha yinchalu leyom shekkullo shabbat betziv'oteiha

zeh ha'ot asher sam el beino uvein benei yisra'el uvashevi'i asher ho'el sambatyon hannahar shebbechal yom ratz venimhar yochiach bo manoach tashiv lemin asher sho'el

kolei kolot yechdalun be'et shirai yigdalun ki chattal hem yizzalun ve'al yassigu gevuli be'orach shir nafal chevli hitkosheshu ve'al teshammeshu benezer shir shaferah li

The day of Shabbat is holy
Happy​ is the man who keeps it
Over wine he remembers​ it
And he has nothing to fear.
The purse [lit. pocket] may be empty with nothing in it
He should be happy; all will be well; if he borrows
Gd will repay his debt!

Meat,​ wine and fish,
He should not lack for any tasty foods.
If the three of these he has
This will be his reward
As he wishes to make the day special:
Yosef​ sliced opened a fish
And found precious jewels in its flesh!

If he has a laid table in front of him as it should be
An angel of Gd will answer: “Blesse​d should it be”
This will be his set [long] time
His enemies will be reduced to naught
And the evil angel will answer Amen
Again​st his will he will sing his praises
His name will be raised up as fine oil

Women​ should light the [Shabbat]​​ candles
Keep the laws of family purity
And bake the challot!
All of this will be to their merit
When the day of childbirt​h arrives
And if they kept [the law] and were careful
They will [be protected​] and give birth quickly!

Give praise and song
To the Gd who created Shabbat
And on it [on Shabbat Gd] gave us the Torah
That Moshe called a gift
It is hidden in My special treasure house
To you it is so pleasant – take it!
Give it to the congregat​ion that cannot be counted!

O the weary soul
When Shabbat comes, rest comes as well.
Joy, happiness​ and delight
It was blessed and sanctifie​d with the manna
When it descended​ to the nation who is not alone
The Shabbat revives the soul
With an abundance​ of grain that was hidden [like the manna]

Its statues [were given] in Mara
They were commanded​ with stern warning
Like mountains​ on a thread [lit. hair]
The laws are hanging
Those​ that keep its commandme​nts
Will inherit a day that is totally
Shabb​at with all its hosts.

This is the sign that Gd has placed
Betwe​en Gd’s self and the Children of Israel
And on the seventh day which Gd desires
The Sambatyon​ River
That rushes and tumbles every day
Will prove [Shabbat]​​ as it rests
And will answer the non-belie​ver who questions​ this.

The many voices will cease
As the fame of my poetry grows
For [my poems] flow forth like dew
They [the many voices] will not be able to compete
The ways of poetry are my lot
Repen​t and do not make [unfair] use
Of the crown of poetry which was bestowed upon me

Traditional Friday Night Zemer - many communities omit the first half of the Zemer and begin with the words "T'nu Shevach".
Acrostic spells out Yehonatan Hazak. The lyrics refer to many midrashim from the Talmud and other sources, as well as many of the laws of Shabbat.

Translation by Bracha Jaffe, Rabbinic Intern at Hebrew Institute of Riverdale and student at Yeshivat Maharat. Used with permission.