Ofra Haza - Im Nin'Alu (1988)

Don't you worry, I won't suddenly get all religious on you, but there is a track that is really quite beautiful. You may remember it from 1988 when Ofra Haza took Europe by storm with it - it stayed 9 weeks at DE#1 in the summer that year...

But it dates back much further than this: 'Im Nin'alu' (אם ננעלו) is a Hebrew poem by Shalom Shabazi (שלום שבזי) and was written in the 17th century, when he was a well-respected Rabbi in what is now the state of Yemen.
The poem starts 'Im nin'alu daltei n'divim - daltei marom lo nin'alu. El Chaiiiiiii....' (If the doors of the wealthy are locked, the doors of Heaven will never be locked. The living God.)
Ofra Haza first sang this song with the Shechunat Hatikva Workshop Theatre, appearing on IBA's General Television in 1978. The remixed version of the song, produced by Izhar Ashdot, is the one that hit the charts ten years later. The single sold some three million copies worldwide, making it one of the first World Music recordings to cross over to mainstream Pop. Even though Ofra's version of the song shows her own interpretation, and its presentation was modern and popular, it still fits in with the Yemenite tradition that she represented.
The original version was included on the 1984 album Yemenite Songs, also known as Fifty Gates of Wisdom. The remixed version was part of her international debut Shaday.
In 1997 she re-recorded the track for her album Ofra Haza, produced by Frank Peterson of Enigma and Gregorian.

Since then, the track has been covered - and most of all sampled - endless times: Rap duo Eric B. & Rakim used it in their single 'Paid In Full', Snoop Dogg used the same sample on his remake of 'Paid In Full' titled 'Paper'd Up'. Canadian band Delerium sampled the lyrics in their song 'Hidden Mask' from their 1989 album Faces, Forms & Illusions.
American Rap group Public Enemy also sampled the opening few seconds of the song (which are a cappella) on the track 'Can't Truss It', featured on the 1991 album Apocalypse '91...The Enemy Strikes Black. The song features very briefly as background music in a restaurant at the beginning of the 2000 film American Psycho. In 1998 Swedish DJ team C&N Project included a sample of the opening line Im nin'alu on their single 'The Queen of Tel Aviv', which was credited to C&N Project Feat. Ofra Haza. Israeli singer Michal Cohen performs 'Im Nin'alu' on La Kahena (2005) by DJ Cheb i Sabbah. Part of the song appears in Madonna's song "Isaac" from her 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005). Im Nin'alu is the opening track on Eliyahu & The Qadim Ensemble's album Eastern Wind (2009) with vocals by Rachel Valfer.
And - in 2009 Panjabi MC remixed this song on his album named Indian Timing.

Ofra Haza was born the youngest of nine children in the poor Tel Aviv neighborhood of Hatikvah. Inspired by a love of her Yemeni Jewish culture, the appeal of her musical art quickly spread to a wider Middle Eastern audience, somehow bridging the divide between Israel and the Arab countries. As her career progressed, the multi-lingual Haza was able to switch between traditional and more commercial singing styles without jeopardizing her credibility. The music, too, fused elements of Eastern and Western instrumentation, orchestration and dance-beat.
Ofra Haza died on 23 February 2000 at the age of 42, of AIDS-related pneumonia. While the fact of her HIV infection is now generally acknowledged, the decision by the major Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz to report about it shortly after her death caused controversy in Israel.

Ofra Haza - Im Nin'Alu (1988)
DE#1, CH#1, NOR#1, AT#2, SWE#2, FR#6, UK#15, US#15, IRL#16



Lyrics:

Im nin'alu daltei n'divim
Daltei marom lo nin'alu
El Chai, mareimawm al kawruvim
Kulawm b'rucho ya'alu
El Chai

Ki hem elai kis'o kawruvim
Yodu sh'mei weihal'lu
Chayet shehem rotzeh washawvim
Miyom b'ri'aw nichlawlu
El Chai

Uv'shesh kanufayim s'vivim
Awfim b'eit yitjaljelu

Im nin'alu daltei n'divim
Daltei marom lo nin'alu
El Chai, mareimawm al kawruvim
Kulawm b'rucho ya'alu
El Chai

Jaljal wa'ofen ru'ashim
Medim sh'mei u'm'gadeshim
Miziv k'veido loveshim
Uv'shesh kanufayim s'vivim
Awfim b'eit yitjaljelu
Ya'anu b'gel shirim areivim
Yachad b'etet nidjalu
Jaljal wa'ofen ru'ashim
Medim sh'mei u'm'gadeshim
Miziv k'veido loveshim
El Chai

English Translation:

If there be no mercy left in the world,
The doors of heaven will never be barred.
The Creator reigns supreme, and is higher
than the angels
All, in His spirit, will rise

By His nearness, His life-giving breath
flows through them.
And they glory in His name
From the moment of genesis,
His creations grow,
Captivating and more beautiful.

The wheel in his circle thunders
Acclaiming His Holy name
Clothed in the glory of His radiance,
The six-winged cherubs surround Him,
Whirling in His honor
And with their free wings sweetly sing,
Together, in unison

Rabbi Shalom Shabazi - Im Ninalu (Yemen, 17th Century)

אִם נִנְעֲלוּ דַּלְתֵי נְדִיבִים דַּלְתֵּי מָרוֹם לֹא נִנְעֲלוּ
אֵל חַי מְרוֹמָם עַל כְּרוּבִים כֻּלָם בְּרוּחוֹ יַעֲלוּ
כִּי הֵם אֱלֵי כִּסְאוֹ קְרוֹבִים יוֹדוּ שְׁמוֹ וִיהַלְלוּ
חַיּוֹת שְׁהֶם רָצוֹא וְשָׁבִים מִיּוֹם בְּרִיאָה נִכְלְלוּ
גַּלְגַּל וְאוֹפָן רוֹעֲשִׁים
מוֹדִים שְׁמוֹ וּמְקַדְּשִׁים
מִזִּיו כְּבוֹדוֹ לוֹבְשִׁים
וּבְשֵׁשׁ כְּנָפַיִם סְבִיבִים עָפִים בְּעֵת יִתְגַלְגְּלוּ
יַעְנוּ בְּקוֹל שִׁירִים עֲרֵבִים יַחַד בְּאוֹתוֹת נִדְגְּלוּ

לַאכּרַמְהוּ אַלכֻּלּ אוּגַּדּ סֻבּחַנְהוּ אַללַּהּ אְחַדּ
רַבּ אַלגְּלַאלִי אַלמֻמַגּדּ אַחסַאנְהוּ מִן גַיר חַדּ
אַגּסַאם וְאַרוַאחֻן תַּסַגַּדּ מַן לַם יֻכַאפֻהּ קַדּ גְּחַדּ
וַאכתַּץ מִן סַבּעַהּ אְקַאלִים אַלקֻדּס אַלאַוּצַט אַפצְ'לוּ
סַכַּן בְּהוּ אַבַּאִיְנַא
וַאעטַא גִּמִיע אַסבַּאטְנַא
וַאִלְתַּוּרִיַּהּ אַעטַא לְנַא
וַאגִּיבּ נֻוַחִדּהוּ בְּתַּעצִ'ים פַצ'לֻהּ עְלַינַא שַׁאמִלוּ
נַאדַּא אַלנְבִּי מוּסַי בְּתַּכּלִים קַאל כֻּן לִקַוּמִי מֻרסְל

שִׁמְרִי יְחִידָתִי לְדָתוֹ זַכִּי לְגוּפִי יִשְׂמְחָה
קִשְׁרִי בְּלִבִּי אַהֲבָתוֹ בִּשְׁמוֹ לְבַדּוֹ יְבַטְּחֶהָ
מֵחֵן גְּבֶרֶת רַעֲיָתוֹ אוֹר לַשְּׂרִידִים יִזְרַח
וִימַלְּאֶהָ בּוֹרוֹת נִגּוּבִים גִּשְׁמֵי בְּרָכָה יִזְּלוּ
וִיפַרְנְסֶהָ עָנִי וְרָשׁ
גּוֹלֶה וְנִרְדָּף נֶחְלַשׁ
צוּרִי לְבֶן אִישׁ תָּם דָּרַשׁ
כִּי סָבְבוּ עָלָיו כְּלָבִים מִכָּל עִבְרִים נִקְהֲלוּ
פֶּרֶא וְאַרְיֵה עִם זְאֵבִים לִבּוֹ וְנָפְשׁוּ הֻבְהֲלוּ

בַּין אַלפֻנוּן תַּשׁתַּאק נַפסִי חַית אַלעְרַאיִס וַאלשְׁרַאבּ
וִאלַּא דְכַּרתּוּ בַּיתּ קֻדּסִי וַאסוַאר צִיּוֹן אַלכְרַאבּ
אַכּסַף צִ'יַא עַקְלִי וְחִסִּי וַאלרוּח יַלחַץ אִכּתִּרַאבּ
קוּם יַא מֻחִבּ הַאת אַלמְשַׁאמִים יַחיִּי לְרוּחַ אלַגַאפִלוּ
זַין אַלכְּנַאיִס וַאלמְעַאלִים קֻדּסִי וְסֻעֲדִּי אַלמֻקבְּלוּ
פַאלקַצדּ אַעבֻּדּ כַאלִקֵי
פִי קַלבּ מוּמִן עַאשִׁקִי
יוּפִי בִּוַעדֻּן צַאדִּקִי
קַדּ כַצְּנָא פִי עִלם וְתַּעלִים לַא יַבּק אַלאִנסַאַן גַּאהִלוּ
מִן נַלְהוּ צִ'יקֻן וְתַּסקִים גַּאלַס לִשַׁכצֻן כַּאמִלוּ

זֶה הוּא מְקוֹם שָׁלוֹם וְאַחְוָה חָתָן וְכַלָּה יִשְׂמְחוּ
רִנָּה וְקוֹל שָׂשׂוֹן וְחֶדְוָה לִבְנֵי שְׁבָטִים זָרְחוּ
מִבַּת יְפֵיפִיָּה וְנָאוָה לִי כּוֹס יְשׁוּעוֹת שָׁלְחוּ
וְאֶשְׂמְחָה בֵּין הַמְּסֻבִּים מַה טּוֹב וְנָעִים נִקְהֲלוּ
צִירֵי תְּעוּדָה יָשְׁרוּ
עַל סוֹד וּמִשְׂרָה חָבְרוּ
לָאֵל וְלִי מַה יָּקְרוּ
רֵעִים אֲהוּבִים הֵם וְטוֹבִים סוֹדוֹת נְכוֹחִים מִלְּלוּ
תוֹרָה נְבִיאִים עִם כְּתוּבִים מִזֶּה אֲלֵי זֶה יִשְׁאֲלוּ

יַא נַפס תּוּבִּי פִי חְיַאתִּי מִן לַמס זַגיַאתּ אַלגֻּסוּם
מִן קַבּל מַא יַאתִּי אלמְמַאתִּי יַהבֻּט כְּמַא רִיח אַלסֻמוּם
מַן קַדּ גֻלִט פִי אַלסַּוּ יַאתִּי וַאללַּהּ גַפַארֻן רְחִים
לַא בֻּד מַא לִאדַּין תַּסלִים עִנַדּ אַלפְתַּא אַלפַצִ'לוּ
יַא מִן אלאנפס כלקהו
מִן פַיץ גּוּהַר נוּרְהוּ
וְכֻּלִהַא פִי כַּפְהוּ
כֻּלּ אַלוּגּוּדּ חַכַּם בִּתַּחכִּים וְהוּ לְכֻּלּ שַׁי פַאעִלוּ
סִינֻן אְלִף וַאלַּאם וַאלמִים מִן כַּרם גּוּדַּךּ סַאִלוּ

אֶחְתּוֹם לְשִׁירִי זֶה בְהַלֵּל וּשְׁבָח לְרָם עַל מַהֲלָל
הַשָּׂם בְּפִי אוֹמֵר לְמַלֵּל לוֹ כָל יְצוּר מוֹדִים כְּלָל
נַפְשִׁי עֲדִי רִקְמָה וּמִכְלוֹל גּוּפִי לִנְעָלְךָ שְׁלָל
בֵּין הַשְּׂרִידִים הַשְּׁלֵמִים חִזְקוּ פְּעָמַי וַעֲלוּ
בֵּין הַוְּרָדִים נִשְׁכְּנָהָ
לִי הַגְּבֶרֶת זִמְּנָה
טֶרֶף לְבֵיתָהּ נָתְנָה
פַּתְבַּג וְיֵין מִדַּם עֲנָבִים יֵינוֹ מְשֻׁמָּר צָלְלוּ
וּבְנֵי מְסִבָּה הָאֲהוּבִים חֶלְקָם בְּעֵדֶן יִנְחֲלוּ

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