Kol Nidrei: Lyrics

All Vows

Recited three times:

All vows, renunciations, bans, oaths, formulas of obligation, pledges, and promises that we vow or promise to ourselves and to God from this Yom Kippur to the next—may it approach us for good—we hereby retract. May they all be undone, repealed, cancelled, voided, annulled, and regarded as neither valid nor binding. Our vows shall not be considered vows; our renunciations shall not be considered renunciations; and our promises shall not be considered promises.

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS

Leader and congregation; some congregations recite this verse three times:

“The entire congregation of the people Israel shall be forgiven as well as the stranger who dwells among them, for all have erred:

Leader:

[Moses prayed:] As befits Your abundant love, please forgive this people’s sin, just as You have always forgiven this people from the time of the Exodus from Egypt until now” And there it further says:

Leader and congregation; some congregations recite this verse three times:

ADONAI replied, “I have forgiven, as you have asked

Barukh atah ADONAII our God, ruler of time and space, for granting us life, for sustaining us, and for bringing us to this moment.

Kol Nidrei

Recited three times:

Kol nidrei ve-esarei va-baramei, v’konamei v’khinnuyei, v’kinnusei u-sh’vu•ot, dindarna u-cl’ishtabbana, u-d’abarimna v’da-asarna al nafshatana, mi-yom kippurim zeh ad yom kippurim ha-ba aleinu Itovah, kul’hon ibaratna v’hon, kul’hon y’hon sh’ran, sh’vikin sh’vitin, b’teilin u-m’vuttalin, la sharirin v’la kayyamin. Nidrana la nidrei, ve-esarana la esarei, u-sh’vu•atana la sh’vu•ot.

Leader and congregation; some congregations recite this verse three times:

V’nislah l’khol adat b’nei yisra•el v’la-ger ha garb’tokham, ki l’khol ha-am bi-sh’gagah.

Leader and congregation; some congregations recite this verse three times:

Va-yomer Adonai, salabti ki-d’varekha.

Barukh atah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam, she-hebeyanu v’kiy’manu vizigi•anu la-z’man ha-zeh.

אוֹר זָרוּעַ לַצַּדִּיק

Ohr zaroo-ah latzadeek

Light is sown for the righteous

וּלְיִשְׁרֵי לֵב שִׂמְחָה

u-l’yishrei lave simchah

and for the upright in heart—joy

The following declaration is made by the cantor and repeated three times:

עַל דַּֽעַת הַמָּקוֹם

ahl da’at hamakom

With the consent of the Almighty,

וְעַל דַּֽעַת הַקָּהָל

vee-al da’at hakahal

and consent of this congregation,

בִּישִׁיבָה שֶׁל מַֽעְלָה

beesheevah shel ma’alah

in a convocation of the heavenly court,

וּבִישִׁיבָה שֶׁל מַֽטָּה

u-beesheevah shel matah

and a convocation of the lower court,

אָֽנוּ מַתִּירִין

ah-noo mahteereen

we hereby grant permission

לְהִתְפַּלֵּל עִם הָעֲבַרְיָנִים

l-hitpalel bayn ha-abaryaneem

to pray with transgressors

כָּל נִדְרֵי

kol nidrei

All vows,

וֶאֱסָרֵי

veh-essaray

and things we have made forbidden on ourselves,

וּשְׁבוּעֵי

u-sh’vooh-ay

and oaths,

וַחֲרָמֵי

vacharamay

and items we have consecrated to the Temple,

וְקוֹנָמֵי

vih-konamay

and vows issued with the expression “konum,”

וְכִנּוּיֵי

vih-cheenooyay

and vows which are abbreviated,

וְקִנוּסֵי

vih-keenoosay

and vows issued with the expression “kanos,”

דִּנְדַֽרְנָא

dindahrnah

that we have vowed,

וּדְאִשְׁתַּבַּֽעְנָא

u-d’eeshtahbahnah

and sworn,

וּדְאַחֲרִימְנָא

u-d’achareemnah

and dedicated,

וּדְאָסַֽרְנָא עַל נַפְשָׁתָֽנָא

u-d’ahsahrnah ahl nahfshatahnah

and made forbidden upon ourselves;

מִיּוֹם כִּפּוּרִים זֶה

meeyom keepooreem zeh

from this Yom Kippur

עַד יוֹם כִּפּוּרִים

ahd yom keepoorim

until next Yom Kippur—

הַבָּא עָלֵֽינוּ לְטוֹבָה

hahbah ahlaynoo l’tovah

may it come to us at a good time—

בְּכֻלְּהוֹן אִחֲרַֽטְנָא בְהוֹן

bihchoolhone eecharahtnah b’hone

We regret having made them

כֻּלְּהוֹן יְהוֹן שָׁרָן

coolhone y-hone shahrahn

may they all be permitted

שְׁבִיקִין, שְׁבִיתִין

sh’veekeen, sh’veeteen

forgiven, eradicated

בְּטֵלִין וּמְבֻטָּלִין

bihtayleen u-m’vootahleen

and nullified,

לָא שְׁרִירִין

lah sh’reereen

and may they not be valid

וְלָא קַיָּמִין

v’lah kayameen

or exist any longer.

נִדְרָֽנָא לָא נִדְרֵי

needranah lah nidrei

Our vows shall no longer be vows,

וֶאֱסָרָֽנָא

veh-ehsahrahnah

and our prohibitions

לָא אֱסָרֵי.

lah ehsarei

shall no longer be prohibited,

וּשְׁבוּעָתָֽנָא לָא שְׁבוּעוֹת

oosh’vooahtanah lah sh’voo’ote

and our oaths are no longer oaths.

The cantor and congregation say three times:

וְנִסְלַח לְכָל עֲדַת

v’nislach l’chol adaht

Forgive the entire congregation

בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

b’nay yisrael

of the children of Yisrael

וְלַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּתוֹכָם

v’lahgare hagahr b’tochahm

and the stranger amongst them

כִּי לְכָל הָעָם בִּשְׁגָגָה:

kee l’kole ha’ahm bishgahgah

for the entire people sin unintentionally.

סְלַח נָא לַעֲו‍ֹן הָעָם הַזֶּה

s’lach nah la’avone ha’am hazeh

Please pardon the sins of this nation

כְּגֹֽדֶל

kih goh-dell

in accordance with the greatness

חַסְדֶּֽךָ

chas’dechah

of Your lovingkindness;

וְכַאֲשֶׁר נָשָֽׂאתָה לָעָם הַזֶּה

vih ka’ashare nahsahtah la’am hazeh

and as You forgave this people

מִמִּצְרַֽיִם וְעַד הֵֽנָּה:

mee-mitzrayim v’ad haynah

from when it left Egypt until now.

וְשָׁם נֶאֱמַר

v’shahm ne’emahr

And there it is said:

Congregation says three times:

וַיֹּֽאמֶר יְהֹוָה

vah-yoe-mare adonai

And Adonai said

סָלַֽחְתִּי כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ

sah-lach-tee kid’vorecha

“I have pardoned [them] as you have asked”

Hebrew and English text taken from The Metsudah Machzor, via Sefaria.