Dayenu
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Dayenu(Hebrew:דַּיֵּנוּ) is a song that is part of theJewishholiday ofPassover.The word "dayenu" means approximately "it would have been enough", "it would have been sufficient", or "it would have sufficed" (dayin Hebrew is "enough", and-enuthe first person plural suffix, "to us" ). This traditional up-beatPassover songis over one thousand years old. The earliest full text of the song occurs in the first medievalhaggadah,which is part of the ninth-centurySeder Rav Amram.[1]The song is about being grateful to God for all of the gifts given to the Jewish people, such as taking them out of slavery, giving them theTorahandShabbat,and had God only given one of the gifts, it would have still been enough. This is to show much greater appreciation for all of them as a whole. The song appears in the haggadah after the telling of the story of the exodus and just before the explanation of Passover,matzah,and themaror.
Stanzas
[edit]Dayenuhas 15 stanzas representing the 15 gifts God bestowed. The first five involve freeing the Jews from slavery, the next describe the miracles He did for them, and the last five for the closeness to God He gave them. Each of the stanzas is followed by the word "Dayenu" (it would have been enough) sung repeatedly. The 15 stanzas are as follows:
Five stanzas of leaving slavery
[edit]- If He had brought us out of Egypt
- If He hadexecuted justice upon the Egyptians
- If He had executed justice upontheir gods
- If He had slain their first-born
- If He had given to us their wealth
Five stanzas of miracles
[edit]- If He hadsplit the seafor us
- If He had led us through on dry land
- If He had drowned our oppressors
- If He had provided for our needs in the wilderness for 40 years
- If He had fed usmanna
Five stanzas of being with God
[edit]- If He had given us Shabbat
- If He had led us toMount Sinai
- If He had given us the Torah
- If He had brought us into theLand of Israel
- If He built theTemple for us
Text
[edit]
| English translation | Transliteration | Hebrew | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verse 1: | |||
| IfHehad brought us out fromEgypt, | Ilu hotzianu mimitzrayim, | אִלּוּ הוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם | |
| and had not carried out judgments against them | v'lo asah bahem sh'fatim, | וְלֹא עָשָׂה בָּהֶם שְׁפָטִים | |
| — Dayenu, it would have sufficed! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ | |
| Verse 2: | |||
| If He had carried out judgments against them, | Ilu asah bahem sh'fatim | אִלּוּ עָשָׂה בָּהֶם שְׁפָטִים | |
| and not against their idols | v'lo asah beloheihem, | וְלֹא עָשָׂה בֵּאלֹהֵיהֶם | |
| — Dayenu, it would have sufficed! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ | |
| Verse 3: | |||
| If He had destroyed their idols, | Ilu asah beloheihem, | אִלּוּ עָשָׂה בֵּאלֹהֵיהֶם | |
| and had not smitten their first-born | v'lo harag et b'choreihem, | וְלֹא הָרַג אֶת בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם | |
| — Dayenu, it would have sufficed! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ | |
| Verse 4: | |||
| If He had smitten their first-born, | Ilu harag et b'choreihem, | אִלּוּ הָרַג אֶת בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם | |
| and had not given us their wealth | v'lo natan lanu et mamonam, | וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת מָמוֹנָם | |
| — Dayenu, it would have sufficed! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ | |
| Verse 5: | |||
| If He had given us their wealth, | Ilu natan lanu et mamonam, | אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת מָמוֹנָם | |
| and had not split the sea for us | v'lo kara lanu et hayam, | וְלֹא קָרַע לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם | |
| — Dayenu, it would have sufficed! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ | |
| Verse 6: | |||
| If He had split the sea for us, | Ilu kara lanu et hayam, | אִלּוּ קָרַע לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם | |
| and had not taken us through it on dry land | v'lo he'eviranu b'tocho becharavah, | וְלֹא הֶעֱבִירָנוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ בֶּחָרָבָה | |
| — Dayenu, it would have sufficed! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ | |
| Verse 7: | |||
| If He had taken us through the sea on dry land, | Ilu he'eviranu b'tocho becharavah, | אִלּוּ הֶעֱבִירָנוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ בֶּחָרָבָה | |
| and had not drowned our oppressors in it | v'lo shika tzareinu b'tocho, | וְלֹא שִׁקַע צָרֵינוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ | |
| — Dayenu, it would have sufficed! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ | |
| Verse 8: | |||
| If He had drowned our oppressors in it, | Ilu shika tzareinu b'tocho, | אִלּוּ שִׁקַע צָרֵינוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ | |
| and had not supplied our needs in the desert for forty years | v'lo sipeik tzorkeinu bamidbar arba'im shana, | וְלֹא סִפֵּק צָרַכֵּנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה | |
| — Dayenu, it would have sufficed! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ | |
| Verse 9: | |||
| If He had supplied our needs in the desert for forty years, | Ilu sipeik tzorkeinu bamidbar arba'im shana, | אִלּוּ סִפֵּק צָרַכֵּנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה | |
| and had not fed us themanna | v'lo he'echilanu et haman, | וְלֹא הֶאֱכִילָנוּ אֶת הַמָּן | |
| — Dayenu, it would have sufficed! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ | |
| Verse 10: | |||
| If He had fed us themanna, | Ilu he'echilanu et haman, | אִלּוּ הֶאֱכִילָנוּ אֶת הַמָּן | |
| and had not given us theShabbat | v'lo natan lanu et hashabbat, | וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת | |
| — Dayenu, it would have sufficed! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ | |
| Verse 11: | |||
|
If He had given us theShabbat, |
Ilu natan lanu et hashabbat, | אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת | |
| and had not brought us beforeMount Sinai | v'lo keirvanu lifnei har sinai, | וְלֹא קֵרְבָנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי | |
| — Dayenu, it would have sufficed! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ | |
| Verse 12: | |||
| If He had brought us beforeMount Sinai, | Ilu keirvanu lifnei har sinai, | אִלּוּ קֵרְבָנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי | |
| and had not given us theTorah | v'lo natan lanu et hatorah, | וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה | |
| — Dayenu, it would have sufficed! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ | |
| Verse 13: | |||
| If He had given us theTorah, | Ilu natan lanu et hatorah, | אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה | |
| and had not brought us into theland of Israel | v'lo hichnisanu l'eretz yisra'eil, | וְלֹא הִכְנִיסָנוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל | |
| — Dayenu, it would have sufficed! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ | |
| Verse 14: | |||
| If He had brought us into theland of Israel, | Ilu hichnisanu l'eretz yisra'eil, | אִלּוּ הִכְנִיסָנוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל | |
|
and not built for us theHoly Temple |
v'lo vanah lanu et beit hamikdash, | וְלֹא בָּנָה לָנוּ אֶת בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ | |
| — Dayenu, it would have sufficed! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ | |
Associated customs
[edit]Jews in AfghanistanandIranhit each other over the head withgreen onionsduring the refrain beginning with the ninth stanza (Even if you had supplied our needs in the desert for 40 years but not provided us withmanna). This may be due to a passage in Numbers 11:5–6, where the Israelites see manna and recall Egypt. "We remember the fish that we used to eat in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions and the garlic. Now our gullets are shriveled. There is nothing at all. Nothing but this manna to look at." It is thought that by beating each other with the onions they taught themselves not to yearn for Egypt or to forget Egyptian slavery.[2]
In popular culture
[edit]- Independent Israeli guitarist and singerUdi Davidirecorded a modern rendition of "Dayenu" on his 2006 album entitled "Back To You" (חוזר אליך).[3]
- PianistRichard Dworskydid a rendition of the song "Dayenu" every year duringPassoveron the public radio programA Prairie Home Companion.[4]
- In Israeli screenings ofThe Rocky Horror Picture Show,after the line "if only we hadn't made this journey... if only the car hadn't broken down... oh, if only we were amongst friends... Or sane persons," the audience sings the chorus of "Dayenu".[citation needed]
- In the episode "Free to Be You and Me" ofSupernatural,Dean tells the angel Castiel "Dayenu" as if the situation they are in is destined to be.[5]
- Near the beginning of the 2013 videogameBioShock Infinite,a preacher recites a spoken sermon in a form identical to the song ( "If he had done this, but not this, it would have been enough" ), but in praise of the game's major antagonist rather than of God.[6]
- In 2015,The Maccabeats,an a cappella group atYeshiva University,released a Passover music video featuring amashupof "Dayenu" which incorporated eight different musical motifs, includingdoo-wop,polka,heavy metal,funk,hip-hop,"island",dubstep,andbarbershop quartet.[7][8][9]
- "Dayenu" was used to explain the final game of the2016 World Seriesthat gave the Chicago Cubs a win after 108 years of drought.[10]
- Kiko Arguello,the founder of theNeocatechumenal Way,composed a song called "Dayenu" replacing the original, Jewish text with Christian text.[11]
- A version sung byMoishe Oysherwas included inNina Paley'sSeder-Masochism.
- The staff ofThe Wieners Circlehot dog stand in Chicagosing "Dayenu"to customers in a NSFW video from 2007.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Ben-Amos, Dan; Noy, Dov, eds. (2006).Folktales of the Jews: Tales from Eastern Europe.Vol. II. Jewish Publication Society of America. p. 383.ISBN9780827608306.
- ^"Dayeinu — Is It Ever Enough?".Haggadahs-R-Us.Archived fromthe originalon September 23, 2020.RetrievedApril 24,2019.
- ^"Back to you".Amazon.RetrievedApril 24,2019.
- ^"Music Information: A Perfectly Good Wilderness".April 11, 2015.RetrievedApril 24,2019.
- ^"Supernatural s05e03 Episode Script".RetrievedApril 24,2019.
- ^Bioshock Infinite: Preacher's Sermon and Terrifying Baptism.Retrieved May 15, 2020 - via Youtube
- ^Rosenblum, Jonah L. (April 20, 2016)."Passover songs to please the soul – and get a chuckle".Cleveland Jewish News.RetrievedApril 24,2019.
- ^Waxman, Olivia B. (March 30, 2015)."Watch an A Cappella Group Perform 'Dayenu' in 8 Totally Different Musical Styles".Time.RetrievedApril 24,2019.
- ^Wiener, Julie (March 30, 2015)."Maccabeats don lederhosen for Passover".JTA.RetrievedApril 24,2019.
- ^Keri, Jonah (November 3, 2016)."Absurd Cubs-Indians World Series Game 7 was everything we love about baseball".CBS Sports.RetrievedApril 24,2019.
- ^Dayenú - Kiko Argüello.Apr 23, 2017. Archived fromthe originalon May 9, 2020.RetrievedApril 24,2019– via YouTube.
