Adon ‘Olam (Lord of the World)
Detail from a manuscript from the Gross Family Collection.

Adon ‘Olam (Lord of the World)

Adon Olam is one of the most ancient Piyutim that is still widely known and sung throughout the communities of Israel. Some attribute this Piyut to R. Shlomo Ibn Gabirol (The Rashbag), although there is no proof that he is the author.

It is customary to sing this Piyut before morning prayers.

Medieval rabbis regarded this poem with high esteem. Rabbi Yehudah the Pious of Germany wrote: “I guarantee that the prayers of one who says Adon Olam with attention are heard, and that Satan shall not act against his prayers... some say that even the evil inclination within him will reside and not entice him” (Sha’arei Tfilah 308:10b). The reason for this reverence can be attributed to the rare combination of the most important principles of faith with a sense of natural, emotional closeness to the Divine.

Listen Here

Adon ‘Olam

Benjanmin Klein
Western Europe
01:12
Daniel, Yehudah and Yoel Ashkenazi
Algeria - Oran
00:59
Rami Ovadyah
Kurdistan - Zakho
01:32
Ezra Malakov
Bukhara
03:10
Moshe Musai
Persia
03:50
Saleh Al-Kuwaity
Iraq-Baghdad
02:34
Saleh and Daoud Al-Kuwaity
Iraq - Baghdad
01:53
Binyamin Hadad
Djerba
01:38
Climo Dus
Libya
05:18
Maimon Cohen and Shimon Iluz
Morocco
03:26
Netanel Israel Albiliya
Morocco
01:12
Shimon Nataf
Tunisia - Tunis
03:34
Adolphe Attia
Spanish and Portuguese (France)
01:57
Adon ‘Olam
Adon ‘Olam
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Lyrics & Transliteration

Lyrics transliteration
אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר מָלַךְ Adon ‘olam asher malakh
בְּטֶרֶם כָּל יְצִיר נִבְרָא beterem kol yetzir nivra
לְעֵת נַעֲשָׂה בְחֶפְצוֹ כֹּל Le'et na'asah beẖeftzo kol
אֲזַי מֶלֶךְ שְׁמוֹ נִקְרָא azai melekh shemo nikra
וְאַחֲרֵי כִּכְלוֹת הַכֹּל Ve'aẖarei kikhlot hakol
לְבַדּוֹ יִמְלֹךְ נוֹרָא levado yimlokh nora
וְהוּא הָיָה וְהוּא הֹוֶה Vehu hayah vehu hoveh
וְהוּא יִהְיֶה בְּתִפְאָרָה vehu yihyeh betif-arah
וְהוּא אֶחָד וְאֵין שֵׁנִי Vehu eẖad ve-ein sheni
לְהַמְשִׁיל לוֹ וּלְהַחְבִּירָה lehamshilo ulhaẖbirah
בְּלִי רֵאשִׁית בְּלִי תַכְלִית Beli reshit beli takhlit
וְלוֹ הָעֹז וְהַמִּשְׂרָה velo ha'oz vehamisrah
בְּלִי עֵרֶךְ בְּלִי דִמְיוֹן Beli erekh beli dimyon
בְּלִי שִׁנּוּי וְהַתְמוּרָה beli shinui vehatmurah
בְּלִי חִבּוּר בְּלִי פֵרוּד Beli ẖibur beli ferud
גְּדָל כֹּחַ וְהַגְבוּרָה gedal koaẖ vehagvurah
וְהוּא אֵלִי וְחַי גּוֹאֲלִי Vehu Eli veẖai go'ali
וְצוּר חֶבְלִי בְּיוֹם צָרָה vetzur ẖevli be'et tzarah
וְהוּא נִסִּי וּמָנוּסִי Vehu nisi umanos li
מְנָת כּוֹסִי בְּיוֹם אֶקְרָא menat kosi beyom ekra
וְהוּא רוֹפֵא וְהוּא מַרְפֵּא Vehu rofe vehu marpe
וְהוּא צוֹפֶה וְהוּא עֶזְרָה vehu tzofeh vehu ‘ezra
בְּיָדוֹ אַפְקִיד רוּחִי Beyado afkid ruẖi
בְּעֵת אִישַׁן וְאָעִירָה be'et ishan ve-a’irah
וְעִם רוּחִי גְּוִיָּתִי Ve'im ruẖi geviyati
ה' לִי וְלֹא אִירָא Adonai li velo ira
בְּמִקְדָשׁוֹ תָּגֵל נַפְשִׁי Bemikdasho tagel nafshi
מְשִׁיחֵנוּ יִשְׁלַח מְהֵרָה meshiẖenu yishlaẖ meherah
וְאָז נָשִׁיר בְּבֵית קָדְשִׁי Ve-az nashir beveit kodshi
אָמֵן אָמֵן שֵׁם הַנּוֹרָא amen amen shem hanora

 

Translation

Lord of the world, who reigned before
any creature came to be:

by His will all things were made,
and then He was called our King.

And when all has ceased to exist,
He alone, revered, will reign:

He has been, and still He is,
and in His majesty He will be.

He is One—there is no other
to ever approach His grandeur,

without beginning, and without end,
strength and dominion belong to Him—

beyond imagining, beyond measure,
unchanging and beyond compare,

set apart, yet utterly whole,
and wondrous in His might and power.

He is my God, my Redeemer lives,
He is a Rock in my hour of despair,

He is my banner, He is my refuge,
He is my sustenance when I call.

He is the healer and He is the balm,
He keeps watch and comes to my aid,

and in His hand I place my soul
when I sleep and when I wake.

As my spirit dwells in my body,
God is with me—I will not fear:

in His abode my soul will rejoice,
for our redeemer is on his way,

and in the Temple on that day
we will sing the awesome Name.

Translation by Annie Kantar