Motzi Matza Card

Motzi, Matza – Bless the matza

אֲנִי חֲבַצֶּלֶת הַשָּׁרוֹן שׁוֹשַׁנַּת הָעֲמָקִים׃

I am a rose of Sharon,
A lily of the valleys.

כְּשׁוֹשַׁנָּה בֵּין הַחוֹחִים כֵּן רַעְיָתִי בֵּין הַבָּנוֹת׃

Like a lily among thorns,
So is my darling among the maidens.

• Song of Songs 2:1-2

Rochtza Card

Rochtza – Wash your hands with a blessing

מַעְיַן גַּנִּים בְּאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים וְנֹזְלִים מִן־לְבָנוֹן׃

[You are] a garden spring,
A well of fresh water,
A rill of Lebanon.

• Song of Songs 4:15

Magid Card

Magid – Tell the story of liberation

הַתְּאֵנָה חָנְטָה פַגֶּיהָ וְהַגְּפָנִים סְמָדַר נָתְנוּ רֵיחַ קוּמִי לכי [לָךְ] רַעְיָתִי יָפָתִי וּלְכִי־לָךְ׃

The green figs form on the fig tree,
The vines in blossom give off fragrance.
Arise, my darling;
My fair one, come away!

• Song of Songs 2:13

Yachatz Card

Yachatz – Break the middle matza

הַנִּצָּנִים נִרְאוּ בָאָרֶץ עֵת הַזָּמִיר הִגִּיעַ וְקוֹל הַתּוֹר נִשְׁמַע בְּאַרְצֵנוּ׃

The blossoms have appeared in the land,
The time of singing has come;
The song of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.

• Song of Songs 2:12

Karpas Card

Karpas – Eat a springtime vegetable appetizer

כִּי־הִנֵּה הסתו [הַסְּתָיו] עָבָר הַגֶּשֶׁם חָלַף הָלַךְ לוֹ׃

For now the winter is past,
The rains are over and gone.

• Song of Songs 2:11

Urchatz Card

Urchartz – Wash your hands without a blessing

מַיִם רַבִּים לֹא יוּכְלוּ לְכַבּוֹת אֶת־הָאַהֲבָה וּנְהָרוֹת לֹא יִשְׁטְפוּהָ אִם־יִתֵּן אִישׁ אֶת־כָּל־הוֹן בֵּיתוֹ בָּאַהֲבָה בּוֹז יָבוּזוּ לוֹ׃

Vast floods cannot quench love,
Nor rivers drown it.
If a man offered all his wealth for love,
He would be laughed to scorn.

• Song of Songs 8:7

Kadesh Card

Kadesh – Recite the Holiday Kiddush over a cup of wine

יִשָּׁקֵנִי מִנְּשִׁיקוֹת פִּיהוּ כִּי־טוֹבִים דֹּדֶיךָ מִיָּיִן׃

Oh, give me of the kisses of your mouth,
For your love is more delightful than wine.

• Song of Songs 1:2

Seder Poems 2023 / 5783 Booklet

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Nirtza

Our time
is gone
but we can
still sing
a few more songs.

As the guests
start to leave
I try to listen
to the secret in my sleeve.

Miriam, you are watching
in the brambles and river vines.

The sound of breathing.
The clinking of cleaning up time.
And a yearning desire
is drawn up from the depths.

Hallel

How to praise you
for waking me when I was
sleeping
for giving me sight when
I couldn’t see
for giving me words when
I couldn’t speak
for giving me posture
when I was beat
for letting me stand with
you at the river’s edge
and the black and blue bird
came right before me
and my heart opened.
Hinei zeh ba.