Yedid Nefesh - Israel's Yearning for God
Read this prayer below, or listen to this youtube audio. Courtesy of: Beit Hallel Congregation in Roswell, GA.
This deeply moving song, "Yedid Nefesh" meaning "Beloved of the Soul," written by Rabbi Elazar Azikri, echoes the language and emotion of the Song of Songs, expressing Israel’s deep yearning for closeness with God. The opening letters of each verse form an acrostic of God’s sacred name, adding a layer of spiritual significance.
The plea “Do not hide Yourself” alludes to the pain of exile, with the poet yearning for God’s revelation at the destined moment of redemption.
Today, Yedid Nefesh is traditionally sung on Friday evenings, marking the beginning of Shabbat with a heartfelt call for divine connection.
This recording represents a shortened version of the prayer and contains the first and last paragraph. The two middle paragraphs are found in brackets below.
Transliteration of Yedid Nefesh:
Yedid nefesh Av ha-rachaman
Meshoch avdecha el retzonecha
Yarutz avdecha kemo ayal
Yishtachaveh el mul hadarecha
Ye'erav lo yedidotecha
Minofet tzuf ve'chol ta'am
(Hadur na'eh ziv ha'olam
Nafshi cholat ahavatecha
Ana El, na refa na lah
Behar'ot lah no'am zivecha
Az titchazek ve'titrapeh
Vehayta lah simchat olam
Vatik yehemu na rachamecha
Vechusah na al ben ahuvecha
Ki zeh kama nichsof nichsafti
Lir'ot mehera betiferet uzecha
Eleh chamdah libbi
Vechusah na ve'al titalem)
Higaleh na ufros chavivi
Alai et sukat shlomecha
Ta'ir eretz mikvodecha
Nagilah venismecha bach
Maher ehov ki va mo'ed
Vechanenu kimei olam
Yedid Nefesh Prayer in Hebrew:
יְדִיד נֶֽפֶשׁ אָב הָרַחֲמָן
מְשׁוֹךְ עַבְדְּ֒ךָ אֶל רְצוֹנֶֽךָ
יָרוּץ עַבְדְּ֒ךָ כְּמוֹ אַיָּל
יִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה אֶל מוּל הֲדָרֶֽךָ
יֶעֱרַב לוֹ יְדִידוֹתֶֽיךָ
מִנֹּֽפֶת צוּף וְכָל טָֽעַם
הָדוּר נָאֶה זִיו הָעוֹלָם)
נַפְשִׁי חוֹלַת אַהֲבָתֶֽךָ
אָֽנָּא אֵל נָא רְפָא נָא לָהּ
בְּהַרְאוֹת לָהּ נֹֽעַם זִיוֶֽךָ
אָז תִּתְחַזֵּק וְתִתְרַפֵּא
וְהָיְ֒תָה לָהּ שִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם
וָתִיק יֶהֱמוּ נָא רַחֲמֶֽיךָ
וְחֽוּסָה נָא עַל בֵּן אֲהוּבֶֽךָ
כִּי זֶה כַּמָּה נִכְסוֹף נִכְסַפְתִּי
לִרְאוֹת מְהֵרָה בְּתִפְאֶֽרֶת עֻזֶּֽךָ
אֵֽלֶּה חָמְ֒דָה לִבִּי
(וְחֽוּסָה נָא וְאַל תִּתְעַלֵּם
הִגָּלֶה נָּא וּפְרוֹס חֲבִיבִי
עָלַי אֶת סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶֽךָ
תָּאִיר אֶֽרֶץ מִכְּ֒בוֹדֶֽךָ
נָגִֽילָה וְנִשְׂמְ֒חָה בָּךְ
מַהֵר אֶהֹב כִּי בָא מוֹעֵד
וְחָנֵּֽנוּ כִּימֵי עוֹלָם
Translation of Yedid Nefesh, "Beloved of the Soul":
Beloved of the soul, Father of compassion,
draw Your servant to Your will.
Your servant will run like a deer,
he will bow before Your beauty.
Your love is sweeter to him than honey and any taste.
(Majestic, beautiful, radiance of the world,
my soul is sick with love for You.
Please, O God, heal her now,
by showing her the pleasantness of Your radiance.
Then she will be strengthened and healed,
and she will be Your servant for eternity.
Ancient One, may Your mercy be stirred
and please have compassion on Your beloved child.
For so long have I yearned intensely
to see the glory of Your strength.
Please my God, my heart's desire—
do not hide Yourself!)
Reveal Yourself, my Beloved,
and spread over me the tabernacle of Your peace.
Let the earth shine with Your glory;
let us rejoice and be glad in You.
Hasten, beloved, for the appointed time has come,
and be gracious to me as in days of old.
