Ma’oz Tzur

folk song, holiday

Info

This Hebrew Hanukkah song is thought to have been written sometime in the 13th century during the Crusades.. Of its six stanzas sometimes only the first stanza is sung (or the first and fifth). The hymn means “Stronghold of Rock” and is a name for God. The first letters of the first five stanzas form an acrostic of the composer’s name, Mordechai. The hymn retells Jewish history in poetic form and celebrates deliverance from four ancient enemies. (source)

Lyrics – Transliteration

(Hebrew folk song)

Maoz tzur y’shuati l’cha naeh l’shabeach
Tikon beit t’filati v’sham todah n’zabeach.
L’eit tachin matbeach mitzar hamnabeach
Az egmor b’shir mizmor chanukat hamizbeach.

English Translation - Stronghold

My Refuge, my Rock of Salvation! ‘Tis pleasant to sing Your praises.
Let our house of prayer be restored. And there we will offer You our thanks.
When You will have slaughtered the barking foe.
Then we will celebrate with song and psalm the altar’s dedication.

Hebrew – מָעוֹז צוּר

מָעוֹז צוּר יְשׁוּעָתִי, לְךָ נָאֶה לְשַׁבֵּחַ
תִּכּוֹן בֵּית תְּפִלָּתִי, וְשָׁם תּוֹדָה נְזַבֵּחַ.
לְעֵת תָּכִין מַטְבֵּחַ מִצָּר הַמְנַבֵּחַ.
אָז אֶגְמוֹר בְּשִׁיר מִזְמוֹר חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ.