Songs for a Woman’s Heart: Lyrics

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A WAY TO SAY AH

From the CD “A Way to Say Ah”
Words & Music by Beth A. Schafer
www.bethschafer.com

Ah, mmm, oh (2x)
A miracle happened today. Was I aware, did I even care?
A miracle happened today, and did I pause enough?

CHORUS:   To find a way to say ah, a way to say mmm
A way to say, “Oh thank you God I’ve arrived”
A way to say ah, a way to say mmm
A way to say, “Oh thank God I’m alive”

A coincidence happened today
Was this circumstance happening by chance?
A coincidence happened today
And did I pause enough?

CHORUS

A way to sanctify the time to remember
That on our journey we are not alone
A way to not allow my senses to be dulled to the wonders I will be shown

GESHER TSAR M’OD (A Narrow Bridge)

From the CD “A Merciful Moon”
Words & Music by Fran Avni &Susan Cogan
www.franavni.com

Kol ha’olam, ha’olam kulo, gesher tzar, tzar m’od
Gesher tzar, tzar m’od , kol ha’olam kulo

V’ha-ikar lo l’fa-cheid, v’ha-ikar lo l’fa-cheid
V’ha-ikar lo l’fa-cheid, lo l’fa-cheid klal

All the world is a narrow bridge,
The whole wide world – a narrow bridge
Narrow bridge – all the world – a very narrow bridge

And it’s important not to fear
Most important not to fear
Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid – No fear at all.

MAH TOVU

From the CD “A Drum in Hand”
Music by Noam Katz
Hebrew text: Num 24:5, Psalm 5:8, Psalm 26:8, Psalm 95:6, Psalm 69:4
www.noamkatz.com

Mah mah tovu O-oh-halecha
O-oh-halecha Ya-ya-akov
Mish-k-no-te-cha mish-k-no-te-cha—- Yisrael

Va-ani b’rov chas-de-cha avo-vei-techa
Esh-ta-cha-veh eil hei-chal kod-sh’cha—b’yira-techa          Mah mah…

Adonai ahav-ti m’on bei-te-cha
Um-kom mish-kan um’kom mish-kan k’vo-de-cha
Va’ani esh-ta-cha-veh esh-ta-chaveh v’ech-ra’ah
Ev-r’cha loifnei A-do-nai o—si                                            Mah mah…..

Va-ani t’fi-la-ti l’cha Adonai eoit ratzon
Elohim b’rov chas-de-cha aneyni b’emet yishecha   Mah mah……

How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel! By your abounding love,
O God, I enter our house. With awe I worship in Your holy Temple. O God, I love the house where you dwell and the place where Your glory resides. I shall bow and kneel before God, my Maker.
I am my prayer before You: may this be a time of Your favor. In Your great love, God, answer me with Your saving truth

MODAH ANI – I Offer Thanks/That Which Creates

From the CD “Closing the Distance”
Text from the Morning Liturgy/ Music by Alisa Fineman
www.alisafineman.com

Mo-dah ani l’fan-echa, mo-dah ani l’fan-echa, mo-dah ani l’fan-echa
Melech chai v’kayam
She-hech-ezarta, bi nish-mati, b’chem-la ra-ba e-muna-techa (2x)

Ba-ruch atah Adonai Elo-heinu mel-ech ha-olam,
Asher yatzar et ha-adam b’choch-ma, u-vara vo
N’ka-vim n’ka-vim, cha-lu-lim cha-lu-lim, galu-i v’yadua
Lif-nei chisei k’vo-decha, she-im yi-pa-tei-ach e-chad mei-hem
O yis-a-teim e-chad mei-hem i-ef-shar l’hit-ka-yeim v’la-amod l’fa-necha.

The first prayer is spoken upon rising in the morning, its essence is that of gratitude.
I thank you, alive and potent source of life, spirit of creative power, for returning my soul to me with compassion and abundant faithfulness. The second prayer, also spoken in the morning is about awakening to the miracle of our anatomy. Blessed are you, Great Architect, who has formed the human being in wisdom and created within us the spark of life, making for us all the openings and vessels of the body. It is known that if one of these passageways be open when it should be closed, or blocked when it should be open, one could not stay alive or stand before you and give thanks for your sustenance.

MAH GADLU

From the CD “Closing the Distance”
Music by Alisa Fineman
Hebrew text: Psalm 92:1-6
www.alisafineman.com

Mah gadlu, mah gadlu, mah gadlu ma’asecha Yah
Mah gadlu, mah gadlu, m’od amku mach’sh’votecha

Mizmor shir, mizmor shir, mizmor shir l’yom hashabat
Tov l’hodot Ladonai
U-le-zameir l’shimcha elyon
Mah gadlu….. Hallelu-le-lu-Yah (4x)

L’hagid baboker chasdecha
Ve’emunat’cha baleilot
Alei asor va’alei navel
Alei higayon b’chinor
Mah gadlu….. Hallelu-le-lu-Yah (4x)

Ki simachtani Adonai b’fo’alecha
B’ma’asei yadecha yadecha aranein
Mah gadlu….. Hallelu-le-lu-Yah (4x)

How great are Your works, O Adonai. Your thoughts are very deep.
A psalm, a song, for Shabbat. It is good to give thanks to Adonai, to sing hymns to Your name, O Most High! To tell of Your lovingkindness in the morning and Your faithfulness at night; To pluck the strings and to sound the lute. To make the harp vibrate. Your deeds, Adonai, fill me with gladness. Your work moves me to song.

BARCHU – Praise Adonai

From the CD “Shabbat Alive”
Music by Craig Taubman
Recording Artist: Ruti Braier

Bar’chu et Adonai ham’vorach
Bar’chu et Adonai ham’vorach
Baruch Adonai ham’vorach l’olam va-ed
Baruch Adonai ham’vorach l’olam va-ed

Praised be the One to whom all praise is due!
Praised be the One to whom praise is due, now and forever!

MI CHAMOCHA

From the CD “Sounds of Shabbat”
Music: Hana Tiferet Siegel
Recording Artists: Cantors Angela Buchdahl & Julia Katz

Mi cha-mocha ba-eilim Adonai, Mi-kamocha ne’edar ba-kodesh
No-rah (echo: norah) t’hilot (t’hilot) o-seh (oseh) feleh (feleh)

Who is like You, God, among all that is worshipped?
Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, working wonders?

UFARATZTA

From the CD “A Drum in Hand”
Words & Music by Noam Katz
Hebrew text: Genesis 28:14
www.noamkatz.com

Yamah, yamah, vakeidmah, keidmah,
Tza-fonah va-neigbah

May you… may you always try to inspire
May you…may you always try to reach higher and higher
May you bring your goodness and may you bring peace
May you spread it from the West to the East
May you spread it from the North to the South…..UFARATZTA

Chorus:
May you…may you be a light that shines the way
May you… may you be a blessing each and every day
May you let the laughter and love increase
May you spread it from the West to the East
May you spread it from the North to the South…. UFARATZTA

Chorus

OSEH SHALOM

From the CD “Waking Heart”
Music by Nava Tehila
Hebrew Text – liturgy Birkat Shalom

Oseh shalom bim-ro-mav hu ya-aseh shalom a-leinu
V’al Yis-ra-el, v’al kol yosh-vei tei-vel, v’imru Amen
Ye-le-lei-lei-lei……

May the One who causes peace to reign in the high heavens
Let peace descend on us and on all Israel, and let us say: amen.

OLAM CHESED YIBANEH

From the CD “World of Peace”
Hebrew & English lyrics by Menachem Creditor
Recording by Rita Glassman
www.risaglassman.com

Olam chesed yibaneh – ya la lai, lai lai, ya lai lai lai

We will build this world from love, ya la lai… (2x)
For God has built this world from love, ya la lai (2x)
We will build this world for peace, ya la lai… (2x)
For God has built this world for peace, ya la lai
A world where joy and love increase, ya la lai….

ADONAI S’FATAI

From the CD “Standing on the Shoulders”
Music by Natalie Young
Hebrew Text – liturgy Birkat Shalom
www.natalieyoung.com

Adonai s’fatai tif-tach, Adonai s’fatai tiftach
U’fi ya-gid t’hi-la-te-cha, u’fi ya-gid t’hi-la-te-cha
Adonai, open my lips that my mouth may declare Your praise.

K’DUSHAH

Hebrew text: liturgy
Recording artist: Cindy Paley

N’kadeish et shim’cha ba’olam, k’shem she-mak’dishim otoh bishmei marom,
ka-ka-tuv al yad n’vi’echa: v’kara ze el ze v’amar:

Kadosh, kadosh, kadosh, Adonai tzeva’ot, m’lo khol ha’aretz k’vodo

Az b’kol ra’ash gadol adir v’chazak mash-mi’im kol (2x)
Mit-nas’im l’umat s’rafim (2x) l’uma-tam baruch yo-mei-ru

Baruch k’vod Adonai mim’komo

Mim-kom’cha mal-kei-ni tofi’ah v’timloch aleinu, ki m’cha-kim anachnu lach.
Ma-tai timloch b’tziyon (2x) b’karov b’ya-mei-nu (2x) l’olam va’ed tish-kon.
Tit-ga-dal v’tit-ka-dash b’toch y’rushalayim ir’cha, l’dor vador ul’neitzach n’tzachim.
V’ein-einu tir’ena, tir’ena mal-chu-techa, kadavar ha’amur b’shirei uzecha (2x)
al y’dei david m’shi’ach tzid’ke-cha.

Yimloch Adonai l’olam, elohayich tziyon l’dor va’dor. Halleluyah

L’dor vador, l’dor vador, l’dor vador nagid god’lecha, ul’netzach n’tzachim, ul’netzach n’tzachim, k’du-shat’cha nakdish.
V’shiv’cha-cha eloheinu mi-pi-nu la yamush l’olam va’ed, ki el melech gadol, ki el melech gadol, v’kadosh atah. L’dor vador…
Baruch ata Adonai ha-eil, ha-eil, ha-kadosh, ha-ka-dosh.

OSEH SHALOM

From the CD “Gesher”
Music by Michael Hunter Ochs
Hebrew Text – liturgy Birkat Shalom

Oseh shalom bim-ro-mav hu ya-aseh shalom aleinu (3x)
Ya-seh shalom, ya-seh shalom, shalom aleinu v’al kol Yis-ra-el

 May the One who causes peace to reign in the high heavens
Let peace descend on us and on all Israel, and let us say: amen.

BEI ANA RACHEITZ

From the CD “One Shabbat Morning”
Music by Craig Taubman
Hebrew text: liturgy
www.craignco.com

Bei bei bei ana racheitz,
v’lish-mei ka-di-sha ka-di-sha ya-kira

Ana ana amar tush-b’chan
Y’hei ra’avah kodamach d’tif-tach li-bi, li-bi b’o-rai-ta

In the Holy One do we put our trust; unto God’s holy, precious being do we utter praise.
Open our hearts to Your Torah.

Y’VARECHECHA

English Words & Music by Sheryl Braunstein
Hebrew Text: Liturgy, Priestly Blessing

Holy One, please bless us, always be near,
Watching wherever we go.
Shine down Your kindness,
show us the way
Through every path unknown.
Guide us with Your strength,
Keep us in Your shelter,
Fill us with the gift of shalom.

Y’varechecha, Adonai, v’yish-m’re-ch’cha
Ya-eir Adonai panav ei-le-cha
vi-chu-ne-ka.
Yi-sa Adonai panav ei-le-cha
V’ya-seim l’cha shalom.

MOURNING INTO DANCING

From the CD “One People”
Words & Music by Debbie Friedman
www.debbiefriedman.com

You turn my mourning into dancing
so that my soul might sing to You
So that my soul sing to You, and it not be still

Oh God, my God, forever I will thank You
Oh God, my God, forever I will thank You Odeka

Now I sing praises to the Holy One, who lifts me up when I have fallen
And I cry to You to heal me and you have answered all my prayers.

Oh God, my God, forever I will thank You
Oh God, my God, forever I will thank You Odeka

I ask you to be gracious …..and hear me, Adonai
I have called to You to help me… and You supported me with joy

Oh God, my God, forever I will thank You
Oh God, my God, forever I will thank You Odeka

IM EIN ANI LI MI LI

Text: Pirkei Avot, Rabbi Hillel
Music and English Lyrics: Beth Schafer
www.bethschafer.com

If I don’t stand up for myself then who will stand for me?
If I don’t know me? Who’s gonna show me?
And if I don’t stand up for another, who is my brother?
How can I hold my head up high?

Chorus
Im ein ani li mi li uch’she-ani l’atsmi ma ani
V’im lo achshav ei-ma-tai, im lo achshav ei-ma-tai
And you know I’ve got your back if trouble should find you
I will remind you, that I am behind you
Could you please watch out for me if I go astray now. Help make it ok now, show me the way.

Chorus:
If not now when? This chance might never come again. woh oh oh oh….
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me, but if I am only for myself, what am I?
And, if not now, when?”

ADAMA V’SHAMAYIM

Lyrics: Shimon Swisa & Gil Ron Shama
Music: Native American
Recording Artist: Lehakat Segol

A-da-ma v’sha-ma-yim, chom ha-esh, tz’lil ha-ma-yim
Ani margish zot b’gufi, B’ruchi, v’nish-ma-ti

Earth and sky, the warmth of the fire, the ringing sound of the water.
I feel this in my body, in my spirit, in my soul