| # | English translation[9] | Transliteration | Hebrew |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | It is our duty to praise the Master of all, | Aleinu l'šabeaḥ la'Adon hakol | עָלֵינוּ לְשַׁבֵּחַ לַאֲדוֹן הַכֹּל, |
| 2 | to ascribe greatness to the Author of creation, | latet gedulah l'yoṣer b'reišit, | לָתֵת גְּדֻלָּה לְיוֹצֵר בְּרֵאשִׁית, |
| 3 | who has not made us like the nations of the lands | šelo asanu k'goyei ha'araṣot, | שֶׁלֹּא עָשָׂנוּ כְּגוֹיֵי הָאֲרָצוֹת, |
| 4 | nor placed us like the families of the earth; | v'lo samanu k'mišp'ḥot ha'adamah, | וְלֹא שָׂמָנוּ כְּמִשְׁפְּחוֹת הָאֲדָמָה. |
| 5 | who has not made our portion like theirs, | šelo sam ḥelqenu kahem, | שֶׁלֹּא שָׂם חֶלְקֵנוּ כָּהֶם, |
| 6 | nor our destiny like all their multitudes. | v'goralenu k'ḵol hamonam. | וְגוֹרָלֵנוּ כְּכָל הֲמוֹנָם. |
| [Some congregations omit:] | |||
| 7 | For they worship vanity and emptiness, | Šehem mištaḥavim l'heḇel variq | שֶׁהֵם מִשְׁתַּחֲוִים לְהֶבֶל וָרִיק, |
| 8 | and pray to a god who cannot save. | umitpal'lim El-El lo yošia[10] | וּמִתְפַּלְלִים אֶל אֵל לֹא יוֹשִׁיעַ. |
| 9 | But we bow in worship and give thanks | Va'anaḥnu kor`im, umištaḥavim umodim, | וַאֲנַחְנוּ כֹּרְעִים וּמִשְׁתַּחֲוִים וּמוֹדִים, |
| 10 | unto the Supreme King of kings, | lif'nei Meleḵ, Malḵei haM'laḵim, | לִפְנֵי מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים |
| 11 | the Holy One, Blessed be He, | haQadoš baruḵ Hu. | הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. |
| 12 | who extends the heavens and establishes the earth, | Šehu noṭeh šamayim, v'yosed areṣ, | שֶׁהוּא נוֹטֶה שָׁמַיִם וְיֹסֵד אָרֶץ, |
| 13 | whose throne of glory is in the heavens above, | umošav y'qaro bašamayim mima'al, | וּמוֹשַׁב יְקָרוֹ בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל, |
| 14 | and whose power's Presence is in the highest of heights. | ušḵinat uzo begaḇhei m'romim, | וּשְׁכִינַת עֻזּוֹ בְּגָבְהֵי מְרוֹמִים. |
| 15 | He is our God; there is no other. | Hu Eloheinu ein od, | הוּא אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֵין עוֹד, |
| 16 | Truly He is our King, there is none else, | emet malkenu, efes zulato, | אֱמֶת מַלְכֵּנוּ אֶפֶס זוּלָתוֹ. |
| 17 | as it is written in His Torah: | kakatuḇ beTorato: | כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרָתוֹ: |
| 18 | "You shall know and take to heart this day | v'yada'ta hayom, vahašeḇota el l'ḇaḇeḵa. | וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ, |
| 19 | that the Lord is God, | Ki Adonai, hu haElohim, | כִּי יְיָ הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים |
| 20 | in the heavens above | bašamayim mi ma'al, | בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל |
| 21 | and on earth below. There is no other." | v'al ha'areṣ mitaḥat. Ein od. | וְעַל הָאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת. אֵין עוֹד. |
The literal translation of line number 9 is "But we bend our knees and bow down and express thanks". The Sefardic/Mizrahi tradition shortens this line to ואנחנוּ משׁתּחום—Va'anḥnu mištaḥavim—"But we bow down". The quotation in lines 18–21 is Deuteronomy 4:39.
This is not really a funeral prayer as far as I know but I wanted it at hand.
It gives me comfort to chant it even though I don't think I'm much of a believer.
