Deror Yikra
This well known pizmon by Donash ben Labrat (Adonim HaLevi, 920-990) is thought to be the earliest ever poem specifically written for singing at the Shabbat table. Donash was from Baghdad, where he studied under R Saadiah Gaon, later moving to Spain. He was the first person to write Hebrew verse in Arabic metre, and this pizmon is a specimin of his endeavours.
Its resolutely strict Arabic meter ("Hajaz") - unusual for a Hebrew text - gives it a distinctive feel. Possibly because of this a couple of "ethnic" Moroccan and Yemenite tunes for this pizmon were popularized in the last 40 odd years. You probably know them, and even if you don't, you can easily find them elsewhere online.
In his fascinating book "Medieval Hebrew Minstrelsy" (London 1926), Herbert Loewe points out that the English children's verse "Girls and boys come out to play" begins in very much the same way as Deror Yikra, and is written in almost identical metre. At the time Deror Yikra was written, King Alfred had just died in England, and Edward the Elder sat on the throne; we can but speculate whether the English nursery rhyme dates back to the same time as this pizmon.
An even better-known Hebrew pizmon with the same meter, but of later composition, is Adon Olam.
דְּרוֹר יִקְרָא לְבֵן עיִם בַּת
וְיִנְצָרְכֶם כְּמוֹ בָבַת
נְעִים שִׁמְכֶם וְלֹא יֻשְׁבַּת
שְׁבוּ נוּחוּ בְּיוֹם שַׁבָּת
דְּרֹשׁ נָוִי וְאוּלָמִי
וְאוֹת יֶשַׁע עֲשֵׂה עִמִּי
נְטַע שׂוֹרֵק בְּתוֹךְ כַּרְמִי
שְׁעֵה שַׁוְעַת בְּנֵי עַמִּי
דְּרֹךְ פוּרָה (נ"א: בָּבֶל) בְּתוֹךְ בָּצְרָה
וְגַם בָּבֶל (נ"א: אֱדוֹם) אֲשֶׁר גָּבְרָה
נְתֹץ צָרַי בְּאַף וְעֶבְרָה
שְׁמַע קוֹלִי בְּיוֹם אֶקְרָא
אֱלֹהִים תֵּן בַּמִּדְבָּר הַר
הֲדַס שִׁטָּה בְּרוֹשׁ תִּדְהָר
וְלַמַּזְהִיר וְלַנִּזְהָר
שְׁלוֹמִים תֵּן כְּמֵי נָהָר
הֲדוֹךְ קָמַי אֵל קַנָּא
בְּמוֹג לֵבָב וּבִמְגִנָּה
וְנַרְחִיב פֶּה וּנְמַלֶּאנָה
לְשׁוֹנֵנוּ לְךָ רִנָּה
דְעֶה חָכְמָה לְנַפְשֶׁךָ
וְהִיא כֶתֶר לְרֹאשֶׁךָ
נְצֹר מִצְוַת אלהךָ
שְׁמֹר שַׁבַּת קְדֹשֶׁךָ
He grants release to lad and lass
As his eye's apple safe they play
Their innocence shall never pass
Then take your ease this Sabbath day
O seek in love my martyred shrine
And to mine eyes salvation show
In Zion's vinyard plant her vine
And hear my people's cry of woe
On Botzrah's sin* tread deep Thy press
That Thy fair world be pure once more
'Gainst Babel's full-grown wickedness
This day Thy safeguard I implore
On desert hill Thy garden rear
Make bloom the myrtle, fir and pine
Teachers and taught - Thy saplings dear -
Nurture with streams of peace divine
Our foemen rage in wrath and pride
O turn their hearts contrite to Thee
Then shall our mouths in song be wide
Our tongues with them in unity
By wisdom crowned, in regal state
Let quest of wisdom be your goal
As you each Sabbath consecrate
May Sabbath consecrate your soul.
Austro-hungarian melody
This famous theme from Lehar's opera "The Merry Widow" has become the preferred melody for Deror Yikra in our home.
♫ Deror Yikra (Lehar melody) [JC]
Italian melody
When I discovered the lovely Italian poem "Maskil Mikhtam for a Circumcision, I wanted to find a way to reuse the catchy tune. In my opinions it's a perfect fit for Deror Yikra.
Scottish melody
This adaption is a little eccentric (even by my standards) and not easy to get the hang of, but if you like a challenge Beethoven's Scottish Folk Song Number Twelve fits the Arabic metre of Deror Yikra perfectly. Listen and judge for yourself - and give it a try if you dare!
* Botzrah: Capital city of Edom
Note about the English translation
The English verse translation is taken from "Medieval Hebrew Minstrelsy" (London 1926), by Herbert Loewe, a small but erudite volume in which Mr Loewe presents historical notes on a selection of Hebrew Pizmonim, and English translations that match the metre of the original Hebrew.
Fascinatingly, Loewe reveals in his introduction that in his home they sang the Hebrew and English verses alternately, as a way of ensuring that the children understood the meaning of the original. One of those children was Raphael Loewe, who became renowned as Goldsmid Professor of Hebrew at University College London and, Honorary Fellow of St John's College, Cambridge, and who was devout member of London's Spanish and Portuguese Jews' Congregation. I vividly remember from my childhood his distinguished presence at Shabbat morning services wearing full morning dress (top had and tails), and later his gentle, erudite amendment to a textual interpretation I offered in my first sermon at Maida Vale as a young man.
Although the English may seem a little archaic to us in the 21st Century, I have included this translation, as Deror Yikra is itself hard for many Hebrew speakers to understand.
