Prayer for Serenity, Courage, Wisdom (and in Hebrew)

The Serenity Prayer in Hebrew Patiently Explained

Lindsay asks how the serenity prayer goes in Hebrew. I found a version here. There are some minor details in that version that strike me as a bit odd, but in general I adhere to its diction, and I do not depart from its wording:

אלי תן־לי ת'שלוה

לקבל ת'דברים

שאין ביכולתי לשנותם

ת'אומץ לשנות ת'דברים

אשר ביכולתי

ואת התבונה להבחין

בין השניים

My God, grant me the serenity

to accept the things

not in my power to change,

the courage to change

the things I can,

and the discernment to distinguish

between the two.

 In modern Hebrew, a phrase like את השלוה can, and often does, become ת'שלוה. Here are a few notes for those who come to this prayer with a background in biblical Hebrew only:

יְכֹלֶת         ability ביכולתו within his power, he is able   

הבחין = הבדיל

השניים = שניהם

Here is a "normalized" version, with vocalization:

אֵלִי תֶּן־לִי אֶת־הַשַּׁלְוָה

לְקַבֵּל אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים

שְׁאֵין בִּיכוֹלְתִּי לְשַׁנּוֹתָם

 
אוֹמֶץ לְשַׁנּוֹת אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים

אֲשֶׁר בִּיכוֹלְתִּי

 
וְאֶת הַתְּבוּנָה לְהַבְחִין

בֵּין הַשְּׁנַיִים

Eli, ten li et hashalva

lekabel et hadevarim
sh'ein biycholti leshanotam,

ometz leshanot et hadevarim
asher biycholti,

weet hatevuna lehavchin
ben hashnayim.

Ya'akov "Kobi" Shimoni (יעקב "קובי" שמעוני), an Israeli rapper, revised the prayer and made it the basis of a smash hit entitled “Hope” (תקווה). He is better known as Subliminal (סאבלימינל). Go here for audio samples of his rapping. Here is Subliminal’s revision:

אלוהים, תן לי ת'תקווה

לקבל מה שאין

תן לי את הכח

לשנות את מה שכן

תן לי את האומץ

לנסות לתקן את העולם

God, grant me the hope

to accept what is not yet.

Grant me the strength

to change what is.

Grant me the courage

to try to mend the world.


Prayer, Serenity,Courage, Wisdom, Hebrew