I wrote this poem (see attached) about 30 years ago in Tsfat. I was waking up in the middle of the night and finally went to my siddur for inspiration and opened up to Lecha Dodi. Being a baalah teshuvah, I was blown away by the words as I read them in English. We sing this song every erev Shabbos and I bet most people don’t even realize how profound and encouraging it is. Everything is in here. Our connection to Hashem, our history, our pain, our triumph, our holiness, Moshiach. The beauty of Shabbos and how wedded we are to God. I decided to write it in English in poetry form and this is what came out.

I used the word Messiah because in those days I had never heard the word Moshiach before and I wanted to share the poem with my Jewish unobservant friends. I would be happy to change it to Moshiach because today I think there can’t be a Jew around who hasn’t heard about Moshiach, thanks to Chabad.

The last two stanzas seem to be out of place but the Alkabetz and the Arizal understood the importance of Shabbos with our mission and the peace it exudes is right there. If I had musical abilities, the third stanza would be the chorus (Wake up), and the last two stanzas would be a completely different tune with a bridge before it. I would even leave out the last stanza but who am I to edit the Alkabetz. I hope you like it.

Lecha Dodi

(words in English by Miriam Mill Kreisman)

Home of the King and His holy people
Hover above from amid the upheaval
Too long have you dwelled in the valley of weeping
You will be blessed with compassion and healing

Shake off the dust – get up off the floor
Don beautiful clothes like royalty wore
The son of Yishai, the Messiah, the king
Will come and redeem us and our soul will sing

Chorus:
Wake up! Wake up! What are you waiting for?
Your light is shining like never before
Wake up in the night, our out your song
Reveal your true essence for Him who you long

Feel not ashamed, depressed, or offended
Don’t be downcast, G-d’s plan has not ended
The poor find shelter in your golden city
Built on a hilltop, majestic and pretty

May your oppressors be judged and convicted
Those who attacked you be cast off, evicted
G-d will rejoice over His chosen nation
Like a groom with his bride, with deepest elation

Above and below all around the equator
Extolling the might of our wondrous Creator
Through the righteous Messiah, descendant of David
We’ll laugh and be glad, vindicated

First in thought, last in creation
The time to share with His holy nation
Reuniting with His beloved
In time and space in the city of Dovid.

Come my beloved to greet the bride
The Sabbath is coming put all else aside
To welcome the Sabbath, come let us go
For she is the source of all blessing you know.