Lecha Dodi (Persian-Jewish melody from Tehran) - sung by Jacqueline Rafii

Lecha Dodi
As heard by Issac Boudaie
Arranged by Jacqueline Rafii
www.JacquelineRafii.com
Piano: Tali Tadmor
Percussion: Jamie Papish
Text: Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz of Safed (16th Century)
Lecha dodi likrat kalah, p’nei Shabbat n’kabelah!
Shamor v’zachor b’dibur echad,
Hishmiyanu el ha’meyuchad.
Adonai echad u’shemo echad;
L’sheim ul’tiferet v’litehila.
Likrat Shabbat lechu v’neilchah,
Ki hi m’kor ha’brachah.
Meirosh mikedem nesuchah;
Sof ma’aseh b’mach’shava techilah.
Boi v’shalom ateret ba’lah
Gam besimcha uv’tzoholah
Toch emunei am segulah
Boi challah, boi chalah.
Come, my beloved, to meet the bride; let us welcome the Sabbath.
“Ob​serve” and “Remember,” in a single command, the One God announced​ to us.
The Lord is One, and God’s name is One, for fame,​ for glory and for praise.
Come,​​​​​​​​​​ let us go to meet the Sabbath, for it is a source of blessing.​
From the very beginning​ it was ordained;​ last in creation,​ first​ in God’s plan.
Come in peace, crown of God, come with joy and cheerfulness;
amidst the faithful of the chosen people, come O bride; come, O bride.
Notes:
This is one of six Persian-Jewish melodies that I collected and notated into sheet music as part of my thesis project, entitled “Music of an Ancient Jewish Family: Recovering, Preserving, and Disseminating the Prayer Music of Persian Jews.” The goal of this project was not only to preserve a legacy of music from my ancestors, but also, through notating the music (which to the best of my knowledge has never been done), to allow it to be widely accessible and shared with communities throughout the US. My hope is that these melodies will become part of a diverse menu of musical and cultural offerings to American Jewish communities, helping to promote unity, understanding, and connection among Jews of all backgrounds.
I had the opportunity to interview Issac Boudaie for my thesis, who graciously shared this melody of Lecha Dodi with me. He learned the melody as a child growing up at the Abrishami Synagogue in Tehran, Iran.

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