The Nigun "Lecha Dodi" is a melody attributed to the Alter Rebbe, sung to the words of the Shabbos hymn "Lecha Dodi" — a liturgical poem composed by the Kabbalist R' Shlomo Alkabetz, a resident of the city of Tzfas. R' Shlomo wove his name into the poem as an acrostic, using the first letters of each stanza. The Rebbe Rashab was accustomed to singing this nigun with great devekus — deep cleaving to G‑d — on the opening verse of the Shema on weekdays.

Sheet music of the nigun

There exists a different version of this nigun — and likely a more precise one — set to the stanza beginning Likras Shabbos from the poem "Lecha Dodi." This version was recorded from the Chassid R' Peretz Mochkin, who received it from the elder Chassidim of the previous generation, and was published in Sefer HaNiggunim, Volume II (Part I).

This nigun is Nigun No. 7 in Sefer HaNiggunim (the alternate version is Nigun No. 177).

Lyrics edit

Lecha dodi likras kallah

Pnei Shabbos nekabelah

Shamor vezachor bedibur echad

Hishmi'anu Kel hameyuchad
Hashem echad ushmo echad
Leshem uletiferes ulehilah

Likras Shabbos lechu veneilecha

Ki hi mekor haberachah
Merosh mikedem nesuchah
Sof ma'aseh bemachashavah techilah

Mikdash melech ir meluchah

Kumi tze'i mitoch hahafechah
Rav lach sheves be'emek habacha
Vehu yachmol alaych chemlah

Hisna'ari me'afar kumi

Livshi bigdei sif'arteich ami
Al yad ben Yishai beis halachmi
Karvah el nafshi ge'alah

His'oreri his'oreri

Ki va oreich kumi ori
Uri uri shir daberi
Kevod Hashem alaych niglah

Lo seivoshi velo sikalmi

Mah tishtochachi umah tehemi
Bach yechesу aniyei ami
Venivnesah ir al tilah

Vehayu limshisah sho'sayich

Verachaku kol meval'ayich
Yasis alaych Elohayich
Kimsos chasan al kalah

Yamin usmol tifrotzi

Ve'es Hashem ta'aritzi
Al yad ish ben partzi
Venismechah venagila

Bo'i veshalom ateres ba'lah

Gam berinah (besimchah) uvetzahalah
Toch emunei am segulah
Bo'i chalah bo'i chalah
(Toch emunei am segulah
Bo'i chalah Shabbos Malketah)

External Links edit