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Saturday, November 12, 2016

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

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