Lekha Eli Teshukati (Lord, My Longing is Yours)
Detail from a manuscript from the Gross Family Collection.

Lekha Eli Teshukati (Lord, My Longing is Yours)

This deeply personal Piyut, authored by the great Sephardic Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra, opens the Yom Kippur prayers among most Sephardic communities. Although some scholars throughout the ages have claimed that this text may have been written by Rabbi Yehudi HaLevi, most agree that it was crafted by the pen of Rabbi Ibn Ezra. Throughout the text, the author describes his innermost feelings, his pining for the Lord and for His closeness. He thanks God for all he has received — beginning with his daily life and ending with his death.The author requests forgiveness from his God for all aberrations and sins he has committed.

Listen Here

Lekha Eli Teshukati

David Mizrahi
Jerusalem-Sephardic
06:06
Moshe Havusha
Jerusalem-Sephardic
04:55
Zion Badash and Yad HaGiborim Choir
Lyibia
03:23
Haim Luk
Morocco
05:22
Eliezer Hajaj
Tunisia - Tunis
01:33
Israel Chamber Orchestra and a Group of Cantors
Greece - Thessaloniki
02:45
Lekha Eli Teshukati
Lekha Eli Teshukati
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Lyrics & Transliteration

Lyrics Transliteration
לְךָ אֵלִי תְּשׁוּקָתִי Lekha Eli teshukati
בְּךָ חֶשְׁקִי וְאַהְבָתִי Bekha ẖeshki ve-ahvati
לְךָ לִבִּי וְכִלְיוֹתַי Lekha libi vekhilyotai
לְךָ רוּחִי וְנִשְׁמָתִי lekha ruẖi venishmati
לְךָ יָדַי לְךָ רַגְלַי Lekha yadai lekha raglai
וּמִמָּךְ הִיא תְּכוּנָתִי umimakh hi tekhunati
לְךָ עַצְמִי לְךָ דָמִי Lekha 'atzmi lekha dami
וְעוֹרִי עִם גְּוִיָּתִי ve'ori 'im geviyati
לְךָ עֵינַי וְרַעְיוֹנַי Lekha 'einai vera'yonai
וְצוּרָתִי וְתַבְנִיתִי vetzurati vetavniti
לְךָ רוּחִי לְךָ כֹחִי Lekha ruẖi lekha khoẖi
וּמִבְטַחִי וְתִקְוָתִי umivtaẖi vetikvati
[...] […]
וּמָה אָנִי וּמַה חַיָּי Umah ani umah ẖayai
וּמַה כֹּחִי וְעָצְמָתִי umah koẖi ve'otzmati
כְּקַשׁ נִדָף מְאֹד נֶהְדָּף Kekash nidaf me-od nehdaf
וְאֵיךְ תִזְכֹּר מְשׁוּגָתִי ve-eikh tizkor meshugati
[...] […]
הֲבִינֵנִי עֲבוֹדָתְךָ Havineni 'avodatkha
וְלָךְ תִהְיֶה עֲבוֹדָתִי velakh tihyeh 'avodati
הֲשִׁיבֵנִי וְאָשׁוּבָה Hashiveni ve-ashuvah
וְתִרְצֶה אֶת תְשׁוּבָתִי vetirtzeh et teshuvati
וְהוֹרֵנִי דְרָכֶיךָ Vehoreni derakhekha
וְיַשֵּׁר אֶת נְתִיבָתִי veyasher et netivati
וְתִשְׁמַע אֶת תְּפִלָּתִי Vetishma' et tefilati
וְתַעְנֶה אֶת עֲתִירָתִי veta'neh et 'atirati
בְּכָל לִבִּי דְּרַשְׁתִּיךָ Bekhol libi derashtikha
עֲנֵנִי יָהּ דְּרִישָׁתִי 'aneni Yah derishati
אֲנַסֵּך אֶת דְּמָעַי לָךְ Anasekh et dema'ai lakh
מְחֵה חֶטְאִי בְדִמְעָתִי meẖeh ẖet-i vedim'ati
וְנַפְשִׁי אָמְרָה חֶלְקִי Venafshi amrah ẖelki
יְיָ הִיא וְנַחְלָתִי Adonai hi venaẖlati
אֱסֹף נָא אֶת עֲוֹנוֹתַי Esof na et 'avonotai
בְּחַסְדָּךְ יוֹם אֲסִיפָתִי beẖasdakh yom asifati
וְיוֹם לֶכְתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ Veyom lekhti lefanekha
רְצֵה נָא אֶת הֲלִיכָתִי retzeh na et halikhati
וְעִם עוֹשֵׂי רְצוֹנֶךָ Ve'im 'osei retzonekha
תְּנָה שְׂכַר פְּעֻלָּתִי tenah sekhar pe'ulati
וְתִשְׁלַח מַלְאֲכֵי הַחֵן Vetishlaẖ mal-akhei haẖen
וְיֵצְאוּ נָא לְעֻמָּתִי Veyetz-u na le'umati
וְשָׁלוֹם בּוֹאֲךָ יֹאמְרוּ Veshalom bo-akha yomru
בְּקוֹל אֶחָד בְּבִיאָתִי bekol eẖad bebi-ati
יְבִיאוּנִי לְגַן עֶדְנָךְ Yevi-uni legan 'ednakh
וְשָׁם תִּהְיֶה יְשִׁיבָתִי vesham tihyeh yeshivati
וְאֶתְעַדֵּן בְּאוֹרֶךָ Ve-et'aden be-orekha
וְשִׂים כָּבוֹד מְנוּחָתִי vesim kavod menuẖati
וְאוֹר גָנוּז לְפָנֶיךָ Ve-or ganuz lefanekha
יְהִי סִתְרִי וְסֻכָּתִי yehi sitri vesukati
וְתַחַת צֵל כְּנָפֶיךָ Vetaẖat tzel kenafekha
תְּנָה נָּא אֶת מְחִצָתִי tenah na et meẖitzati

 

Translation

My Lord, my longing is Yours,
my love and all I desire;

my heart and intuition,
my spirit and my soul;

Yours my hands, my limbs
and every gesture within;   

blood and bone, skin
and sinew, originate in You;

You are my eyes and inclination,
my form and frame,

You are my vigor, my strength,
my hope and my aid.

*

What am I and what is my life,
what is my fortitude or power?

Chaff in the wind, for You
who know my every flaw.

*

Teach me to be in Your service
and I will devote myself to You; 

draw me in and I’ll repent;
You will rejoice on my return.  

Show me Your ways
and straighten my paths;

heed my prayer
and answer my plea.

With all my heart I seek You;     
hear me when I call out!

I spill before You my tears—
take them, erase my sins! 

My soul knows: the Lord 
is my lot, my only portion.

The day I’m gathered up, 
lovingly gather, as well, my sins:  

I will come before You.
May my paths find favor

and with Your faithful,
God, grant me my reward.

Summon Your resplendent angels! 
Before me, they’ll assemble,

calling out as one:
Your ways are peace—

leading us to Your Paradise.
There I will abide, 

delighting in the radiance
of Your glory, my resting place.

Your Hidden Light will glow,
sheltering, surrounding me,

and forever I will remain
under the shadow of Your wing.

Translation by Annie Kantar