Bless the Lord, O my soul

Baḥya Ibn Paqūda

11th Century

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all my inner being bless His holy name!
My soul, move in strength,
And bless your Rock.
Lay your prayer before Him,
Pour out your thoughts in His presence.
Awake from your sleep,
Know your place—
Whence you came, and whither you go!
My soul, rise from your slumber,
Utter a song before your Creator,
Sing to His…
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Recited to this day by many Sephardic communities on Yom Kippur, this poem is modeled on Se‘adya Ga’on’s “O mighty and powerful one.” It is sufused with biblical allusions; many lines are carefully rearranged scriptural citations. Unlike most poems of the day, this pi-yyut was written without meter or rhyme. This poem is a tokhehah (rebuke), spurring its readers to strengthen their divine worship.

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Related Guide

Early Medieval Liturgical Poetry (Piyyut)

7th to 12th Century

Creator Bio

Baḥya Ibn Paqūda

ca. 1050–ca. 1120

Surprisingly little is known about the life of Baḥya ben Joseph Ibn Paqūda, an influential pietist and poet. Perhaps a native of Saragossa, Baḥya flourished in the second half of the eleventh century during the height of Andalusi Jewry. His popular and influential ethical work, The Book of Direction to the Duties of the Heart, has much in common with Sufism and other important streams in Islamic thought. Baḥya was also a poet; his liturgical poems reflect his theological and ideological positions.

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