"Im Nin’alu Daltei Nedivim" (Were the gates of the munificent closed)

Im nin’alu daltei nedivim is a shira by Shalem Shabazi, signed Alshabazi. This poem is one of the most popular and widely known among the Yemenite Jews. It is sung on many different occasions, at weddings and other celebrations, to many melodies. Alternate stanzas are written in Hebrew and Arabic.

This recording features Menachem Arussi and the Kiryat Ono male voice ensemble. The last version is the fullest, with stanzas 1,2,3,7; one of these (2) is sung in Arabic. The soloist begins, and the choir replies in a responsorial manner: he sings the opening hemistich, and the ensemble responds with the closing hemistich. They are accompanied by a drum and hand clapping. The first melody is in triple meter, with a variation in the tawshiḥ. The second stanza, in Arabic, is sung to a new melody. The soloist, Shalom Keisar, sings the third stanza to the most widely known tune. The final stanza begins with the words Ehtom leshiri zeb be-ballel (I will close this song of mine with a ballel), and thereby, so to speak, anticipates what actually happens at the conclusion of the song. The two final verses of the song are repeated with elaboration, and the blessing with which it concludes - Vekulkhem berukhim - leads to the ballel.