Adon olam

Translated into ASL by David Bar-Tzur

Created 2 May 2007, links updated monthly with the help of LinkAlarm.

EXPLANATION OF THE GLOSSING SYSTEM
(to understand how I describe the signs in this translation).

YOU LORD RULE UNIVERSE
Adon olam, asher malach,
LONG-AGO WORLD THERE NOT-YET
b'terem kol y'tzir nivra.
HAPPEN HE-rt CREATE WORLD
L'et na'asah v'cheftzo kol,
EVERYTHING ADMIT HE-rt KING.
azai melech sh'mo nikra.

SOME-DAY OLD WORLD END,
V'acharey kichlot hakol,
HE-rt STILL ALONE RULE.
l'vado yimloch nora.
ETERNAL SAME-OLD-THING.
V'hu haya, v'hu hoveh,
HIS-rt GLORY CHANGE NEVER.
v'hu yih'yeh b'tifara.

HE-rt ONLY-ONE, OTHERS NONE
V'hu echad, v'eyn sheni
EQUAL HIM-rt, HELP-rt NOT~NEED.
l'hamshil lo, l'hachbira.
WITHOUT START, WITHOUT END,
B'li reishit, b'li tachlit,
(<) POWER, (>) AUTHORITY, HIS-rt ALWAYS.
v'lo ha'oz v'hamisrah.

HE-rt MY GOD, PAY-OFF MY DEBT.
V'hu Eli, v'chai go'ali,
HAPPEN GRIEF, ESCAPE TO HIM-rt.
v'tzur chevli b'et tzarah.
HE-rt MY MIRACLE, AND PROTECTOR.
V'hu nisi umanos li,
ANY TIME ME SUMMON, HE-rt ANSWER.
m'nat kosi b'yom ekra.

EVERY-MORNING AWAKE, EVERY-NIGHT FALL-ASLEEP,
B'yado afkid ruchi
MY SPIRIT OFFER-UP-TO HIM-rt.
b'et ishan v'a'irah.
SUPPOSE MY SPIRIT SPIRAL-UP GO-AWAY,
V'im ruchi g'viyati,
NOT-NEED FEAR, WHY? GOD WITH ME.
Adonai li v'lo ira.


Notes: RULE (RULER adds AGENT) - CONTROL

UNIVERSE - U-WORLD.

CREATE - C-MAKE.

SOME-DAY - The sign FUTURE twists slightly at wrist.

ETERNAL - ALWAYS + DH produces STILL in the usual way, and the NDH produces STILL so that it moves back over the shoulder. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: Eternal.

SAME-OLD-THING - (2h)[Y], POs down, FOs away, circle vertically and symmetrically in a plane parallel to the chest.

OTHERS - [A dot], PO > NDS, FO away, twists repeatedly while moving in a horizontal circle.

AUTHORITY - A-POWER.

PAY-OFF - [open 8] runs middle finger up palm (> wrist), changes to a [B], PO down, and then moves back across palm.

DEBT - [1^] taps FT against palm of [B], PO up, FO away. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: Debt.

GRIEF - (2h)[S] twist at heart.

MIRACLE - GREAT WORK. For an animated gif of this sign, see Animated dictionary of religious signs - Deaf Missions: Miracle.

SUMMON - DH [B] taps NDH [B], PO down, FO > signer, then moves > signer while closing to an [A], PO away from signer, FO up, and moving up.

SPIRAL-UP - The [F] from SPIRIT spirals upwards.

GO-AWAY - [5^], PO > signer, FO up, moves away while closing to [O^].

FEAR - (2h)[5], POs away, FOs up, hands are held far from body and move back to body in a wavy pattern.

Lyrics:

The Lord of the Universe who reigned
before anything was created.
When all was made by his will
He was acknowledged as King.

And when all shall end
He still all alone shall reign.
He was, He is,
and He shall be in glory.

And He is one, and there's no other,
to compare or join Him.
Without beginning, without end
and to Him belongs dominion and power.

And He is my G-d, my living G-d.
to Him I flee in time of grief,
and He is my miracle and my refuge,
who answers the day I shall call.

To Him I commit my spirit,
in the time of sleep and awakening,
even if my spirit leaves,
G-d is with me, I shall not fear.

treble clef as a symbol for musicTo hear a musical setting of these lyrics (without words), go to Adon Olam MIDI files and click on any of the 31 melodies, smile. The traditional ones are the most likely to be used.

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