This post includes both audio recordings and the Aramaic, English and transliterated texts of two poems that are often recited before Kiddush on Friday night, according to Jewish mystical traditions. Both poems are based on passages in the Zohar (the most important work of Kabbalah) and composed by Rabbi Isaac Luria, « The Ari, » the leader of the kabbalistic community in Sfat in the 16th century. The first writing, « Atkinu Seudata » is the first in a series of three poems, each corresponding to one of the three Sabbath meals and recited before the appropriate meal. Originally written in Aramaic and full of esoteric Kabbalistic concepts, these poems are most relevant to those with background in Kabbalistic learning or a particular interest in this subject.
Atkinu Seudata
The following texts were exerted from this website, written by Simcha Ben Yosef, which aims to help Jewish people rectify past transgressions through spiritual work and religious practice.
Aramaic
אָתקִינו סעוּדָתָא דִמהֵמנוּתָא שׁלֵימָתָא. חֶדוֵתָה דמַלכָּה קַדִישָׁא.
אָתקִינוּ סעוּדָתָא דמַלכָּה. דָּא הִיא סעוּדָתָא דַחֲקַל תַּפּוּחִין קַדּישִׁין.
וּזעֵיר אַנפִּין ועַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָא אַתיָן לסַעֲדָה בַּהֲדֵיה.
English
Prepare the meal of perfect faith, the joy of the Holy King.
Prepare the meal of the King. This is the feast of the Orchard of Holy Apples [aspect of Hashem corresponding to the Shechina, closest to the collective souls of Israel].
Zeir Anpin and Atika Kadisha are also present at this meal.
Transliteration
Atkinu seudata dimehemnuta shelemata chedvata demalka kadisha.
Atkinu seudata de malka. Da hi seudata dechakal tapuchin kadishin
Uzeir anpin veatika kadisha atian lesaadah bahadeh.
Azamer Bishvochin
The translated and transliterated texts, excerpted from the ‘Mayanot Shabbat Companion‘, published by the Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, were posted on Chabad.org.
Aramaic
אֲזַמֵּר בִּשְׁבָחִין לְמֵיעַל גּוֹ פִתְחִין דְּבַחֲקַל תַּפּוּחִין דְּאִנּוּן קַדִּישִׁין:
נְזַמִּין לָהּ הַשְׁתָּא בִּפְתוֹרָא חַדְתָּא וּבִמְנַרְתָּא טַבְתָּא דְּנַהֲרָא עַל רֵישִׁין:
יְמִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא וּבֵנַיְהוּ כַלָּה בְּקִשּׁוּטִין אָזְלָא וּמָאנִין וּלְבוּשִׁין:
יְחַבֵּק לָהּ בַּעְלָהּ וּבִיסוֹדָא דִילָהּ דְּעָבִיד נַיְחָא לָהּ יְהֵא כַּתִּישׁ כַּתִּישִׁין:
צְוָחִין אַף עַקְתִין בְּטֵלִין וּשְׁבִיתִין בְּרַם אַנְפִּין חַדְתִּין וְרוּחִין עִם נַפְשִׁין:
חֲדוּ סַגִּי יֵיתֵי וְעַל חֲדָא תַּרְתֵּי נְהוֹרָא לָהּ יִמְטֵי וּבִרְכָאָן דִּנְפִישִׁין:
קְרִיבוּ שׁוּשְׁבִינִין עֲבִידוּ תִּקּוּנִין לְאַפָּשָׁא זִינִין וְנוּנִין עִם רַחֲשִׁין:
לְמֶעְבַד נִשְׁמָתִין וְרוּחִין חַדְתִּין בְּתַרְתֵּין וּתְלָתִין וּבִתְלָתָא שִׁבְשִׁין:
וְעִטּוּרִין שַׁבְעִין לָהּ וּמַלְכָּא דִּלְעֵלָּא דְּיִתְעַטֵּר כֹּלָּא בְּקַדִּישׁ קַדִּישִׁין:
רְשִׁימִין וּסְתִימִין בְּגַוָּהּ כָּל עָלְמִין בְּרַם עַתִּיק יוֹמִין הֲלָא בַּטִּישׁ בַּטִּישִׁין:
יְהֵא רַעֲוָא קַמֵּיהּ דְּתִשְׁרֵי עַל עַמֵיהּ דְּיִתְעַנַּג לִשְׁמֵיהּ בִּמְתִיקִין וְדוּבְשִׁין:
אֲסַדֵּר לִדְרוֹמָא מְנַרְתָּא דִסְתִימָא וְשֻׁלְחָן עִם נַהֲמָא בִּצְפוֹנָא אַרְשִׁין:
בְּחַמְרָא גּוֹ כַסָּא וּמְדָאנֵי אַסָּא לְאָרוּס וַאֲרוּסָה לְהִתַּקְפָא חַלָּשִׁין:
נְעַטֵּר (נ »א נַעֲבֵד) לְהוֹן כִּתְרִין בְּמִלִּין יַקִּירִין בְּשַׁבְעִין עִטּוּרִין דְּעַל גַּבֵּי חַמְשִׁין:
שְׁכִינְתָּא תִּתְעַטָּר בְּשִׁית נַהֲמֵי לִסְטָר בְּוָוִין תִּתְקַטָּר וְזִינִין דִּכְנִישִׁין:
שְׁבִיתִין וּשְׁבִיקִין מְסָאֲבִין דִּרְחִיקִין חֲבִילִין דִּמְעִיקִין וְכָל זִינֵי חַרְשִׁין:
לְמִבְצַע עַל רִפְתָּא כְּזֵיתָא וּכְבֵיעָתָא תְּרֵין יוּדִין נַקְטָא סְתִימִין וּפְרִישִׁין:
מְשַׁח זֵיתָא דַכְיָא דְטַחֲנִין רֵחַיָּא וְנַגְדִּין נַחֲלַיָּא בְּגַוָּהּ בִּלְחִישִׁין:
הֲלָא נֵימָא רָזִין וּמִלִין דִּגְנִיזִין דְּלֵיתְהוֹן מִתְחַזִין טְמִירִין וּכְבִישִׁין:
אִתְעַטְרָא כַלָּה בְּרָזִין דִּלְעֵלָא בְּגוֹ הַאי הִלּוּלָא דְּעִירִין קַדִּישִׁין
English
I will cut away [the forces of evil] with songs of praise, in order to enter the holy gates of Chakal Tapuchin.
We herewith invite her [the Shechinah ] to the festive table, with the beautiful candelabrum shining on our heads.
Between right and left the Bride approaches, adorned in ornaments, jewels and robes.
Her husband embraces her; through this gathering which brings her joy, the [forces of evil]will be utterly crushed.
They cry and despair, yet they are made null and void; but the faces [of Israel] are renewed, souls and spirits too.
[The Shabbat soul] brings her great joy, double in measure, bestowing upon her light and abundant blessing.
Bridesmen, go forth and make preparations of delicacies of many kinds, fish as well as fowl.
It is to form new souls and spirits, [to fathom] the thirty-two paths [of wisdom] and the three branches [of Scripture].
She has seventy crowns; the supernal King becomes crowned with most sacred [songs of praise].
[The Shabbat] is engraved and inscribed within all worlds [which were brought forth by] the “Ancient of Days” through combining [the four pristine elements].
May it be His will that His presence rest upon His people who will delight for the sake of His Name in sweet things and honey.
I place to the south the mystical candelabrum; I set in the north the table with the loaves.
With wine in the goblet and boughs of myrtle for the Bride and Groom, to invigorate the weak.
We fashion for them crowns from precious words; seventy crowns which transcend the fifty [Gates].
May the Shechinah be surrounded by the six loaves on each side [of the table]; and may they correspond to the two sets of six loaves and the other articles [of the Bet Hamikdash ].
The impure powers who are far from holiness, the angels of destruction who oppress [man] and all those confined [in Purgatory] rest and have respite [on Shabbat].
To slice the challah, the size of an olive or of an egg, [interpreting] the two yuds either according to its simple or phonetic reading.
Olives [have within them] pure oil which when pressed in a millstone flow in a stream; so the bread contains within it divine secrets. Let us discuss secrets of Torah, which are not revealed, hidden and concealed.
May the Bride be crowned with supernal mysteries at this joyous feast of the holy angels.
Transliteration
Azameir bishvachin lmei-al go pis-chin dvachakal tapuchin dinun kadishin.
N’zamin loh hashtoh bifsora chadata, uvimnarto tavto d’nahoroh al reishin.
Y’minoh usmolo uvei-nayhu chaloh b’kishutin ozloh umonin ul’vushin.
Y’chabek loh ba-aloh uvisodo diloh d’oveid naycho loh yhei katish katishin.
Tzvochin af aksin bteilin ushvisin, bram anpin chadatin, vruchin im nafshin.
Chadu sagei yeisei v’al chado tartei, n’hora loh yimtei uvircho’on dinfishin.
Krivu shushvinin avidu sikunin, l’aposho zinin v’nunin im rachashin.
L’me-evad nishmosin v’ruchin chadatin, b’sartein uvislosin uvislosa shivshin.
Viturin shav-in loh umalkoh dil-eiloh d’yis-asar koloh b’kadishkadishin.
R’shimin us’simin b’go kol olmin, b’ram atik yomin halo batish batishin.
Yhei ra-ava kameih d’sish-reih al ameih, d’yis-anag lishmeih bimsikin v’duvshin.
Asadeir lidroma m’narta distimoh, v’shulchan im nahamoh bi-tzfona arshin.
B’chamra go chasa umdanei osoh l’arus va-arusoh l’haskofoh chaloshin.
Na-avid l’hon kisrin b’milin yakirin bshav-in iturin d’al gabei chamshin.
Shchinta tis-ator b’shis nahamei listor b’vavin tiskator v’zinin dichnishin.
Sh’visin ush’vikin m’so-ovin dirchikin chavilin dim-ikin v’chol zinei chavushin.
L’mivtzo al riftoh k’zeisoh uchvei-oso trein yudin nakto s’simin ufrishin.
M’shach zeiso dachyoh d’tochanin reichaya v’nagdin nachalayoh bgavah bilchishin.
Halo neimo rozin umilin dignizin d’leiseihon mis-chazin t’mirin uch’vishin.
Is-atoras kaloh b’razin dil-eila b’go hai hilula d’irin kadishin.