Kol Nidre (Anonymous, set by A. Schoenberg) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


Rabbi:
 The Kabalah tells a legend: At the beginning God Said: «Let there
 be light.» Out of space a flame burst out. God crushed that light
 to atoms. Myriads of sparks are hidden in our world, but not all of us
 behold them. The selfglorious, who walks arrogantly upright, will
 never perceive one; but the meek and modest, eyes downcast, he sees
 it: «A light is sown for the pious.»

 Bishivoh shel maloh uvishivoh shel matoh. In the name of God:
 We solemnly proclaim that every transgressor, be it that he was
 unfaithful to our people because of fear, or misled by false
 doctrines af any kind, out of weakness or greed: we give him leave
 to be one with us in prayer tonight. A light is sown for the
 pious, a light is sown for the repenting sinner.

 All vows, oaths, promises and plights of any kind, wherewith we
 pledged ourselves counter to our inherited faith in God, Who is
 One, Everlasting, Unseen, Unfathomable, we declare these null
 and void.

 We repent that these obligations have estranged us from the
 sacred task we are chosen for.

Chorus:

 We repent.

Rabbi:

 We shall strive from this Day of Atonement till the next to
 avoid such and similar obligations, so that the Yom Kippur
 to follow may come us to for good.

Chorus:

 All vows, oaths, promises and plights of any kind, wherewith we
 pledged ourselves counter to our inherited faith in God, Who is
 One, Everlasting, Unseen, Unfathomable, we declare these null
 and void.

 We repent that these obligations have estranged us from the
 sacred task we are chosen for.

 We shall strive from this Day of Atonement till the next to
 avoid such and similar obligations, so that the Yom Kippur
 to follow may come us to for good.

Rabbi:

 Whatever binds us to falsehood may be absolved, released,
 annulled, made void and of no power.

Chorus:

 Falsehood absolved, released, annulled, made void and of
 no power.

 Hence all such vows shall be no vows, and all such bonds
 shall be no bonds, all such oaths shall be no oaths.

 We repent. Null and void be our vows. We repent them. A
 light is sown for the sinner.

Rabbi:

 We give him leave to be one with us in prayer tonight.

Chorus:

 We repent.

Notes: Kol nidre: All vows
Bishivoh shel maloh uvishivoh shel matoh: by the authority of the earthly court, and by the authority of the heavenly court.

Input by Alberto Pedrotti

Authorship

Anonymous/Unidentified Artist

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

Arnold Franz Walter Schoenberg (1874-1951)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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