תּוֹדוֹת אֵל וְנִיחֹחַי
Todot El
“Grateful thanks, like incense” — a reshut for Nishmat
Sung by Rabbi Jonathan Cohen and family. From the family’s recordings of Western Sephardi home singing.
Text & translation
תּוֹדוֹת אֵל וְנִיחֹחַי, תְּהִלּוֹת נִשְׁמַת כָּל חָי, תְּהִלּוֹת תְּהִלּוֹת, תְּהִלּוֹת נִשְׁמַת כָּל חָי.
Todot El v’niḥoḥai, t’hillot Nishmat kol ḥai, t’hillot t’hillot, t’hillot Nishmat kol ḥai.
My grateful thanks, like incense wafting high, Your praise I’ll sing in Nishmat Kol Ḥai. Grateful thanks, incense wafting high — praises sung: Nishmat Kol Ḥai!
שִׁמְךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יִתְבָּרַךְ תָּמִיד מַלְכֵּנוּ, וְרוּחַ כָּל בָּשָׂר חַי, תְּהִלּוֹת נִשְׁמַת כָּל חָי.
Shimkha Adonai Eloheinu, yitbarakh tamid malkenu, v’ruaḥ kol basar ḥai, t’hillot Nishmat kol ḥai.
I extol Your powerful great Name — You’re always blessed, our Sovereign, we acclaim You. The soul You’ve vowed will never die hymns the prayer: Nishmat Kol Ḥai.
אַל תֵּפֶן לְחַטָּאוֹתַי, וְאַל תִּזְכֹּר עֲוֹנוֹתַי, וְאָשִׁיר שִׁיר שְׁבָחַי, תְּהִלּוֹת נִשְׁמַת כָּל חָי.
Al tefen leḥatto’otai, ve’al tizkor avonotai, ve’ashir shir sh’vaḥai, t’hillot Nishmat kol ḥai.
God, from my transgressions turn Your eye, from all my misdeeds — though unto You they cry — and let my praises to You fly: my song to You, Nishmat Kol Ḥai.
תִּתְרוֹמֵם וְתִתְנַשֵּׂא, מֶלֶךְ רָם יוֹשֵׁב כִּסֵּא, לְךָ אֶתֵּן כָּל שְׁבָחַי, תְּהִלּוֹת נִשְׁמַת כָּל חָי.
Titromem v’titnasse, melekh ram yoshev kisse, l’kha etten kol sh’vaḥai, t’hillot Nishmat kol ḥai.
Exalted One, to You alone I pray, Your lofty Throne in splendid array; Your fame I ever amplify, as I rejoice: Nishmat Kol Ḥai.
הַעֲלֵנוּ מִגָּלוּת בַּזֶּה, וּמַהֵר דְּבַר חוֹזֶה, לְהַעֲלוֹת אֶת בֶּן יִשַׁי, לְהוֹדוֹת נִשְׁמַת כָּל חָי.
Ha’alenu miggalut bazzeh, umaher d’var ḥozeh, l’ha’alot et ben Yishai, l’hodot Nishmat kol ḥai.
Free us from this Exile dark and dread, recall the words Your holy Prophets said; raise up for us the son of Yishai, as we exult: Nishmat Kol Ḥai.
תְּבִיאֵנוּ לְעִירֶךָ, וְכוֹנֵן בֵּית מִקְדָּשֶׁךָ, שָׁם אַקְרִיב אֶת זְבָחַי, וְשָׁם אָשִׁיר נִשְׁמַת כָּל חָי.
T’vi’enu l’irekha, v’khonen beit mikdashekha, sham akriv et z’vaḥai, v’sham ashir Nishmat kol ḥai.
Bring us to Jerusalem directly, Your Holy Temple speedily erect; the joyful shouts of thanks fill the sky, as there we sing: Nishmat Kol Ḥai!
שִׂמְחַת חָתָן וְכַלָּה, צִוָּנוּ צוּר מְאֹד נַעֲלָה, הִיא כְּקָרְבַּן נִיחֹחַי, תְּהִלּוֹת נִשְׁמַת כָּל חָי.
Simḥat ḥatan v’khallah, tzivanu tzur me’od na’alah, hi k’korban niḥoḥai, t’hillot Nishmat kol ḥai.
The joys which ’round the bride and groom do flock our high, exalted, loving God — our Rock — commands and savors from on high, as we join in: Nishmat Kol Ḥai!
The final stanza is sung only when a bride and groom are present.
Singing translation by Marc Michael Epstein.
About this song
An anonymous reshut — a poetic introduction to Nishmat kol ḥai, the rhapsodic prayer that crowns the Verses of Praise on Sabbath and festival mornings. Once a synagogue prelude, in the Western Sephardic world it migrated almost entirely to the table, where it is sung in thanksgiving.
It scarcely survives outside the Spanish and Portuguese world. A special closing stanza, given here, is added only when a bride and groom are present at the meal — the song adjusting itself to the company in the room.
In the living tradition
These are not museum pieces. The same songs are sung today at Kehillah Kedoshah Zikhron Zvi, the egalitarian Western Sephardi congregation of the Hudson Valley — the community at the endpoint of the Program’s Sephardi Liturgy project.